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Category: Holiday songs

The Night Before Christmas, by John Cleese (Monday, 24 December 2007 11:37 AM ): John Cleese has updated the classic holiday poem: For a reading of the original text in an original manner, please also enjoy Henry Rollins's interpretation of "The Night Before Christmas."...

Twelve Days of Christmas (Monday, 24 December 2007 11:08 AM ): An alternative interpretation by Straight No Chaser, a men's a capella group from Indiana University....

Holiday Music Countdown: Number 3, all the paper, tinsel, and the folderol (Monday, 24 December 2007 01:20 AM ): We've nearly made it through the month-long countdown of my favoriate holiday songs, and now we come to the best of the best. (Find previous holiday countdown posts here.) 3. Merry X-Mas (To Whom It May Concern) (Miles Davis with...

Holiday Music Countdown: Numbers 5 and 4, with waltzing and romancing (Sunday, 23 December 2007 02:29 AM ): Another day clicks by and we draw ever nearer to Christmas -- and to the end of the countdown of my favorite holiday songs. (Find previous holiday countdown posts here.) 5. The Christmas Waltz (Nancy Wilson> "The Christmas Waltz" is...

Holiday Music Countdown tangent: We need a little Christmas, and skating lessons (Friday, 21 December 2007 08:16 PM ): Bit of a hard day today, so I will hold my holiday countdown post until tomorrow. Fortunately, I have a treat to tide you over, sent to me by frequent commenter Erich Maria . It's a video of Mitzi Gaynor...

Holiday Music Countdown: Number 6, plus music history, world history, and geography lessons (Thursday, 20 December 2007 11:44 PM ): Continuing my countdown of my favorite holiday songs. (Find previous holiday countdown posts here.) 6. Little Drummer Boy (Up the Khyber) (Hoodoo Gurus) You young'uns may not know about the Hoodoo Gurus. Back in the mid- to late-80s and into...

Holiday Music Countdown: Number 7, O Canada! (Wednesday, 19 December 2007 07:40 PM ): Only six shopping days 'til Christmas -- but seven songs to enjoy. Here's the next tune in my highly-subjective holiday music countdown. (Find previous holiday countdown posts here.) 7. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Barenaked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan) There's...

Holiday Music Countdown: Number 8, the admission's free (Wednesday, 19 December 2007 12:20 AM ): I realize some people are weary of holiday music by now -- particularly those who work in retail and have been listening to it since well before Thanksgiving. But we're getting to my very favorite songs now, and the...

Holiday Music Countdown: Number 9, hope there's oil under your rose vine (Monday, 17 December 2007 09:50 PM ): It's rather a jolt, after a weekend of holiday parties and meeting up with family and friends, to find oneself back at work on a Monday -- and to realize that there's still more than a week to go until...

Holiday Music Countdown: Number 10, a star dancing in the night (Sunday, 16 December 2007 09:58 PM ): It's Sunday night, and there's a winter wonderland outside. Cold, cold, cold, and snowy enough to make up for the lack of precipitation we've had so far this winter. Inside it's warm, and I'm drinking a cup of hot cocoa...

Holiday Music Countdown: Numbers 12 and 11, country melodies and city swingers (Saturday, 15 December 2007 11:33 PM ): Yesterday I went to two Christmas parties with fun friends, and in the crazy rush of getting from place to place I missed posting a song for the holiday music countdown. So let's have a double-helping tonight -- extra nice...

Holiday Music Countdown: Numbers 14 and 13 (Thursday, 13 December 2007 10:41 PM ): Onward with the music countdown! We're counting down my favorite holiday songs this month. (Find previous posts here.) 14. (Everybody’s Waiting for) The Man with the Bag (Kay Starr; Brian Setzer Orchestra) I don't have much information on this song,...

Holiday Music Countdown: Number 15, a childhood classic (Wednesday, 12 December 2007 12:24 AM ): Continuing my countdown of my twenty-five favorite holiday songs. (Find previous posts here.) 15. Linus and Lucy (Vince Guaraldi Trio) At about this point each December, I sit myself down at the piano in my living room and pull out...

Holiday Music Countdown: Number 16, and I wanna see a lot of snow (Monday, 10 December 2007 10:50 PM ): Another December day, and we continue to count down my twenty-five favorite holiday songs. (Find previous posts here.) For a gloomy Monday, we bring up a decidely upbeat tune: 16. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (Lena...

Holiday Music Countdown: Number 17, with the Velvet Fog (Sunday, 09 December 2007 06:57 PM ): Counting down my twenty-five favorite holiday songs. (Find previous posts here.) 17. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting by an Open Fire) (Mel Torme) Mel Torme co-wrote "The Christmas Song" with Bob Wells in 1944. From the Wikipedia article: "I saw...

Holiday Music Countdown: Numbers 19 and 18, ladies night (Saturday, 08 December 2007 11:49 PM ): Continuing my remarkably self-centered countdown of my favorite 25 holiday songs. (Find previous posts here.) I skipped posting a countdown song yesterday, so today we get two. And what do you know! It's ladies night. (Yes, the feeling's right.) 19....

Holiday Music Countdown: Number 20, with diamond rings underneath the tree (Thursday, 06 December 2007 03:48 PM ): 20. Merry Christmas Baby (Lou Rawls) Christmas is supposed to be a happy time. Really, really happy. That pressure for everyone to be happy may be what brings some of us to long to hear the blues. "Merry Christmas Baby"...

Holiday Music Countdown: Numbers 22 and 21, with troubadours, the King, Bing, and a thin white duke (Wednesday, 05 December 2007 07:14 PM ): Continuing my highly-subjective countdown of the 25 best holiday songs. (See previous entry here.) 22. Blue Christmas (Ernest Tubb and His Texas Troubadours, Elvis Presley) Elvis wasn't the first person to sing "Blue Christmas." It was recorded by Ernest...

Holiday Music Countdown: Numbers 25 to 23, with mambo, sleigh rides, and sanity restoration (Tuesday, 04 December 2007 02:23 AM ): I'm not a religious person, and I'm turned off by the commercialism and pageantry of the winter holiday season. But I adore holiday songs. I wait as long as I can to start listening to them, and then once Thanksgiving...

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