Yuletide Carols: Christmas Music!

[Brookie]

Brookie, I was in choir all through school and Christmas concert time was my favorite. We'd always do a medley of favorites, one in Latin, one fun up-tempo song, and maybe a couple more thrown in for good measure. My favorite was my senior year because in girls' ensemble we got to sing Santa Baby (so freakin' fun) AND I didn't biff my solo on O Little Town of Bethlehem, and in regular choir, we brought 'em to their feet with our Latin song (which is rare, since those usually bore anyone who isn't actually performing). Good times. I love it when I hear one of the songs we performed in choir over the radio or in the mall. So nostalgic, sorta makes me swell with pride for how good our little choir was back in the day.

Yah, foxy. Thanks for the memories. Good times indeed. We always sang a beautiful version of "O Holy Night" with all three choirs (Boys, Girls and A Capella), and graduates from any year who were in choir were invited to sing with us on stage. It was fabulous. All the choirs had different parts. I wish we'd put out a choir "greatest hits" Christmas album like we did with our spring concert album. (I still play it from time to time, but now I'd have to dig out my record player from the bowels of the basement...) We also sang something every year just called "The Christmas Song" that was narrated and incorporated different not-as-well-known carols into a medley. I still have the libretto (OK, I stole it!)....

I too despise the commerciality of the holiday season. My greatest gift every year is being blessed to have my 85-year-old mom still with me, still sharp, and still my best friend.

[dwanollah]

I'm sorting through more of our Christmas Music right now, and damn iffen Aimee Mann and Michael Penn's "Christmastime" isn't one of the bestest tunes on my playlist.

[Deleted]

My favorite Xmas music is the comedy songs. I grew up listening to Bob and Doug McKenzie's 12 days on Christmas from the Great White North LP.
Now I listen to A Santa Cause which is labeled as a punk rock Christmas CD. It has one song called Christmas Night Of The Zombies by MXPX which combines Christmas with zombie killin! Hooray.

I love, Love LOVE Trans- Siberian Orchestra, especially Christmas Eve in Sarajevo.


I love The Nutcracker, I can remember going to see the ballet with my grandma every winter. It also reminds me of the Figure skating specials on TV that had them skating to Christmas music. And me busting my ass on the ice the next day trying to imitate Kristi Yamaguchi

[hamhock]

I love "Christmas in Hollis" by Run DMC:

It's Christmas time in Hollis Queens
Mom's cooking chicken and collard greens
Rice and stuffing, macaroni and cheese
And Santa put gifts under Christmas trees
Decorate the house with lights at night
Snow's on the ground, snow white so bright
In the fireplace is the yule log
Beneath the mistle toe as we drink egg nog
The rhymes that you hear are the rhymes of Darryl's
But each and every year we bust Chrsitmas carols

[jennipoo]

For me, it's all about Smokey Robinson's "Christmas Everyday". I threw all my Christmas cds into my fiance's truck and we blasted them while hunting this weekend.

I'm sure that's exactly what Smokey pictured when he crooned that song... two hunters in blaze orange caps and camoflauge with shotguns grooving to his music on some dirt road.

[Deleted]

That reminds me of my most-hated Christmas song:

"Siiimpleee haaaaaving a wonderful Christmastime!"

Oh, that's actually my favorite Christmas song! Or maybe I just tell people that it's my favorite to annoy them.

My parents had a record (not a CD or a tape, but a record) of the Oak Ridge Boys Christmas and they'd start playing that sucker every Thanksgiving and they wouldn't stop until I was threatening suicide. It was a wonderful family tradition.

My least favorite song on that is this one:

Jesus was born to day . . . born in a MANGER
(child chorus: Happy Birthday!)
Though he was young they say, he was no STRANGER
(child chorus: Happy Birthday!)

The rest I've blocked.

[dwanollah]

the Oak Ridge Boys Christmas

*groan* My mom had that one, too... along with the Kenny and Dolly one. And they both sucked major wanger. Come over here, honey, and we'll listen to Sir Paul together, instead!

[suzyp]

No Xmas music collection is complete without John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together, the soundtrack of the TV special from '78 or '79. My parents have it on vinyl and I have it on CD. It just isn't really Christmas until I play it while decorating the tree. It is my absolute favorite!

I'm totally serious about this. Go find yourself a copy. Amazon is selling it for $5.98. Throw it on your gift order as a present to yourself. It is a crime that you can't get this on DVD.

[PearlySweetcake]

It might be a uniquely Seattle thang, but this town cannot get enough of the Christmas tune "Stop the Cavalry" by the Cory Band (originally written and sung by Jonah Lewie). The song is honest-to-jebus played by every frickin' station in town all December long. Anyone else's community similarly afflicted?

As for casa de Sweetcake, Perry Como's "Christmas Dream" gets lots of repeat play here. Everything else seasonal is naughty and/or subversive. "I've got Some Presents for Santa" by Sarah Taylor and Billy Mumy; "Santa Claus Got Stuck in My Chimney" by Ella Fitzgerald; "The Junkie's Christmas" by William S. Burroughs; "Christmas at Ground Zero" by Weird Al. And just about anything by Bob Rivers.

[Oxynia]

We've been completely hooked on the Rat Pack Christmas CD...Dino and Frank and Sammy crooning all the old standards. It's swell and makes us thirst for cocktails in big martini glasses...and yes, "Marshmallow World" is a total trip!

I also have a soft spot for "Mary's Boy Child", the version done by Boney M, which has a hip reggae vibe to it. No Christmas is complete without blasting that and singing along, much to the chagrin of our neighbours.

Also can't have Christmas without Pavarotti belting out "Adeste Fidelis".

One song that gets me every time is "I Believe in Father Christmas" by Emerson Lake & Palmer. It's pretty unsentimental in parts but it haunts me whenever I hear it...

I wish you a hopeful Christmas,
I wish you a brave New Year,
All anguish, pain and sadness,
Leave your heart and let your road be clear.

They said there'd be snow at Christmas,
They said there'd be peace on earth,
Hallelujah! Noel!, be it Heaven or Hell,
The Christmas we get, we deserve.