by BethSorry for the late post. It seems as if this holiday season is busier and crazier than ever *g*
I do love the holidays though and one of the things I love most is the music!
Some of my favorite Christmas songs are:
Carol of the Bells - Trans Siberian Orchestra (I'd love to see them live!)
White Christmas - Bing Crosby. We listen to Bing every Christmas morning. No substitutes! And I love both classic movies Holiday Inn and White Christmas. I'm going to force my family to watch them with me this year :-)
Baby It’s Cold Outside - Lee Ann Womack and Harry Connick Jr. Great version of this classic song.
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Bare Naked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan. So upbeat and fun and makes me want to dance *g*
And because I'm always behind the times, I just found out that Kristin Chenoweth has a Christmas CD out which I would love to have. Along with Faith Hill's.
Some of the songs that make me want to stick my head in a very deep snowbank are:
Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer. Ugh. I hate even typing that because now it’ll be stuck in my head!
Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney. Don’t get me wrong, I love Paul during his Beatle days but this song? Not so much.
Do They Know It’s Christmas by Band Aid. Great idea to raise money for the world’s needy but after over twenty years of this song, I’ve had enough *g*
What about you? What are your favorites? What songs could you happily go without hearing this year?
And don't forget, we're still celebrating our 12 Days of Christmas! One lucky commenter will win a rooster prize plus I'll throw in a copy of one of my books :-)
130 comments:
I'm dreaming of a Golden Rooster.....
Wow, Beth..you've listed a lot of my favs....
I ADORE Carol of the Bells no matter who plays it. White Christmas is traditional but from the movie I also like "Snow".
The Christmas Song as sung by Karen Carpenter...pure honey and home.
Andy Williams with Silver Bells, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christma and No Place Like Home for the Holidays
I also enjoy "Do You Hear What I Hear?" A traditional version usually though this year our local Holiday Tunes radio station is playing a version with a Celtic music back beat. Love. It.
As to newer ones, "Santa's On The Rooftop" by Trisha Yearwood and Rosie O'Donnell (No matter Rosie's travails, her first Xmas album is the BEST!) And Santa Baby....just a little bit of naughty thrown in there...
I also tend to have one song that is my favorite each year. This year...believe it or not...is The Little Drummer Boy. I kind of have this poor boy with a drum as the backstory to a hero....
Is that wrong?
My all time favorite : Rockin around the Christmas Tree... it's exactly the kind of song that will get me in a good mood and do tons of stuff (cleaning and baking mostly ;-).
Wow, One of my Favorites is Andy Williams singing "O Holy Night", also
because I live in Canada, "Baby it's Cold Outside" by Dean Martin. Love Doris Day's rendition of 'Silver Bells.'
I also have a CD of Victorian Carols I adore. *pass the figgy pudding and Wassail*
What I can live without? Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer. Even as a kid it made me cringe.
Don't know why...
I'm with Joan, Carol of the Bells no matter who plays it! I also love White Christmas and The Christmas Song.
I cannot stand Feliz Navidad. They overplay it on my radio station and I want to hit my head on the dash every time it comes on!
I like the song (I think the title is) Let it snow.
i dont' celebrate christmas but you can't escape christmas songs! they're everywhere, so i have a few favorites--but my all time fave christmas song has to be "all i want for christmas is you" by mariah carey.
however, i'm not really into some of the rock/pop remake of classic christmas songs; can't tell you which pop star "ruined" some of these songs b/c i only hear them in stores but whenever i hear one i cringe...
happy winter everybody :)
Joan, you did it! It's indeed RARE when a Bandita snags The Golden One.
I'm a curmudgeon. Give me carols and holiday songs in their original arrangements, please; I'll even take the mass in Latin. None of the rocky, bangity-bang-bang stuff with my reindeer and theology.
I LOVE Christmas songs that are simple and sweet. Like: The first Noel. And I think that: Away in a manger is cute too.
I hate: Blink 182 - It's Christmas time again. My cousin plays it over and over this time of year. But like I said, hate it.
white christmas is my favorite.
Great post, Beth! I love Christmas music - and I love the classic crooners like Bing and Nat, Frankie and Dean, Ella and Rosemary (Clooney).
I also love the Trans-Siberian Orchestra - we saw them once live, while we were living in NJ. They were pretty cool!
My faves are:
Dean Martin - Baby, It's Cold Outside (I love it because he sounds so naughty!)
Mariah Carey - All I want for Christmas is you - this reminds me of Love, Actually and always brings a smile to my face.
White Christmas (I'm with you on both movies!) ... and I also love the song about counting your blessings from White Chirstmas.
Santa Baby - I know Eartha's version is the classic, but Madonna's seems to have that naughty edge to it LOL
I actually like the Band Aid song because I love trying to remember all the famous people singing in it.
Doris Day - I'll be Home for Christmas - for me, Doris has the perfect voice for Christmas.
