Cocked, Locked, and Ready to Rock (LINKS FIXED)

So…

We’re late this year. I know. And we're very sorry! The plan was to start on November 1, but your Uncle JV came down with the swine flu—and yes, it was not pleasant. I survived and unfortunately Mrs. Claus came down with the same thing. About two weeks later, after things got back normal, JV’s PC (my computer, not our beloved co-contributor!) decided to throw a conniption fit over memory and space and whatnot. So that took some elbow grease, a few bucks in the swear jar, and time to get things ship shape again.

But here we are! Back for another season—our last, which makes this bittersweet. We’ll fill you in our plans by the end of the season. But for now, let’s enjoy some holiday tunes. This year, we’re going to hit upon our old favorites, showcase some new tunes, and even branch out a bit to include some songs that might not typically be classified as exactly Christmas songs, but are great nonetheless. As usual, we’ll do our best to get requests up. And apologies now for any errors that pop up, though we’ll strive for accuracy.

We're trying Mediafire for the files today. If you know a better way to host (and free for our readers), let us know in the comments.

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – Darlene Love
What would the first day of 77 Santas be without Darlene singing the greatest Christmas song ever recorded? This is the only holiday song I listen to throughout the year.

England’s Carol – The Modern Jazz Quartet
A nice soothing instrumental.

Christmas In Southgate – Ry Cooder
No credit? No cash? No problem at 77 Santas!

Christmas Is Coming Soon – Blitzen Trapper
Very soon, in fact.

Christmas Song – The Felice Brothers
Here’s a band I really got into over the off-season. PC and I saw them live here in Virginia during the Summer Summit, when we annually discuss 77 Santas, other projects, and watch Blue Velvet. When I heard that the Felice Brothers had recorded a Christmas song—well, that sealed the deal.

Little Saint Nick – The Beach Boys
Let’s close out the first day with another classic.