Because I like it.

Two things:

1. We’re back at IDM. Check it out.

2. I don’t care how many days it is until Christmas, I love this song.

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – Darlene Love

Have we quit?

Heck no! I'm finishing writing a book right now and need to meet a deadline. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, I won't be back until March. Sorry for the wait. But when I come back, it'll be a great post! Christmas is only ten months away.

Saturday Mix CD: One

This is what we're up to over at IDM.

A few technology complaints. I am not a fan of the new Blogger. For some reason adding pictures tremendously screws up my text sometimes. Then I have to go back to edit and tinker with spacing so I don’t have white spaces. Also, I pretty much hate the new version of Internet Explorer. I don’t know what happened but that thing runs slow as molasses on my computer. True, I need to upgrade the old desktop, but still, it shouldn’t be this freaking slow! And why in the hell was 80 degrees yesterday? It’s January, it’s winter—I know I’m on the coast of North Carolina but come on! 80 isn’t normal. End of rant, on to the real business. A few days back, I had this idea to make some mix CDs for the new year. No theme really, just a general and (hopefully) good mix CD. Doesn’t sound hard, right?

After 100 songs, what started out as one mix CD is now five. It’s safe to say that I have a problem. We saw this on our Christmas site 77 Santas. And the few who’ve seen the tracklist or received the 25 CDs of the original Indian Dance Music mix can also attest to my lack of self-control when it comes to mix CDs.

Rather than share all five today, I’m going to break it up over the next five weekends. Here’s the first installment. This week, I went back to some albums that I haven’t listened to much at all in the past year. I forgot how much I loved that last Modest Mouse album, that the Starsailor album is really fucking good, that Longwave album pretty much has one great song, that Brendan Benson can write a damned great pop song, and that for as hyped as they are, The Shins and the Arcade Fire are really fucking good. Actually, I don't think there's a bad song in this batch.

Motherless Bastard – The Books

The World At Large – Modest Mouse

I Want You Back – Hoodoo Gurus

Can’t Let Go – Lucinda Williams

First of the Gang to Die – Morrissey

Four the Floor – Starsailor

Goddess on a Hiway – Mercury Rev

That Great Love Sound – The Raveonettes

Video – Aimee Mann

How Far – Beth Orton

These Are the Fables – The New Pornographers

River (Depot Song) – Longwave

Rebellion (Lies) – The Arcade Fire

Young Pilgrims – The Shins

Ask Me Anything – The Strokes

Wound Up – Office

What – Brendan Benson

Ooh La La – Goldfrapp

Spread Your Love – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Ways to Be Wicked – Long Justice

The Good Advice – Pete Yorn

77 Santas features Christmas and holiday music during November and December, with periodic updates throughout the rest of the year. We are named after Gayla Peevey’s song “77 Santas.”
During the rest of the year, we also contribute to...
Indian Dance Music

Auld Lang Syne

Thanks for a great season. We loved the comments and our readers. It was such a treat to run this blog. We wish all of you the best in the coming year and hope that we meet again. Sorry we didn’t get the last-minute requests out—both PC and myself were traveling for the holidays. And, we hated to see the

For the next 11 months, we’ll be running our sister blog, Indian Dance Music. Stop by and check us out—you’ll find something to like.

Here are two final songs for the holiday season—one for New Years and one for my cousin.

I’ll Be Home With Bells One – Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers

Auld Lang Syne – Frank C. Stanley

Indian Dance Music

Twas The Night Before

Well, One last outpouring of songs and then it's time to close up the workshop for the year. It's been a blast, and I hope you've all enjoyed the songs as much as us! Look forward to greater things in the coming year, and be sure to check out JV's other blog, Indian Dance Music, as well. I might even appear there, too. Happy, safe, fun, glittering holidays to all!


They Might Be Giants: Santa's Beard

This is for, and was recommended by, my dear Nicole. The kooky, clever, boisterous Giants.

Sarah McLachlan: In the Bleak Midwinter

This is a request of a great, great song. JV posted it earlier.

Alvin & The Chipmunks: Please Christmas Don't Be Late

Great song. I still want a hula hoop!

Darlene Love: Winter Wonderland

We love her here at 77 Santas. You can not post her songs enough. Also, if I repeat myself, forgive me. It's all good stuff though.

John Fahey: Good King Wenceslas

Transcendant.