Chris de Burgh - A Spaceman Came Travelling
And my two all-time faves are Wizzard "I Wish it Could be Christmas Every Day" and Slade's "Merry Christmas Everybody". hey're English classic pop songs and, for me, it isn't Christmas until I've heard those two songs.
The other thing I love is to hear the carol Once in Royal David's City, sung at the beginning of the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols - another English tradition. If you can get hold of a version by the King's College, Cambridge choir - it's spectacular. It starts with a single boy chorister singing the first verse solo and unaccompanied, then everyone joins in for the second verse.
I can't stand Tubuar Bells by Mike Oldfield and In Dulce Jubilo! Or Cliff Richard's Mistletoe and Wine. And I'm with Stephanie about Feliz Navidad!
Hi, Beth.
I love Bing's "White Christmas"! Did you know that it is still the number 1 Christmas song, even today?
"The Christmas Song" sung by Nat King Cole.
"It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" by Andy Williams.
"O Holy Night" by Josh Groban.
Kay Thompson's "Jingle Bells" by Andy Williams.
"I Love the Winter Weather" by Tony Bennett.
Arthur Fields and the Boston Pops "Sleigh Ride".
"It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" by Perry Como.
There are many more....a lot of these are from a tape/record from my childhood faves.
Anna, I like "Once In Royal David's City", too. My home church sings that every year, but the church I go to now doesn't. I also like "Joy to the World", "Silent Night", and "O Little Town of Bethelehem".
Actually, I love Christmas music!
Good morning, Beth!
Congrats on the GR nab, Joanie! Be kind to him, remember it's the season to of Peace and Joy!
I adore Christmas music as does my daughter Lyndsey. The past few Christamses (not this year as my DH waited too late), she and her father recorded her singing both traditional renditions and jazzed up renditions of holiday carols and songs. This year I've been listening to her jazzed version of WE THREE KINGS over and over!
As to what are my favorites?
An old gosspel song, I WONDER AS I WANDER.
WHITE CHRISTMAS by Bing, of course.
O, HOLY NIGHT, sung by Lyndsey or Pavarotti...No one does it better or clearer.(Im very picky on this song.)
BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE. Amy Grant's THIS IS MY CHICSTMAS WISH.
In fact, maybe I should just list the albums:
Manheim Steamroller...all of them.
The Carpenters' Christmas Album,
Amy Grant's, Manhattan Transfer, Harry Conick Jr., Natalie Cole...AND
On Christmas day, we play the soundtrack to the Charlie Brown Christmas album while opening presents!
Super topic, Beth. I don't think we've ever talked about Christmas music!
Two of my favorites are "Drummer Boy" and "From a Distance."
Oh, and I love Mannheim Steamroller doing Christmas!
Yay, Joanie! It's been a while since a Bandita won the rooster. Maybe he can wrap presents for you!
There are a couple songs by Bruce Springsteen that I like and then there are the songs that I've liked since I was a kid like Rudolph and Frosty. Last year I was thinking that the Do They Know It's Christmas? should be gone.
My favorite of all time is Bing Crosby's White Christmas but I could live to be a thousand and quite happily hope to never, ever, hear Alvin and the Chipmunks sing anything - especially Christmas carols. The holidays puts me pretty close to all the family children and they seem to love Alvin and the gang :-)
Now I "kinda" like the Grandma Got Run Over song...we use it as our anthem on Christmas on our orthopaedic unit. "Yup, we'll be good unless Grandma gets run over by a reindeer and ..breaks her hip" :-)
Suz, my favorite rendition of We Three Kings was one done in the Claymation Christmas special from years ago by the camels of the wise men. Really cool...baby.
As to the GR....I'd be satisfied if he could fix my shelves that just fell...sigh
Hey Beth!
What a fantastic thing to blog about. Christmas music is everywhere right now, and I've got my iPod set to the holiday songs. My favorite used to be Bing's White Christmas too, but that's changed over the years as I've grown older. Now I just don't want traditional melancholy Christmas music at all. I like cheery, upbeat stuff.
My favorite now is "Baby It's Cold Outside" which, believe it or not, I had never heard until I saw the movie ELF Can you believe that? I'd lived my whole life and thought I'd heard every Christmas song there ever was. Not. Now it's my fav.
My favorite Christmas album is James Taylor's A Christmas Album which is very jazzy and fun. I also have a mixed album of old favorites who have long since gone, mixed with new artists, which is so cool and only possible with new digital technology--one of them is Nat King Cole singing with Natalie.
I did notice Christmas albums by TSO in a store the other day, but I didn't know which one to choose, as I don't have any of their stuff, but love them when I hear it somewhere. Which album do y'all think is best?
Songs I don't like.
