Tuesday, 17 December 2019
The 2019 Special Christmas Post! Never settle for second best. You don't need to, because I'm about to do it for you.
Because you The Reader demanded it, here it is; this year's Christmas song post!
Granted, there's a certain problem with such a thing, as, last year, I did one demanding to know your favourite Christmas song of all time.
Obviously, because I've already done it, I can't do that again - even though I want to - so I've hit upon an idea no one has ever had in the entire history of mankind!
And that's demanding to know what your second favourite Christmas song is.
What's that noise you hear on your rooftop? Is it the sound of Rudolph's hooves scraping on the slates, as Santa comes to deliver your presents?
Why, no, it's the sound of this site scraping the bottom of the barrel.
But, then again, perhaps it's not, because this now means that, next year, I'm going to be able to ask you for your third favourite Christmas song of all time. I can't wait for the year 2145 when I can, at last, discover the identity of your 127th favourite Christmas song.
Anyway, the second best Christmas song of all time. For me, it's an easy one because, if you have Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody as your Number One, as I did last year, there's only one record you can have as your Number Two.
And that's Wizzard's I Wish it Could Be Christmas Everyday. Has there ever been a catchier, bouncier, more joyous and successful attempt to capture the mood of a British Yuletide?
Yes there has; Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody.
But, that one aside, has there ever been a better attempt than this one?
No, there hasn't. The moment I hear that cash register open at the beginning of the track, I know the season of magic and goodwill is once more upon us.
But it does always strike me as being amazing that, arguably, the two greatest British Christmas songs of all time were written by men born within 12 miles of each other and mere months apart - and that those records were released in exactly the same month, December 1973.
It also amazes me to think that, had Roy Wood not fled ELO when he did, this would have been an ELO single.
Then again, it also amazes me that he was only 27 at the time. How does any man look that old at 27?
Anyway, those are my thoughts on the matter. You may have thoughts of your own, and you're free to express them below.
For that matter, you're free to express any thoughts you may have about any Christmas songs, because it's Christmas, and Christmas is meant for sharing.
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26 comments:
My favourite Christmas song tends to change every year so as a result does my number 2 song But as a general rule Wizzard is my favourite with Greg Lakes "I believe in father Christmas" now at number 2.Although I have a soft spot for Bob Dylans "Must be Santa"
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, by Gene Autry. The original.
For trivia's sake, just to let you folks know, Rudolph was created by Montgomery Wards. A now-defunct department store chain, as a advertising implement.
I was given the Gene Autry Christmas l.p. when I was very young.
2nd would be Frosty the Snowman. I had that on 45', don't remember who did it, but it was made before the cartoon with Jimmy Duarte. His version is boss.
Though I've made statements about being anti-Christmas music, but I still enjoy the classics by Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Berle Ives, etc.
I just really can't stand the new pop/country stuff. It seems that it's just like their regular stuff, with sleigh-bells in the background.
Plus if I never hear Little Drummer Boy again, I'd be happy.
I still can't believe Joan Jett covered that on a regular R&R album.
The "standards" are fine with me. It's the newer stuff I have a problem with.
Guess I'm old.
Two nominations from me.
The dangermashup that is I Wish It Could Be A Wombling Merry Christmas Every Day by Roy Wood and The Wombles
https://youtu.be/oyuxPjnFqyA
And the Stevie Riks version of Do They Know It's Christmas?
https://youtu.be/-B8k1kyPJVQ
After the Residents' Santa Dog last time Steve, I'll show my age again and follow up with Christmas With Satan by James Chance.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pFdsQh9cc8
(Actually, I prefer White Christmas by Throbbing Gristle, but its not really very Christmassy tbh).
Also, I've been enjoying Brian Eno's latest, Everythings Up With The Tories which would make a good Christmas #1 this year (but somehow that seems unlikely).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKNMzjE7L7E
-sean
Kd, Shatner's Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is better.
-sean
Charlie has decided that the Xmas classics are all #1 e.g., Der Bingle doing White CHristmas, Andy Williams doing Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Jimmy Durante doing Frosty, etc. all rank as a tie for #1.
Charlie has a 50-year rule though, to be considered a classic.
This makes it easy to decide on #2. Paul McCartney's Wonderful Christmas Time! What else?
The mood is right... the spirit up... Love it, love it, love it!
Also Steve, et al. Steve did a wonderful posting at Red's "BackintheBronzeAge.Blogspot.com" You guys need to check out the Xmas revelry posted there today!
Chaps - I watched all the versions of Wonderful Christmas Time and the link below seems to be of the best quality!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94Ye-3C1FC8
All? I don't think I could even handle one Charlie.
That McCartney really has a way with an annoying tune (Wonderful Christmastime is no Frog Chorus, thats for sure).