Roger Miller: Little Toy Trains

The O'Jays: Christmas Just Ain't Christmas (Without the One You Love)

Stevie Wonder: That's What Christmas Means to Me

Willie Nelson: Pretty Paper

Jimeney Cricket: Twas the Night Before Christmas

Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton: I'll Be Home With Bells On

This is for JV, who thought of it after he was home. His father used to listen to this every year. Here's to him, JV. Knowing you I know your dad must have been one hell of a man.

Those Silly Dogs and Cats Barking Jingle Bells

Ridiculous, I know. And that's how we end it. Joy to the world!!!!!!!!

PC

Blue, Blue Snowflakes

Got some new goodies of the great Country variety!

Ernest Tubb: Blue Snowflakes

Jim Reeves: An Old Christmas Card

and Snowflakes

Louvin Brothers: It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

Enjoy these for now and look out for more soon!
PC

Peppermint Stick

Well, I can't really number my all time favorites, so I'm just going to re-post songs I love alot. See recent posts, as well. Here goes.

Jose Feliciano: Feliz Navidad

Nat King Cole: The Christmas Song

Jackson 5: Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Gene Autry: Up On the Rooftop

Joni Mitchell: River

Palace Songs: Christmastime in the Mountains

The Flaming Lips: Christmas at the Zoo

Bing Crosby: White Christmas

Loretta Lynn: Country Christmas

Lou Monte: Dominic The Donkey

Nat King Cole: Deck the Halls

Ray Charles: The Spirit of Christmas

Vince Guaraldi: Christmas Time is Here (Vocal)

Ok, there will be more, I promise! 2 days of blogging left for me, then home! One week away!
PC

La La La

Here's a few more tunes before I get to my big Favorites list. I'll start off with some more from one of my all time favorite bands, My Morning Jacket. As previously mentioned, these are off their album, "My Morning Jacket Does Xmas Fiasco Style". It's a great little album. Buy it and everything they're recorded. Also, see them live. You will not be dissapointed. I am reposting a few from earlier, too.

My Morning Jacket:

New Morning

This is a Nick Cave song.

I Just Wanted To Say

Xmas Time is Here Again

These two are written by Jim James, lead singer and gun slinger.

As we've mentioned many times, we are both HUGE fans of the Phil Spector Christmas album. I myself first heard some of these songs in Goodfellas (The scene after the big heist, when all the idiots are flashing their wealth and Jimmy Conway gets angry). This stuff is so tremendous. It sounds like it was recorded 30 years ago, it sounds like it was recorded this morning...

The Crystals: Parade of the Wooden Soldiers

Darlene Love: Winter Wonderland

The Ronettes: I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

and Frosty the Snowman

I'm sure we've doubled or tripled up on these, but it's ok cuz they're so good.

More coming soon. PC

Let's Take the Road Before Us and Sing a Chorus or Two

This is alot of fun. Really. I love doing this! Gonna drop some new (and familiar) songs here, and I'm working on my favorite all time songs list. This is hard and might take some time. Hopefully by tonight. It's tough out here without JV, but I'll do my best to spread cheer for the both of us. May his plane drop him safely in PA, and may his dial up internet allow him to at least check the blog once or twice!

The Andrews Sisters: The Christmas Tree Angel

Jing-A-Ling, Jing-A-Ling

As you can see, we have fallen in love with these Sisters.

Satchmo: White Christmas

Cool Yule

Otis Redding: White Christmas

A few classics by two of the greatest ever.

Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer: Baby, it's Cold Outside

Ok, this shall do for now. More coming, I promise.

PC

Just Five More--I Promise!

I know, I know! But you guys just have to hear some of these songs! Seriously! Do you honestly think that I’d come back so soon or use so many exclamation marks? Here’s a quickie. Check out the new issue of Entertainment Weekly (with Matthew McConaughey on the cover) for a great article about “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and a nice Christmas playlist.

I’ll Be Home for Christmas – Tift Merritt

Calling On Mary – Aimee Mann

Go Power At Christmastime – James Brown

Nut Rocker – B. Bumble and the Stringers

I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday – Roy Wood and Wizzard


We've posted like 70 songs today! Sweet Santa in a sleigh!

PC, it’s been a pleasure. It’s all yours.

Some Corn for Popping

Wow, how to follow up JV's farewell posts? I'll do my best. I will begin with my top ten newly discovered Christmas songs, in no particular order.