I get tired of Feliz Navidad, though I heard it sung by an actual Mariachi band the other day and that was fun. Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer is just way too overdone and I could go forever without hearing it again. The Little DRummer Boy...(sigh) seems like every other song on the radio is that so even though there are some really good versions (Bing and--who did that with him, the modern artist...shoot I can't remember. Anyway that one is good.. But it seems like there is more of that song than any other except Silent Night.
OH, I forgot what is probably my all-time fav Christmas album...Amy Grant's. Both of them. I can't pick one.
David Bowie sang Little Drummer Boy with Bing - my fave version.
Thanks for this lovely post. I enjoy most carols but my favorite of all time is the one sung by Celine Dion, O Holy Night. Wishing you all the best for a wonderful holiday.
Thanks, Beth. Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer has been stuck in my head since I woke up and I don't ever remember hearing the song. I finally got it out of my head and now it's back!
My favorite is still the Nat King Cole version of The Christmas Song. I love that song and his version is tops.
Well, the snow accumulation predictions are up to over a foot around here for tomorrow. I just got back from running errands and the grocery stores are packed! I'm thinking we might have a white Christmas after all.
Uh...Joanie...YOU like the "spider pig" song....so Grandma got runover by a reindeer isn't that big of a surprise!! :)
My favorite is O'Holy Night.I love Sleigh Ride,Silver Bells and White Christmas
Like you I am a fan the Transiberian
Orchestra Carol of the Bells.
I also am a fan of Mannheim Steamroller.
I just love the traditional Christmas carols.
I also can't stand Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer and that awful I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas.
I love the David Bowie and Bing Crosby version of Little Drummer Boy.
And if I never hear I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas again I wont cry about it.
Suz said: Uh...Joanie...YOU like the "spider pig" song....so Grandma got runover by a reindeer isn't that big of a surprise!! :)
Reindeer pig...reindeer pig..does whatever a reindeer pig does
THANKS! I now have my new holiday tune!
Oooh Joanie. Christmas decorating with the GR AND the gladiators? What fun!
I love Trans-Siberian Orchestra and their Christmas albums are just wonderful. My brother and I saw them in concert in Birmingham a couple of years ago. Fabulous!
To sing my favorite Christmas song is O Holy Night. And anything from the Christmas section of Handel's Messiah.
Carol of the Bells is another favorite.
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Do You Hear What I Hear?
I Wonder as I Wander (which I have to sing if I attend my Mom's church anytime from November 1st through New Year's!)
Nat King Cole's - The Christmas Song
Bing's White Christmas
The Holly and the Ivy
I Saw Three Ships
Once In David's Royal City
Sweet Little Jesus Child (a very old spiritual)
What Child is This?
I don't like modernized versions of traditional Christmas carols nor do I like rap versions.
Feliz Navidad gets on my nerves after the first hearing as does The Little Drummer Boy (but only because they play it over and over and over on Muzak in every store on the planet!)
But I do have to hear the Dogs Barking version of Jingle Bells at least once every Christmas. My dogs go NUTS!
Congrats on nabbing the rooster, Joan! Maybe he'll sing to you in that delicious accent of his while he's wrapping presents *g*
Yes, Carol of the Bells in just about any version is a fave around my house. It just puts me in the Christmas mood!
I kind of have this poor boy with a drum as the backstory to a hero....
Is that wrong?
LOL! Of course not! And anyone who tells you otherwise obviously isn't a writer ;-)
Hey, Emmanuelle! "Rocking Around The Christmas Tree" is a fabulous song! Always brings that scene in Home Alone where Kevin is dancing around the living room :-)
Another upbeat tune, "Jingle Bell Rock" reminds me of our dancing Santa - one of those electric Santas who shake their hips while the song plays. Man, but my kids loved that decoration!
Drew, the CD of Victorian carols sounds lovely. And I hear you about the cold. During the winter we'll often break out into a version of "Let It Snow" because the weather outside is usually so frightful :-)
Joanie, congrats on grabbing the GR!
I love Christmas music, Beth. In fact, I usually drive people a little nuts by playing/humming/singing Christmas songs from Thanksgiving through New Years. Some of my favorites:
Silver Bells. This song always takes me back to a Christmas when I was about 12. My mom and I were shopping, it was snowing big, fluffy flakes and the speakers on Main Street were playing "Silver Bells." It's a precious memory that I get to re-live time and again every Christmas.
"The Christmas Song" sung by Nat King Cole.
"All I Want for Christmas" sung by Mariah Carey.
"I'll Be Home For Christmas". It's a holiday tradition for me to cry through it at least once. ;-)
"Silent Night" played by Kenny G.
"White Christmas" by Bing Crosby
Anything by Andrea Boccelli or Josh Groban.
I have over 50 Christmas albums and way too many favorites to name them all but that's a small sampling.
I love the XM/Sirius Christmas stations but if I hear "Don't Be a Jerk, It's Christmas" one more time I just may be forced to toss the radio out the car window!
