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Holiday Music: Christmas, Halloween, Hanukkah, and more!

FormerMod-a1

By FormerMod-a1
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Bastet
Bastet

I hate that song almost violently.

WendyCR72
WendyCR72

Stumbled across this just now, had no idea it existed: A sort of oral history of The Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping".

WendyCR72
WendyCR72

For as great a songwriter Paul is/was (see Get Back!), like I said, this one wasn't his best. I guess even songwriting machines spit out some trite stuff. (I save my hate for "Christmas Shoes" or what

Popples

Popples

On 11/7/2016 at 5:18 PM, magicdog said:

The Christmas music channels are already up and running on Dish.  Been running for about a week now.

The channel on Comcast/Xfinity started November 2. I love Christmas music, but I don't think I can listen to it this year since they combined the channels. It used to be "Christmas Classics" and "Contemporary Christmas", and I would stay with the classics because I can't listen to the likes of Taylor Swift ruining "Last Christmas" and the outright awfulness of Mariah Carey's remake of "All I Want for Christmas" with Justin Beiber that made me hate her original version.

I guess I'll be sticking to the Christmas playlist on my mp3 player.

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ennui

ennui

On 12/4/2015 at 2:29 PM, AimingforYoko said:

I'm surprised nobody's linked this one, recorded just before Der Bingle's death in 1977:

 

 

And now David is gone, as well.  This is one of my favorites.

I'm surprised at all the hate for "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." In context, it's from WWII, and I love it for the melancholy.

Goldmoon

Goldmoon

Vince Vance and the Valients' "All I Want for Christmas is You" is amazing!  I thought it was doo-wop and discovered that it charted on the Country chart.  This isn't the same as Mariah Carey's song is it?  I can't stand that one.

Also love Celtic Thunder's "Christmas 1914."  I was dusting with that song on in the background when I heard it for the first time.  I stopped dusting and listened and was in tears by the end of the song.  Of course one of the main vocalists, George Donaldson, died in 2014, so it's that much more poignant when he sings of going back to the war the next day, "and I killed the boy that sang in No Man's Land."  Lovely reminder of how generosity can overcome conflict.  I also love "A Soldier's Silent Night."  I guess I'm just emo that way.

Adore "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Judy Garland.  Cannot tolerate "The Christmas Song" by anyone, but especially not by the original singer Mel Torme.  Really like "A Marshmallow World" by Dean Martin, and "Holly Jolly Christmas" by Burl Ives.  And that instrumental "Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson.

It would not be a holiday music forum without mentioning "Christmas Shoes."  I first heard that when I was trapped as a receptionist and could not change the channel.  I was laughing hysterically by the end of the song - it was the most manipulative piece of dreck I have ever heard.  Fans evidently believe it is touching.  Touching what I don't know.

Constant Viewer

Constant Viewer

On 11/19/2016 at 4:24 PM, ennui said:

I'm surprised at all the hate for "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." In context, it's from WWII, and I love it for the melancholy.

It was meant to be even more melancholy, but Judy Garland wanted them to cheer it up since she sings it to a child in the movie. Some of the original lyrics were "Have yourself a merry little Christmas, it may be your last" (in the movie the family is moving to New York.

Apparently Sinatra changed the line "until then we'll have to muddle through somehow" to "hang a shining star upon the highest bough" when he sang it.

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WendyCR72

WendyCR72

I like The Pretenders' version of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". It's just sort of calm and soothing. (Of course it was on the first-ever volume of "A Very Special Christmas", and with one or two other exceptions, there was a lot of rocked-out versions of songs [my favorite volume, even if the Bon Jovi track was quietly changed over the years] , so it was nice to slow things down...)

WendyCR72

WendyCR72

And speaking of holiday music, one of the most unusual Christmas albums I have come across is a Christmas CD done by....Twisted Sister. Yes, Twisted Sister. And they cover a bunch of old Christmas tunes. It's definitely not for everyone, but it seemed to be covered with affection, and I actually like the very pumped-up "Silver Bells".

If you're an Amazon Prime member, you can sample/stream it for free.

Popples

Popples

Someone put the entire album up on YouTube as well. "Silver Bells" and "O Come All Ye Faithful" aren't bad. The videos are pretty funny as well.

Why is "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music considered a Christmas song by some radio stations? Besides the line "snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes" there's nothing about the song that mentions anything pertaining to winter, let alone Christmas, at all.

Bill1978

Bill1978

18 hours ago, Popples said:

Why is "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music considered a Christmas song by some radio stations? Besides the line "snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes" there's nothing about the song that mentions anything pertaining to winter, let alone Christmas, at all.

Because the song is actually the singer's wish list of gifts? No idea, it's like how over in the UK East 17's Stay Another Day is considered a Christmas song all because it went to #1 during the Christmas of '94, they wear white winter coats in the film clip and there are bells/chimes in the song.

WendyCR72

WendyCR72

Ah, "Christmas Wrapping"! Good one, @MyAimIsTrue! The Waitresses also sang the theme song for the one and done season of Square Pegs eons ago in the early '80s, which gave Sarah Jessica Parker her start. If I recall, the group appeared on an episode and sang the theme.

Sadly, Patty Donahue, the lead singer, died of cancer way back in '96. But I like this song, too!

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MyAimIsTrue

MyAimIsTrue

I was a senior in high school the season 'Square Pegs' aired and I loved it, and could totally relate since I was a square peg myself.  Jami Gertz also got her start on that show.  I had a Waitresses album (on vinyl, of course) that had the 'Square Pegs' theme song as well as "I Know What Boys Like.'

Popples

Popples

On 12/25/2016 at 6:29 PM, Twilight Man said:

Did you know that Eartha Kitt (Santa Baby) also passed away on Christmas a few years back as well??

As did James Brown, 10 years ago yesterday. My mother made me call my brother to tell him the news, and it wasn't like he was a huge fan of his. It was a really awkward conversation, "Merry Christmas, James Brown is dead." My mother is really strange when it comes to celebrity deaths, like she'll have a severe attitude if I don't tell her.

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JTMacc99

JTMacc99

On 12/20/2016 at 3:13 AM, WendyCR72 said:

Ah, "Christmas Wrapping"! Good one, @MyAimIsTrue!

My favorite! And my second favorite from Run DMC is posted way up thread by @AimingforYoko

(I just popped into this thread today, and figured I might as well chime in now rather than waiting another 11 months before it would be timely again.)

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