Andrews Sisters: Christmas Island

JV and I are in agreeance on this one!

Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys: Christmas Time's A-Comin'

Damn straight it is!

Etta James: Merry Christmas Baby

Merle Haggard: If we make it through December

Good God Merle Haggard is amazing.

Ray Conniff Singers: Here We Come A-Caroling

Rosemary Clooney: Suzy Snowflake

The Crystals: Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Marvin Gaye: I Want to Come Home for Christmas

How relevant is this song still? Then again, it's Marvin, who's forever relevant. This is hands down one of my all time favorite Christmas songs, and I wish I had heard it sooner.

John Fahey: Medley: The Holly and the Ivy/The Cherry Tree Carol

I wonder what John Fahey dreamt about.

I don't know if this is ten, but what the hell. Here's some more goodies:

Jackie Wilson: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

Canned Heat: Christmas Blues

Try, try again

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: Jingle Bells

Dylan considers Smokey the best American poet ever. What do you think?

Lena Horne: Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Seriously, let it. What's with this 50 degree crap?!

Diana Ross and the Supremes: Joy to the World

Spinal Tap: Christmas with the Devil

There's a fine line between clever and stupid

More to come, including my Top Ten Favorites ever, and much, much more!
Safe travels to you JV! Thanks again for the gifts, you kind soul.
PC

JV’s Top Fifteen Christmas Songs—2006

It’s been a fantastic season with 77 Santas. After the holidays, check out our sister blog IDM for some great (non-seasonal) tunes. We’re going to do a redesign and welcome a new contributor.

As promised, it’s time for my countdown of my favorite Christmas songs of all time. I tried to keep it to ten but there are just too many that I love too much and couldn’t exclude. So, here’s the top fifteen. I’ve written about many of these already. I could write a blurb for every song but suffice it to say that they are all personal to me and many are rooted in my childhood memories.

Thanks to everyone who’s read the site—and remember, keep reading, because PC still has some goodies left. It’s been a blast and I can’t wait to do it all over again next Christmas; we already have some plans on where we can take 77 Santas next year.

Until then, have a safe, happy, warm, fun—whatever you want it to be—holiday.
JV

15. Sleigh Ride – The Ronettes

14. Please Come Home for Christmas – Charles Brown

13. Santa Claus Is Watching You by Ray Stevens

12. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee

11. Santa Claus Is Back In Town by Elvis Presley

10. In the Bleak Midwinter by The King’s College Choir
by Sarah McLachlan

9. I’ll Be Home for Christmas by The Beach Boys

8. Little Toy Trains by Roger Miller

7. Carol of the Bells by John Williams

6. This Time of Year by Brook Benton

5. Little Saint Nick by The Beach Boys

4. O Holy Night by Nat King Cole
by The Vienna Boys’ Choir

3. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Mel Torme
by Judy Garland
by Sarah McLachlan

2. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon

1. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Darlene Love
by U2

...And Some Homemade Pumpkin Pie

Well kids, it’s a bittersweet day here in 77 Santas-land: my final posts of the season (PC will still keep you company for a few more days). It’s been a great season and I think that I speak for PC when I say that we would have never imagined the success we’ve had. Last year, PC and I worked in the admissions office reading undergraduate applications. I brought in a radio and we listened to the local all-day Christmas station. For some reason, I made a CD of Christmas music. Pretty soon, it turned into four CDs. This year, I started IDM, our sister blog, over the summer. It seemed only natural to start 77 Santas and make it a place to write about, share, and enjoy holiday music. We’ve posted some great songs this year and I’d like to close with a massive post that will make Santa proud.

Here are 20 tracks we’ve yet to post. This is just a warm-up for my list of my favorite Christmas songs in 2006.

Jingle Bells – Earl Scruggs

O Come All Ye Faithful – Nat King Cole

Donde Esta Santa Claus – Augie Rios

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear – Burl Ives

I Believe In Father Christmas – Greg Lake

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – Theresa Brewer

Home for the Holidays – Perry Como

The First Noel – Elvis Presley

Silent Night – Elvis Presley

Please Come Home for Christmas – Charles Brown

I’ll Be Home for Christmas – Frank Sinatra

We Need a Little Christmas – The Ray Coniff Singers

Christ Was Born on Christmas Morn – Cotton Top Mountain Sanctified Singers

Frosty the Snowman – The Ronettes

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – The Ronettes

Gift X-change – Calexico

The Christmas Song – Aimee Mann

Auld Lang Syne – Frank C. Stanley

And now for 10 reposts. I already posted my top ten discovered songs this year. These are just some more favorites that didn’t make that list or my all-time top ten list. Of course, we must start with “77 Santas,” the song for which our blog is named.