Hey, Stephanie! I'm with you on "Feliz Navidad". It's not a favorite. I've only heard it once this year and that was at my kids' choral/band concert at school *g*
Have you heard Stevie Nicks singing Silent Night? When I heard it, my head wanted to join yours in the oven.
Don't get me wrong, I love Stevie Nicks. But I also love Silent Night (fave Christmas song) but the two together? Not a good thing :-(
Rebekah, that's a favorite of ours as well! For some reason, my family has a habit of bursting into song and "Let It Snow" is one that even my husband knows the words to *g*
Another fave is "Winter Wonderland". I'm humming it right now :-)
Chelley, you are so right - there is no escaping Christmas songs this time of the year. And they keep creeping into stores earlier and earlier.
And I totally agree with you about preferring the classic versions of songs. We have a Destiny Child's Christmas CD and while my daughters love it, the songs veer from the classics too much for my taste :-)
LOL, Keira! I've heard more than my share of bangity, bang, bang in Christmas songs and they're not my favorites either *g*
Are there any 'modern' Christmas songs you all love? I find all of my favorites are classics.
Silvia, I don't think I've ever heard Blink 182's Christmas song. And since I'm all about the classics, I won't go looking for it either ;-)
Simple songs are great! I adore "The First Noel"! Okay, now I'm singing that song. But don't worry, no one's home to hear me *g*
Oh me, I just love me my Gene Autry Ruldolph (and if it's not him, don't bug me! LOL), Little Drummer Boy and Do You Hear What I Hear. I'm not religious, but the first two have great messages, and just love the sound of the third. :)
Lois
PJ said:I love the XM/Sirius Christmas stations but if I hear "Don't Be a Jerk, It's Christmas" one more time I just may be forced to toss the radio out the car window!...
Must confess to NEVER hearing this one!And I'm glad!!
Joanie: Reindeer pig? You know Santa doesn't like UGLY and that has UGLY written all over it little girl!
Have y'all heard Natalie Cole's rendition of THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHISTMAS? Too dang funny!
Hey, JT, it's a while since he's visited Kentucky! You show him some great hospitality now!
Beth, what a cute post. It's funny I was thinking about Bing last night. My grandmother had the one of Christmas around the world. Lots of famous choirs including the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and then it ended with him singing White Christmas which I can't say I ever liked. Yeah, I know I'm the only person in the universe who falls into that category. But the foreign choirs were cool. And as a little girl I used to play that record all year - there was a wonderful French choir who sang Carol of the Bells and it's still one of my faves. Although it gets stuck in my head and stays there.
Joan, I always loved the Little Drummer Boy too. Used to play it on the piano and really thump out the drum beats. I think people used to wish for Christmas to come and go quickly as a result! I LOVE Christmas carols. I reckon they're darn good tunes, most of them!
Actually my favorite Christmas movie is Christmas in Connecticut. It's really funny and smart and I love Barbara Stanwyck as the cookery writer who just can't cook.
Congrats Joan you better keep an eye on him today I am sure he find something to get into.
Beth
I too love traditional Christmas Carols one of my favourites is Bing singing White Christmas and I do love Silent Night. I have a lot of Christmas CDs by various singers and play them all the time I have a Neil Diamond one that I love and one that has Frank Sinartra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Junior singing love them.
I will be wrapping presents later today (I hope) and I will be playing them while I do it.
Have Fun
Helen
Ever since my daughter's high school chorus performed it, I've been addicted to Benjamin Britten's Ceremony of Carols. I listen to it on CD every year.
Anna, I watched Christmas in Connecticut earlier this week. It's one of my favorites too. The Bishop's Wife is another. I much prefer the original versions.
We're nuts about Christmas at my house, and we started the Christmas music the weekend after Thanksgiving. I never tire of the traditional carols, and I listen to many versions. "The Friendly Beasts" is the favorite of the grands, so we hear that one often.
I also love the older songs by Bing, Nat King Cole, and Rosemary Clooney and the not-as-old songs by Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, and the Vince Guaraldi Trio's A Charlie Brown Christmas. And I love some more recent albums--the James Taylor someone already mentioned, the Elvis Duets album (especially “O Little Town Of Bethlehem,” not really a duet, with Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman), and the 2009 Sugarland album Green and Gold.
I think Lee Ann Womack's The Season for Romance was meant for readers of romance novels. The title song even sounds like a romance novel:
"The night goes on, the music plays
A moonlight Christmas serenade,
A lovers’ song that’s meant for only two."
I could happily go without hearing Christmas carols while shopping. I have nothing against Christmas carols, in fact, I quite enjoy them...just not when they're piped into the sound system nonstop and mixed in with the Christmas rush crowds. :) I have a couple of Christmas cds that I love listening to this time of year including one titled(i think), VeggieTales: A Very Veggie Christmas. There's one track that has these adorable sheep that just keep baaah-ing to the song(they might be the chorus). Heh heh...too cute.