-sean
Personally, I have a soft spot for Wonderful Christmas Time because I like the sad bit in the middle. Also, the rest of Wings are in the video and I get a strange, rosy glow of pleasure from seeing them all there, even though they're not on the record.
Charlie, Dangermash and Sean, thanks for the YouTube links.
Dangermash, I'd totally forgotten about that Roy Wood/Wombles team-up.
KD, I too hate The Little Drummer Boy. However, the Bing Crosby/David Bowie duet of it is so mind-bogglingly bizarre that I shall never tire of seeing it.
McScotty, that Dylan one is a good nomination.
Hello Folks,
Paul McCartney’s “problem” is simply that he has written too many good songs. There is such a thing as “Paul” fatigue and is documented. It should not be confused with Gil Kane or Sal Buscema fatigue…
I say! Good day chaps!
FWIW, if you want a glimpse into the Xmas TV that many of us who comment on BitBA grew up with, in the 60s, google “Hardrock, Coco, and Joe” and “Suzy Snowflake” or see the HTMLs below. These are short: 2 minutes.
Chicago was a powerhouse of original TV before the mass markets (and there is a cluster on BitBA of those who were within broadcast range of Chicago).
UK Chaps – please share if you have any childhood favorites from your youth? Did Sheffield or Edinburgh have their own productions of childhood TV favs like Chicago did? I’m talking about that really early-TV-years stuff from the 50s and 60s during our formative years. BUT! If we can’t understand the dialect we may be asking for help J
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKGonDIq8gw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEe6KOWdbUs
Oh my brother! I gotta check that out!!
The Bing Crosby/ David Bowie duets was very surreal, Steve.
I saw it when it was first broadcast.
Amazingly enough, when I supplied jukebox operators, that was a much requested '45.
So much so that my boss had the label ( I forget which one) press us two cases, which is 400 pieces. We sold every one.
I believe they are on the collectable side now.
I gotta go to the shop and get Shatner's Xmas CD.
It's gotta be AWESOME!
Charlie-
I remember "Suzie Snowflake" as a short 2-3 minute stop-motion animation insert that would be played during commercial breaks.
Whoever did that had to have been smoking good stuff, or on LSD. It could seem kind of creepy.
I know it gave one of my little sisters nightmares.
When it came on, she'd run outta the room! Lol.
If you put a gun to my head and forced me too choose, I'd probably rather listen to Bing Crosby with Bowie than to the stuff he did with Stills and Nash, but thats not saying much.
Neil Young wasn't too bad on his own, but he also did a terrible Little Drummer Boy with Johnny Cash. Its just an excruciating song that seems to brings out the worst in people.
-sean
Agreed.
There was a Little Drummer Boy Xmas special that ran maybe 2-3 times here in the states in the late 60's-early 70's. I'm thankful that doesn't run any more.
That, and The Night The Animals Talked.
I guess all the production companies were trying to sell product to a broadcaster who didn't have a deal to play the Grinch (original voiced by Boris Karloff is the best), Charlie Brown, & Rankin/Bass specials.
Hey Charlie, Suzie Snowflake was played from a Ohio channel on my end.
Also there was an occasional broadcast between Thanksgiving & Christmas of an animated special consisting of two works by Washington Irving.
The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow & Rip Van Winkle. It had some dread on it for kiddie fare.
Then was a cartoon version of A Christmas Carol back in the 60's that was REALLY dark. I'd like to see that again.
Charlie, Sheffield didn't have its own TV station when I was growing up. It was a very sore point with the locals that much smaller cities had one and we weren't allowed to have one.
Having said that, the localised output of Britain's regional stations was mostly just news broadcasts and phone-ins about gardening, so entertainment was thin on the ground outside of the networked shows.
There are two shows that consistently still bring tears to Charlie's eyes during Xmas: The Little Drummer Boy and It's A Wonderful Life.
Such a climax to the story of the Boy who is trapped in slavery. When his lamb is run over and killed by the Roman Chariot, his only loving possession dead, I just lose it.
By the time he plays his drum in front of the Christ child in Bethlehem and the lamb is resurrected by the love of the baby... Man, I've gone through a couple boxes of tissues.
It hits ole Charlie really hard and is like a cleansing of my heart.
Weird, huh?
I don't specifically remember when I cry during It's a Wonderful Life. I think it's when Jimmy Stewart's looking at his wife and kids, crying, knowing he's going to the big house for a long, long time for theft of funds from his S & L.
I kind of wish, in a Bizarro world, wheel-chair-bound Potter would have taken the place of Max Klinghoffer in 1985 on the Achille Lauro.
There was a version of Jingle Bells, by "Barking Dogs", that came out in the early 70's. Dogs barking in unison with the song. Was that ever played in the UK?
When we were kids it was a laugh-riot. Now I find it as annoying as those damn Chipmunks.
That barking dogs record sounds familiar. I suspect it did get played in the UK.
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