77 Santas – Gayla Peevey

Hardrock, Coco, and Joe – The Three Little Dwarves

In the Bleak Midwinter – John Fahey

It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way – Jim Croce

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Sarah McLachlan

Just Like Christmas – Low

The Man With All the Toys – The Beach Boys

Papa Noel – Brenda Lee

Hard Candy Christmas – Dolly Parton

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – John Fahey

Santa's Back, Baby!

Sheesh! So sorry for all the hubbub. It's been a terribly long day. I will repost some songs that didn't work, and try to get something else out tonight too if I can. If not, I'll post like a maniac tomorrow!

Canned Heat: Christmas Blues

Harry Simone Chorale: Little Drummer Boy

Grandma got Pummeled

Eddie Money: Everybody Loves Christmas

The Kinks: Father Christmas

Lynyrd Skynyrd: Run Run Rudolph

This weird "Reggae" song I found

Since JV posted the fabulous Christmas Island, I will spare myself. I will follow up soon with an answer to JV's interview questions and with more. Also, if something is expired or not working, tell us what you want to hear! We take requests.
PC

PC and JV: The Interview (Part One)

Thanks for bearing with us—what a terrible time to suffer problems! We’re currently uploading the songs of the past week. I’ll have my reposts done by 8 p.m. EST. Not sure about PC—we are in separate cities and both have different songs. But hopefully by the end of the day, everything will be up and running. As we wind down the season, we are reposting several songs over the next few days, especially some of our earlier posts which people might have missed.

Until then, here’s an interview PC and I did with each other about Christmas. It’s fun and has the first of many lists at the end.

JV: Let’s start out in a broad sense: talk me about your love of Christmas. Has it always been this fervent? When did the love of Christmas music start to escalate?

PC: My love of Christmas probably began when my brain started to recognize that once a year we brought a tree into our house and a few weeks later there were many presents under said tree. My love of Christmas as an adult--its ferventness (is that a word?)--probably springs from the fact that , like most people, I wish I could be ten again. This time of year lets me do that with the least amount of guilt/shame. Nostalgia is a terrible and dangerous thing. Here's a few things I love about Christmas. In no order. 1. The world becomes much like the set of a play and I'm all about escaping the everyday. 2. Shiny Things3. Food, Drink, Gifts4. Fire/Smell of woodsmoke, smell of pine, all the smells. 5. Being with family. 6. Snow!7. The music, which brings me to the second part of the question. My love of Christmas music starts and ends with Nat King Cole. Hear my blurbing of this on the blog. When did it start to escalate? Hard to say--I think it's been a slow climb since youth. I hear new songs every year. I must say that I never, ever thought I'd be a part of a Christmas music blog. I like it.

JV: For me, movies play just a big of a part of Christmas. It’s impossible to approach the holiday season and not think of George Bailey’s promise to lasso the moon or the Old Man struggle with that leg lamp. What movies stick out for you? Are there any dark-horse favorites that others might not know about?

PC: Well, I of course love all of the Classics. My favorite "Classic" is "Christmas Vacation" followed closely by "Christmas Story". I'm not sure if it's a dark horse or not, but the movie I really, really love to watch around the holidays is "Beautiful Girls". Nothing so keenly captures the feeling of returning home in winter as an adult, to all your old buddies and family, quite like this movie. Although I've never fallen for a 13 year old on a trip back home, thankfully. Still, this movie is one of my favorites ever and I really wish I could watch it right now.

JV: Beautiful Girls is great. My somewhat unknown Christmas movie is One Magic Christmas. It was releated by Disney in 1985 and is incredibly dark for a family film. But Harry Dean Stanton plays an angel named Gideon who helps out two children.

In the past few years, you’ve lived in Ohio, North Carolina, and now Chicago. What’s the biggest difference you’ve seen in those places in how they celebrate Christmas? Or, just in general, the atmosphere amongst the population at those places?