Honey, #1 son and I were listening to the radio as we drove home from
granddaughter Julie's Christmas
Concert and granddaughter Ashley's
impromptu b-day celebration. We are
all in agreement that there is so much wonderful Christmas music out there that is not being used. All
we hear is a handful of selections
played over and over again. My
favorites are so many that I'd still be here tomorrow listing
them! My newest favorites are ones
we're doing before Midnight Mass
called Sleep, Little One and Our
Brother Now By Birth.
Pat Cochran
I love Kristin Chenoweth's Christmas album. She has an amazing voice. I can listen to Nat King Cole sing anything. "The Christmas Song" is a favorite. I also like Josh Groban's "O Holy Night," Kelly Clarkson's "Grown-UP Christmas List" and Darlene Love's Christmas(Baby Please Come Home.) I don't like Bruce Springsteen's "Santa Clause is Coming to Town."
Hi Beth! Hey everyone! We're bracing for snow here (me? I'm delighted!) and as Christie said, the grocery stores are jammed. Bread, milk and TP! Add a little flour and salt and you can either make bicuits or papermache. SNORK!
I adore Christmas music of pretty much all kinds. Love the Manheim Steamroller stuff, for sure. Also love this rendition of I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day by Casting Crowns
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7670CXvPX0
I could totally skip Grandma and the Reindeer and Feliz every year, but most of the other ones? Oooooooh yeah.
Cassondra, I adore the James Taylor album. I also have great set of Christmas classics from Pottery Barn. Really fun.
Being odd, I also adore some more obscure carols: Good King Wenceslas, The Cherry Tree Carol, Pat-a-pan, Bring a Torch Jeannette Isabella (in French or English), and a Yiddish carol about the coming of the Messiah the name of which I can't spell at the moment. I"ll have to go look it up.
Of course, now I'll have to go find the name of this REALLY obscure carol tha's like The Holly and the Ivy in it's reference to the baby being born to die for our sins (Yes, Cassondra, it's one of the melancholy ones!) It'll drive me bats if I don't go look it up.
Oh, btw, as an annoying purist, I like to sing O Come, O come Emmanuel and Adeste Fideles in Latin which drives my kids nuts. :>
o/~ Father Christmas
o/~ Give us some money
o/~ Don't mess around with those silly toys
o/~ We'll beat you up if you don't hand it over
o/~ We want your bread so don't make us annoyed
o/~ Give all the toys to the little rich boys
I don't care for the McCartney song either. Ugh. (Now IT is running in my head.) Not a big fan of "Silver Bells" or "Winter WOnderland" or "Sleigh Ride"
Favorites:
Bing's White Christmas (no subs)--and I prefer Holiday Inn to White Christmas.
Canon in D (for some reason they sometimes play this at Christmas and I love it.)
O Holy Night (love nearly every version I hear--it's just a beautiful song)
Please Come Home for Christmas (I love Bon Jovi's version, but The Eagles I know is the definitive version)
Let's Be Naughty (and Save Santa the Trip) by Gary Allan. I think Gary does the best version of this--and you definitely feel like being naughty and saying, "See you next year Santa!" Right now that's my favorite song. *LOL* I play it all the time.
I love Santa Baby--but it usually feels a bit mercenary. *LOL* But it is cute.
Baby It's Cold Outside (the Dean version) I love--but after my friend said she hated it because it sounded like a date rape song, I can't listen to it without thinking that. *LOL*
All I Want for Christmas Is You by Vince Vance and the Valiants is a fun one as well.
Doris Day - I'll be Home for Christmas - for me, Doris has the perfect voice for Christmas.
Oh, that's such a great one! I tear up every time I hear "I'll Be Home For Christmas". Love it!
Of course, I also got weepy last week when explaining the ending of It's A Wonderful Life to my son *g* Then I flat out bawled when we watched it :-)
He just rolled his eyes ;-)
I absolutely adore Christmas music, even if some of it does make me cry! My mom and I both loved all-out, over-the-top, sing-your-heart-out Christmas music. We had a tradition of loading up our dogs in the car one night each holiday season to go see the Christmas lights throughout the area. Mom and I would sing holiday songs at the top of our voices, and the dogs were a captive audience. We always ended the evening with a trip to the ice cream store! Mom got eggnog ice cream, I got peppermint candy cane ice cream, and the dogs got vanilla! By the way, occasionally our singing did set the dogs off, and then there was howling and singing.
Neil Diamond is my favorite singer, and his holiday albums and TV specials are great!
gcwhiskas at aol dot com
Deb, I'm not surprised it's still number one! And I love Christmas music too. When my kids were little and we were on longish car trips, we'd turn off the radio and each pick a Christmas song to sing. It didn't always sound pretty but it was fun :-)
P226, just one word for you:
SNORK!!!
On Christmas day, we play the soundtrack to the Charlie Brown Christmas album while opening presents!
LOL! What a fun tradition, Suz! And how cool that your husband and daughter recorded songs for you!
