Christmas songs

[Fake Vencar]

Talking about Christmas songs, a TOTP2 special is on yet again this evening. I always enjoy them for some reason...

[Rosemary]

Carols by Candlelight is being held in the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Monday and telecast over here. The children in the audience love this show, and the camera crew always capture some dear little soul either singing or fast asleep! Looking out of the Music Bowl, all that can be seen are all the lit candles - it's such a popular Christmas event, with old and new songs being sung.

[Green]

My faves:

Low - Just Like Christmas

Dave Matthews Band - Christmas Song

Flaming Lips - Christmas At The Zoo

Everything But The Girl - 25th December

[pyan]

Originally Posted by Fake Vencar

Talking about Christmas songs, a TOTP2 special is on yet again this evening. I always enjoy them for some reason...

Yes, me too - I think it's because of the mixture you get from the middle sixties to the present, plus Steve Wright's comments.....

[Lady of Winterfell]

Seeing as its the Christmas season I thought I would get this thread going again. I've been listening to some Christmas music recently and writing down some of my favorites so I can make a mix CD with some good songs on it. So far I have:

Sleigh Ride - Johnny Mathis
Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms
Rockin Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer - Dean Martin

I also like the music from the Charlie Brown Christmas special, as well as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

[chopper]

continuing on the alternative tip, here's a few guaranteed to shake the student bars at xmas.....
Fountains of Wayne - I want an alien for christmas
The Fall - No Xmas for John Quays
Eels - Everything's Gonna Be Cool this Christmas
Manic Street Preachers - Christmas Ghost
Richard Hawley - Silent Night
The Fall (again) - Xmas with Simon

i also remember the Mission doing Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody at some point....

[BookStop]

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

YouTube - I'm dreaming of a white Christmas / Xmas

I love, love, love this version.

[Lioness]

I like Silver Bells and,as of today, Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. We were at dancing putting on random songs and that came on and DP and I were attacked by a fit of hilarity.

[kythe]

I enjoy most Christmas songs and it's one of my favorite holidays. It's hard to single out songs out of all that it out there, but some of my particular favorites include:

Whiteheart's version of The Little Drummer Boy
Trans-Siberian orchestra
Carpenter's Christmas album
Bob River's Comedy club, for spoof songs

Weird mix, I know

A song I have come to loathe is Mary's Boy Child. It's over 5 minutes long and it's just the same thing over and over. What I really hate is when that tune gets stuck in my head and I can't help thinking about it all day.

[sloweye]

YouTube - Funny Christmas Song - Bohemian Christmas Rhapsody Video

[Manarion]

Well, all the ordinary classics aside....


Mostly some strange parody types, such as Bob River's I Am Santa Clause or Weird Al's Night Santa Went Crazy.....

[Zubi-Ondo]

Originally Posted by Rosemary

My other favourite would have to be John Lennon's 'Happy Christmas (War is Over).

Its funny (this is one of my all time favorites too), but I always thought the title would be "And so this is Christmas." (That is the same song, right?)

I've always liked little drummer boy because the music is cool, and its almost impossible to do a bad cover of it - plus its a really spiritual message.

My next fave would be "Let it Snow" - I have to say I like Satchmo's (Louis Armstrong's) original the best.

I like the melody to Silver Bells, the words don't do much for me.

I was just doing a bit of surfing, and Stevie Nicks did a cover of "Silent Night" that was nice, and Sting did something called "Garbriel's message" that sounds almost traditional (choruses doing rounds).

Others I've had a liking for are Tannenbaum (Oh Christmas tree), Winter Wonderland, Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem, and the ever sad, but beatiful Greensleves (I play that one on the guitar - Jeff beck did a nice cover of it on the acoustic).

I don't know how Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite came to be associated with Christmas, but it certainly has here in the USA. I love that whole record, CD, etc. I get a little annoyed because they use "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies" in all kinds of adverts. I wouldn't mind, but I'd rather hear the whole piece than part of it with some announcer coming in for a voice-over.

It's weird to find that some people actually hate the whole Christmas thing. They either associate it with some unfortunate past memories, or they just can't stand the commercialism. I myself profess that one should try to remember the Christmas spirit all year long, and try to be kind to others always.

- Have a Merry one!

-Z.

[The Ace]

I have a soft spot for KBW's, 'Santa's F******g Roadies,' can't think why.

[sloweye]

Do ya have Kev's Christmas Album Ace? Brilliant, i have a signed copy and i love it

[High Eight]

Originally Posted by jackokent

OK so I'm sure we do this every year but I am doing a few compliations and am looking for the best Christmas songs to put on them.

So what's everyone's favourites... or most hated?

Also be interested to hear some unusual songs as I've probably got all the old faithfuls.

A couple of pagan ones:

'Ring Out Solstice Bells' - Jethro Tull
'Unconquered Sun' - Steeleye Span (can be found on their album 'Winter' which is mainly a collection of traditional carols given the folk-rock treatment with two terrific songs by Ken Nichol: 'Unconquered Sun' and 'The Mistletoe Bough')
Speaking of all things folkie, the Albion Band have done a couple of decent Christmas albums: 'A Present From....' and 'An Albion Christmas'

I almost hate to admit it as I loathe all things ELP except this one, but 'I Believed in Father Christmas' pretty much sums up the mixture of cynicism and hope with which I greet each festive season.

Most Hated? 'A Fairytale of bleedin' New York - that horrible drink-fueled Celtic sentimentality that slings its arms around your neck, slurs "y're me bes' mate you 're. I rlly, rlly lurve yer" and then throws up all over your shoes.