PC: The biggest difference is weather. In North Carolina they dream of a rainy Christmas, er something. There must be snow. The spirit was present in North Carolina, but it simply wasn't home, wasn't the midwest. There are plenty of songs about this. Chicago and Cleveland being two large midwestern cities, I find this time of year to be wonderfully similar. It's great here in Chicago, but I can't wait to go home. Then it will really feel like Christmas. I plan to sled and hike in snowy forests. We'll see if I get lucky.

JV: Some weeks back, you lambasted Burl Ives in a post, calling him a “creep.” I believe this was in reference to a ling in “Holly, Jolly Christmas,” when Burl asks someone to “kiss her once for me” under the mistletoe. Though we run the site together, I found your criticism observant but also a little harsh. What if, for instance, Ives, as the narrator of the song, was asking the listener to kiss an ex-wife or ex-girlfriend? Or even someone he’s secretly harbored love for over the years? In my mind, I wondered if perhaps this was the case—Ives was urging the listener to kiss this woman so that Ives could have a kind of surrogate satisfaction. What do you make of this theory? Does it change your opinion of him? Or do you think that Burl Ives, quite frankly, was a bearded pervert, seeking to kiss or fondle any woman that he could find?

PC: What you've failed to mention here, that you mentioned on the phone to me is that you thought of all this while in the shower. Now, I find it a bit strange that you think about Burl Ives in the shower. I digress. If ol Burl wants to live vicariously through me, that's his business. I don't really think he needed to sing about it. The short answer is that my answer hasn't changed, really.

You have a pretty impressive collection of Christmas movies. When did that collecting start? What are some of your favorite holiday movies?

JV: I’m not sure when it started exactly—probably in the early to mid 90s. Home Alone is what started it for me. I’ve talked about that movie in previous posts but it remains one of my favorites. It still makes me laugh but I’m also very wistful of that film. A Christmas Story has to be my favorite holiday film—I adore that film. Darren McGavin, who played The Old Man, died this year. When he died, I read someone who said that everybody wanted to have Gregory Peck’s Atticus Finch as their father but in actuality, most people had McGavin’s The Old Man.

PC: If you had to choose a place that wasn't North Carolina or your home town in Pennsylvania, where would you spend Christmas and why?

JV: A snowy and small New England town. The house would have a wood stove and windows overlooking a sleepy country valley. Somewhere quiet and nice. That’s the practical answer. But if I could somehow live in an alternate universe, I’d pick a place without this war in Iraq . I really try to keep the troops who are overseas and their families back home in my thoughts all year, but never more so than the holidays.

PC: What are the best and worst gifts you ever received/given?

JV: An ex-girlfriend’s parents once gave two gifts which might not have been the worst but were the strangest. A paperback edition of the screenplay to L.A. Confidential. Now, I like that film just fine, but I have no idea why in the hell they would buy me that. Also, they bought me one of those little hardback writing journals—thoughtful, since I’m a writer—but it had a large picture of the American flag on the front. It’s not that I dislike the stars and stripes, but it just seemed weird.

The best gift would be my Super Nintendo. It certainly got the most use of any gift in my life no doubt. That was the golden age of video gaming and it seemed that games had never been more fun. It’s one of the reasons I bought a Wii last month—that system allows you to download old SNES games, among other systems, and play.

PC: Since we've started this blog, we've discovered a lot of new music. You're a fan of lists--what are your top ten favorite NEW songs? When I say new I mean new to you this season, not new is an Clay Aiken. If Clay Aiken appears on this list I am off the blog.

JV: There are many. We’ve heard a ton of great songs this year, thanks to our searching and also through our friends at other Christmas blogs. This took some time and thinking, but here’s my list, in no particular order. I'd of course heard "God Rest..." before, but I love that Jigsaw Seen version so much, I had to put it on the list.

Christmas Island – The Andrews Sisters with Guy Lombardo

A Christmas Wish – Bobby Goldsboro

Christmas Will Be Just Another Lonely Day – Brenda Lee

Another Christmas At Home – Eux Autres

Christmas On the Beach – Irene

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen – Jigsaw Seen

I Won’t Decorate Your Christmas Tree – Loretta Lynn

Mama’s Twistin’ with Santa Claus – Mark Anthony

Darlin’ (Christmas Is Coming) – Over the Rhine

Christmas Eve – Teenage Fanclub

What about you, PC?

(To be continued...)

Uh-oh ho ho

No, Santa didn’t die. We’re just having some technical problems tonight.