One of my favorite memories is from two years ago when my girls sang "Silent Night" while my son accompanied them on his acoustic guitar *g*
On a lot of our radio stations 'round here, they always play Loggins and Messina's Celebrate me Home, which I adore, though I don't totally associate it with Christmas. Grins.
Hey, Jo! I've heard songs from Mannheim Steamroller but don't have any CDs or songs of theirs downloaded. I'll have to rectify that this season *g*
Maureen, I do like Bruce's version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" mostly because it sounds as if he and the band are having so much fun playing it *g*
I could live to be a thousand and quite happily hope to never, ever, hear Alvin and the Chipmunks sing anything - especially Christmas carols.
LOL, Cybercliper! So true - kids do seem to love those chipmunks. We have two Alvin Christmas CDs and this is the first year they haven't been played *g*
Janga, I haven't seen the Bishop's Wife for years - remember Cary G was a fabulous angel called Dudley, is it? Must watch it again! I agree about the originals wiping the floor with the remakes on both that and CIC.
Okay, here are a few more...anyone remember these:
The Coventry Carol
We Three Kings
Do you Hear What I Hear?
Here We Come A Wassailing
Mary Did you Know?
The Wexford Carol
And for some REAL fun, check out Straight No Chaser with the 12 Days of Christmas:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kYEK-pxs_A&feature=channel
Add a little flour and salt and you can either make bicuits or papermache. SNORK!
I think the snow psychosis has set in already, LOL
36 inches...remember????
MsHellion,
I heard that Gary Allen song ONCE a couple of weeks back. It's great!
Oops, the other link's the "new" version in 2008. The original is here: (And equally funny?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fe11OlMiz8&feature=fvst
One of the worst movie remakes ever was Christmas in Connecticut with that awful Dyan Cannon. I love the original - everyone should have an Uncle Felix!
Had we could have had this blog back in October...I think that's when they started the 24/7 Christmas carols this year (grin).
I love Andy Williams "Oh Holy Night." When he sings "Fall on your knees," it goes straight to my soul. I play Manheim Steamroller's Winter Soltice album throughout December - love it. AMy Grant has a lovely Christmas album as well.
I"m getting ready to start baking my Christmas cookies so I'll have Christmas music playing.
Hey, Beth!
Oh, Bing. I love me some Bing. I just broke out my copy of White Christmas on DVD & introduced my girls to it. They spent the following three days calling themselves Betty & Judy & dipping one another. :-)
And that pretty much made my holiday. :-)
I'll also admit to a soft spot for "I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas." I can't help myself. I like that song.
Fave is Rockin Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee.
Hate-Grandma got run over By a Reindeer
I love Carol of the Bells! And many of the older Christmas songs like Jingle Bell Rock and Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree (I think that's its name). One song I can't stand is the Christmas rap song. I don't know who sings it or what it's actually called, but it's ladies doing a rap about Christmas. Drives me nuts.
Margay
Nat King Cole singing "The Christmas Song" and Karen Carpenter's version of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" are my favorites. I can't remember the name of the song but it played endlessly during my holiday shifts when I worked at Williams-Sonoma. It was worse than Mantovani and elevator muzak.
I love Kristen Chenoweth's holiday album! And I just bought Straight No Chaser's holiday CD...which is great if you like a cappella.
Yeah, Pink Peony! See? She likes them too! (I put the Youtube link to Straight No Chaser up a few comments, Pink)
Pretty fun, eh?
Cassondra, there are so many Christmas songs out there, I'm not surprised you missed one *g* And I love Elf! That is such a sweet movie :-)
I'm sure the James Taylor CD is great but I can't hear one of his songs without thinking about my husband telling me about the time he'd seen him in concert. An entire night of meloncholy (yet lovely *g*) songs left him a bit...depressed ;-)
Traveler, Celine does have a lovely voice, doesn't she? I don't think I've heard her version of "O Holy Night" but I bet it's fabulous :-)
LOL, sorry about the song being stuck in your head, Christie! I saw where you all were going to get hit with a bunch of snow. Stay safe and warm!!
Gigi, I'd totally forgotten about that Hippopotamus song! And I could live without the "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" song as well ;-)
But I do like John Melloncamp's version of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" *g*
LOL, Donnas! We're on the same page with the hippo song ;-)
I adore the Bing Crosby/David Bowie version of "Little Drummer Boy". I especially love the video and seeing them sing it together *g*
But I do have to hear the Dogs Barking version of Jingle Bells at least once every Christmas. My dogs go NUTS!
LOL, Louisa! Do they bark along? *g*
Speaking of rap versions...we used to have a Disney Christmas tape of the characters (Mickey, Donald, Goofy etc) signing along with non-characters and one was a rap song that my children ADORED. I think we wore that tape out :-)
"I'll Be Home For Christmas". It's a holiday tradition for me to cry through it at least once. ;-)
I'm glad I'm not the only one who does this, PJ *g*
While we were decorating the tree we listened to a Christmas station on pandora.com. Luckily, they didn't play any songs about anyone being a jerk *ggg*
Have you heard Stevie Nicks singing Silent Night?
