My All Time Christmas Song


The song that really gets me on Christmas is

“I Believe In Father Christmas”, by Greg Lake of ELP found on ELP’s Works Vol.2 Album.

Absolutely A Classic !

 

My father bought me the album many years ago when I was a junior in high school and still have it in my collection… Since his passing in ‘82 It’s been a tradition of mine of only being taken out of it’s sleeve once a year, being play on Christmas Day… Sounds as good as the day I got it 👍

 

https://youtu.be/yfY4b1NszpY?si=9agYoHDVDCzqwWgG

skiznfliz

If anyone is still following...

Old Toy Trains written by Roger Miller and covered by Nana Mouskouri (she has released over 200 albums in at least thirteen languages) is simply wonderful.

"Carol of the Bells", especially the jazz combo version by David Benoit. Also "Please Come Home for Christmas" by Charles Brown. I have his original vinyl stereo LP. It was famously redone by Eagles, but lost it's bluesy vibe.

I’m partial to the classics.

Bob Rivers’ “Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire” is one of my perennial favorites.

Ho-ho-ho.

Not a song per se but Handel’s Messiah.  It reminds me of my childhood and hearing my parents playing it.  It would come out every Christmas and get played through the entire four record set.  I just came back from hearing it performed by the NSO at the Kennedy Center.  It was amazingly well done.

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Growing up it was Bing Crosby and Mario Lanza which I still play to this day so anything from their Christmas albums.

Jesu Parvule - by The Singer's Unlimited on Christmas - 1972

Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song) - by Amy Grant on Home for Christmas - 1992

Thoughts on a line from 'Do You Hear What I Hear':

A child, a child, shivers in the cold

Let us bring him silver and gold

Let us bring him silver and gold...

How about bringing the kid a blanket??!!

James Taylor at Christmas - Baby, It's Cold Outside. The whole album is good.

Christmas music “expert” here!  Retired choir director and audiophile have to disparate recommendations:

Christmas Cocktails Vol.1 and Vol.2. A scream!  Two disc compilations of Capital Records best. Gotta hear Les Brown and his Band of Renown’s version of The Nutcracker Suite.  Beautifully remastered and available on LP as well as CD.  Includes a recipe for a proper Hot Toddy 😋.

”Christmas With the Harvard Glee Club”, John F. Adams, Director.  This LP from 1979 on the Musical Heritage label is a stunning collection of deep-catalog seasonal music for men’s chorus.  Never available on anything other than the original LP, it’s only a few bucks on the usual auction sites.  Worth noting that another LP from this series earned a place on Harry Pearson’s Super Disc List. 

Bing Crosby and David Bowie -Star of Bethlehem 

the Brian Setzer orchestra  buy their Christmas bluray  or go see him live 

great concert me amd the Mrs went to see them  Big Band Classic Christmas 🎅 Christmas 🎄, Merry Christmas 🎁 to all on Audiogon  !!

A Christmas Album by Barbra Streisand

https://youtu.be/BR6AtVkp68c?feature=shared

Interesting. 

Nobody mentioned anything by the Carpenters, even though they have three Christmas albums. 

Bruce Cockburn "Christmas " CD

Brave Combo "It's Christmas, Man!" CD

Every year like clockwork.

HAPPY Holidays! (and a little 'Bah Humbug, too!)

Please come home for Christmas

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The Eagles.  Don Henleys voice is 

smooth as silk

In memory of my father and mother and their yearly Christmas Day celebration with uncles, aunts and cousins … Perry Como The Classic Christmas Album. The orchestrations combined with his buttery baritone voice is holiday comfort food for the ears.  My favorite track … The Story of Christmas.  Also spinning during the holidays were albums by Dino (his favorite) and Blue Eyes.  But IMHO Perry was the voice over all.  Played on his system he was so much proud of … Thorens TD125, Stanton 881, Pioneer 828, and Large Advents on custom stands.  The Pioneer is still in service at a vacation home in VT, now about 50 years old.  

Listening to this again, really good.

Lucinda Williams "Have Yourself a Rockin' Little Christmas"

Additional albums in Christmas rotation…

Ella Fitzgerald, Ella Wishes You a Swingin Christmas

David Grisman’s Acoustic Christmas

Take 6, WeWish You a Merry Christmas

Mpact, The Carol Commission

Bob Rivers’ Twisted Christmas

 

 

Kenny Wayne Shepard - Rudolf the rednose reindeer

Steve Via - the Charlie Brown Xmas Theme Song

 

Both on the Merry XMAS CD

 

 

 

 

Judy Garland, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

Manheim Steamroller, “Silent Night”

Either Bing or Nat King Cole, “White Christmas”

Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride”

And the Gary Fry arrangement of “O Holy Night”

 

Beyond the classics from Bing, Julie, Nat, etc., I pick "So this is Christmas". I love both the recording by John Lennon and the recording by Sarah McLachlan... 

Definitely Greg Lake RIP.

Father Christmas- the Kinks 

Must be Santa - Mitch Miller

+1 @thecarpathian

Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah this time of year like it’s a holiday/Christmas song. Pure ignorant nonsense!

AND

If we're including albums, A Charlie Brown Christmas. Absolute staple.

Jeff Buckley's cover of Hallelujah is sublime.

Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody great tune that puts you in a good mood.