Seems both PC and I have exceeded our download limit at Yousendit.com. I exceeded mine by about 280% and they give you 4 GBs of free storage! That’s a lot of exceeding on my part. I’m not sure why exactly—as many of you know, those files only exist for 100 downloads or seven days, whichever comes first. So, in theory, the files should disappear in at least seven days. Perhaps that many people are downloading our songs and it’s causing problems—we really have no idea how many people check the site. We’re novices at this. But we hope it's due to high readership, not our poor bloggmanship.

I started a new account through yousendit—my post today is from this account and those songs (Neko Case, The Ronettes, etc.) should be fine; they are for me at least. However, all previous files don’t work right now. We’ll have to re-upload everything. Or perhaps switch filesending sites or buy more space and better accounts—we’re also cheap novices!

So, hang in there. It’s late tonight but we’ll work hard to repair things tomorrow.

Christmas, Christmas, and More Christmas!

Christmas lovers, I’ve got some sad news. My days at 77 Santas are numbered. On Sunday, I’ll return to a land that knows not of cable Internet or digital cable or any other necessity in this life. Unfortunately, the dial-up Internet of Central Pennsylvania just won’t work for 77 Santas—it’d take me four hours just to upload a song. But don’t worry—before then, I’m going out with a bag of Christmas cheer that will ensure you’ll have the hap, Hap, HAPPIEST Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny eff-ing Kaye! We’ve got a special feature that will run Friday and Saturday. Plus, PC will still bring the holiday cheer for a few more days after my departure. We’ve had some technical issues tonight. If you can’t download songs, let us know. I think it’s fixed but maybe not.

But before that, we’ve got some Christmas song. A whole lot of Christmas songs!

Christmas Card from A Hooker in Minneapolis – Neko Case

I know that we’ve already posted Tom Waits’ live version of this track. Honestly, I just wanted this as an excuse to post a picture of Neko Case and to listen to her voice which, to me, is one of the greatest contemporary voices in music. Sometimes her vocals give me chills.

Carol of the Bells – John Williams

No, the acclaimed composer doesn’t sing on this track, but he did produce it for Home Alone. This really is one of my favorite holiday songs and this is a brief but beautiful rendition.

Carol of the Bells – Trans Siberian Orchestra with Metallica

This searing version comes from their collaborative Christmas album. It earns a lot of airplay on radio stations during the season—I heard it today in the car. Never ceases to make me pound my foot along or nod my head to the beat. Actually, it’s probably best no one tries to imagine my convulsing body during this song.

O Little Town of Bethlehem – Frank Sinatra

Ole Blue Eyes does this song justice, naturally.

Silent Night – Martina McBride

McBride has one of the most beautiful voices in country music today. Her tender vocals on this song showcase her talent—anyone who heard her hit “Independence Day,” a somewhat groundbreaking song about spousal abuse, knows that her vocals can also soar.

Sleigh Ride – The Ronettes

Yeah, we love us some Phil Specter production at 77 Santas.

Sleigh Ride – The Boston Pops

And yet another version. Complete with whip snaps. Nothing like a whip to bring in the holidays.

And The Pudding Made of Figs

I know this song is dumb and overplayed, but I have to post it because this actually happened to my Grandma. This photo is of her, shortly before what my family now refers to as "The incident that some assholes wrote a dumb song about."

As for me and Grandpa, we perceive.

Ho Ho Ho Not

PC

Christmas Island

Another sack full of goodies, kids!

Canned Heat: Christmas Blues

My mom snuck into a hotel and swam with these guys when she was younger. This is all I know of them, aside from their hit about going to the country. This is nice.

Eddie Money: Everybody Loves Christmas

And everybody loves Eddie Money, whether they know it or not.

Lynyrd Skynyrd: Run Run Rudolph

God how I love this band! Give me a 12 pack, a back porch, and a Skynyrd CD and I'm content.

Spinal Tap: Christmas With the Devil

Does Christmas go to 11? I'll take this "non-band" over many of the "bands" currently playing on the radio.

The Kinks: Father Christmas

This one's for Pookie. I love the honesty of this song: "Hey Santa, just give us some money." Plus, um, it's the Kinks.

Andrews Sisters and Guy Lombardo: Christmas Island

Possibly my favorite "song I never heard til this year." Such a great sound! And who wouldn't want Santa to deliver their gifts via canoe?

Harry Simone Chorale: Little Drummer Boy

Great version. This plays on the radio here alot.

More coming!
PC