LOL, Tawny! I haven't heard her version of "Silent Night" and now I'm glad *g*
Although it can't be as...unique as Destiny's Child's "8 Days of Christmas" :-)
Great choices, Lois! And you're right about the messages of some Christmas songs. So lovely *g*
Fo, my older daughter plays "Frosty The Snowman" on the piano...often and loudly to the point where it's no longer one of my favorite tunes *g* But I'd love to hear you pound out "Little Drummer Boy"!
And Christmas in Connecticut was on TV last night! I only watched a few minutes as it's not my fave but I do love watching her try to take care of that baby ;-)
Helen, we're wrapping presents tomorrow and I'm already trying to figure out what we'll listen to first *g*
Joan, congrats on taking home the rooster!
Beth, you have some classics up there. We like Mannheim Steamroller a lot. I have Joan Baez's Christmas album and would love to have Loreena McKennitt's. The dh goes for Kenny G.
My favorite CD of Christmas music, Arthur Fielder and the Boston Pops, which I've had for-dadgum-ever, developed a problem last year. It gets hung up. And of course it's no longer on the market.
I like especially Sleigh Ride on that album. Our high school band struggled with that song and never did quite master it.
We have a beautiful cross-stitch my late aunt did of The Twelve Days of Christmas, and I always think of that when I hear the song.
Joan, I always liked The Little Drummer Boy, too.
Anna S., I'm with you on remakes. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the original Miracle on 34th Street except that it's in b&w and not color. Pfah on copies! I refuse to watch any other version.
Ditto for It's A Wonderful Life and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I'm even a sucker for the Alastair Sim version of A Christmas Carol, though I will concede some of those remakes were pretty good.
Barbara, how wonderful that you'll always have the memory of the first time you heard it! I do love when songs take me back to a certain time or place *g*
Janga, those are all such great picks! I used to have an Amy Grant Christmas CD but it's been lost for a few years. I really need to get it replaced *g*
But first, I'm getting that Kristin Chenoweth CD :-)
LOL, Pissenlit! We're big Veggie Tales fans here and can often be found breaking into version of "We're The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" or even "Oh, Where Is My Hairbrush?" (not Christmas songs but fun any time of the year *g*)
I'm usually humming when I shop (or doing anything else) so piped in music doesn't bother me. If it's something I don't like, I just sing my own tune :-)
All we hear is a handful of selections played over and over again.
Pat, that's so true. I guess because I only hear the songs for a few weeks, it doesn't bother me but how knows what wonderful songs I'm missing? Hmm...now you have me ready to expand my Christmas Carol horizons *g*
Congrat Joan on getting the rooster!
I have been hooked on Toby Keiths Christmas CD called Christmas to Christmas, if you listen to the words of the songs their beautiful.
The song I can do without is Grandma got run over by a Reindeer because it gets stuck in your head. But most Christmas songs I enjoy.
Jane, I agree with you about Kristin's voice. I do adore her *g*
I don't think I've heard that Kelly Clarkson song. Another new song to add to my To Be Listened To list :-) Thanks!
Jeanne, are you all buried in snow yet? Break out the sleds and mittens *g*
I love "Good King Wenceslas" as it was one of the earlier pieces I learned on the piano. Not sure I could still play it though :-)
ROFL, p226! This is cracking me up since I was thinking about this song earlier today :-)
I like most Christmas songs and prefer the older renditions. I love some like Silver Bells sung by a choir. One I hate to hear is I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, everytime I hear it, it gets stuck in my head for days.
My favorite is a song called The Gift - I have a cd with Garth Brooks that sings it - makes me cry every year.
Also enjoy I'll be Home for Christmas - by Vince Gill.
And Mary Did you Know - Clay Aikens (spelling?) sings a lovely version.
Baby It's Cold Outside (the Dean version) I love--but after my friend said she hated it because it sounded like a date rape song, I can't listen to it without thinking that.
Hellion, that would make me pause, too *g* The first time I heard this song was when I was watching Neptune's Daughter starring Ricardo Montalban and Esther Williams. In the movie, Red Skelton does a really cute version where HE'S trying to leave and his date is trying to convince him to stay :-)
Virginia, what a lovely tradition! Oh, now I want to do the same thing with my daughters!
And now I'm really hungry for ice cream ;-)
Beth, I love VeggieTales' silly songs too! They just crack me up!
Oh, piped in music at shopping malls doesn't usually bug me either because I don't leave home without my mp3 player. I'm proactive like that. Heh heh!
Beth, snow's not started here yet, but they've now switched from predicting inches to predicting in feet. 1-2 feet of snow, to start around midnight here. Grins.
Happy Dancing! (Although I may not be, by Sunday evening!)
I love White Christmas and Silver Bells & O'Holly Night & Baby its Cold outside.I Don't want to here eny of the Alvin and the Chipmunks Songs.
sasluvbooks(at)yahoo.com
Catslady I LOVE Mary Did You Know but my favorite is done by a male country singer whose name just sleighed right out of my head....
I love the Christmas Canon, Angel Among Us and White Christmas.
Jeanne, the boy's theory is "snow when I'm already out of school is wasted." We're just getting "wintry mix." Ugh.
Hm... song I don't want to hear? A ton of pop songs but not Christmas ones... was sick of the Adam Sandler songs :X but luckily with Thanksgiving over one's out of the way...
Anna Sugden said: David Bowie sang Little Drummer Boy with Bing - my fave version.
I have that on my iPod, Anna. Love it! I remember seeing it on TV years ago. :)
I used to play Christmas music in July when I was growing up. I'm not that bad now, but I do love it. I sang in chorus in high school,so I remember many concerts full of Christmas music. We performed every year at Walt Disney World in the Candlelight Procession. Good times!
Some of my favorites:
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
What Child Is This
Lo, How A Rose Er' Blooming
The Hallelujah Chorus
Oh Holy Night
Carol of the Bells--my ringtone right now
All I Want For Christmas - makes me think of Love Actually, too.
Baby, It's Cold Outside--gotta love Dean!
The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole
I'll Be Home For Christmas - Josh Groban's version with the military members sending holiday greetings to their loved ones always makes me cry.
Congrats on the GR, Joanie!
Jeanne, those videos crack me up!
Donna, Christmas baking is such a great time to listen to those favorite Christmas songs *g* I'm starting mine tomorrow (after the wrapping) :-)
Susan, I'm forcing my girls (14 and 12) to watch my favorite Holiday classics with me. I just hope they enjoy them as much as your daughters did *g*
Joder, that song always makes me want to dance *g* Great choice!
Margay, I probably wouldn't enjoy the Christmas rap song either *g* Although I guess it's good that people are still writing and producing new songs about Christmas :-)
Pink, I think I'd really enjoy Straight No Chaser's CD! So many Christmas CDs...so little time :-)
Nancy, I almost forgot about our copy of the Boston Pops! Maybe I'll listen to that first tomorrow.
And I agree about remakes of classic movies - especially Christmas movies. I'm all for the originals *g*
Hey, Virginia! I hadn't realized Toby Keith had a Christmas album out. Another one for me to check out :-)
Dianna, it seems as though Christmas songs, more than regular songs, can stick with a person for days *g* All the more reason to listen to the songs we love as we try to drown out the memory of those songs we can't stand :-)
Catslady, I love "Mary Did You Know?" It's such a lovely song. Our choir at church does a lovely rendition *g*
Oh, piped in music at shopping malls doesn't usually bug me either because I don't leave home without my mp3 player. I'm proactive like that.
LOL, good idea! I need music when I exercise but if I'm around people shopping, I like to hear them. It's the writer in me. I get so many great ideas for characters that way ;-)
1-2 feet of snow, to start around midnight here.
Wow. I can't remember the last time we got that much snow at once. I'm good with snow as long as I have power and don't have to go anywhere :-)
Hi, Stacey! It's funny how long Alvin and the Chipmunks have stuck around, isn't it? And I'm sure the new movies about them have amped up their appeal *g*
Great choices, Dina! Thanks for stopping by :-)
the boy's theory is "snow when I'm already out of school is wasted."
LOL, Nancy. That's my son's theory as well. And really, they'd rather have a two or three hour delay (and get to sleep in) then have school cancelled since they don't have to make up the delayed days *g*
Hey, Lime! There are quite a few pop songs I'm tired of as well *g*
We performed every year at Walt Disney World in the Candlelight Procession.
Gannon, how cool is that? And I think many people think of Love Actually when they hear that song. For me, every time I hear "Hark The Herald Angels Sing" I think of the ending of It's A Wonderful Life :-)
Hey, Beth! Favorites include Little Drummer Boy, O Holy Night, Joy to the World, and the classic, Silent Night...
I do prefer older versions for the most part. We grew up decorating to the Williams brothers and Andrews sisters' albums, so that's the gold standard ;)
Congrats on the GR, Joan!!
I love anything Bing Crosby sings for Christmas.
Whitney Houston's, "Do You Hear What I Hear."
Vince Vance & Valiants, "All I Want for Christmas Is You."
The Carpenters, " Merry Christmas Darling."
Dean Martin's. "Baby It's Cold Outside."
Ronny Milsap's, "Oh Holy Night."
And there are oh so many moreI love.
I love Silver Bells. I love Little Drummer Boy. I could easily live the rest of my life happily without hearing another round of "Santa Baby".
I love O Holy Night. On the other hand I can't stand Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.
Post a Comment