“Santa Claus and His Old Lady,” Cheech and Chong, 1971
Our two favorite high guys present a more, shall I say, ‘urban’ take on Santa’s origin as Cheech tries to explain him to Chong with hilarious results. One of the comedy duo’s best routines, and one of the few you will actually hear on the radio, even in these overly PC times. Come on, Beto!
“Do They Know It’s Christmas?” Band Aid, 1984
Recorded to raise money for Ethiopia famine relief, this song began the ‘charity single’ wave of the 1980s that reached its nadir (in the US, at least) with the release of “We Are The World” the following year. Primarily featuring artists from Britain and Ireland, the song’s lyrics, driving bass line, and Phil Collins’ drum work make it a good listen despite the somber subject matter.
“White Christmas,” The Drifters, 1954
Penned by Irving Berlin, this Bing Crosby standard is credited with being the #1 selling single of all-time at 50 million copies. There’s nothing wrong with the original, but I have an affinity for The Drifters’ doo-wop version.
“What Child is This,” Liona Boyd, 1981
There are many wonderful instrumentals based on Christmas songs. Liona’s rendition of “What Child of This” (which itself is set to the tune of ‘Greensleeves’) is a pleasure to listen to even outside of the Christmas season.
“Christmas Vacation,” Mavis Staples, 1989
Featured in the opening credits of “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” this song captures the spirit of today’s Christmas by delving into the preparations we all go through in preparing for the holiday: hanging up lights, putting up the tree, shopping for gifts, and even cleaning up the house.
“Baby Its Cold Outside,” Dean Martin, 1959
For all the cock and bull about this classic being (to borrow a friend’s term) ‘rapey,’ this duet was written by Frank Loesser in 1944 and originally performed by he and his wife, Lynn Garland. Lynn was furious when Frank sold the rights to MGM; she considered it to be ‘their’ song. Curiously enough, the ‘mouse’ part is sung by a chorus in Dean’s rendition.
It bears mentioning that the part sung by Dean is marked as the ‘wolf’ in the sheet music. /shrug
“If It Doesn’t Snow on Christmas,” Gene Autry, 1949
Singing cowboy Gene Autry is very well known for Christmas music, in addition to recording several standards, he wrote “Here Comes Santa Claus.” A B-side for the more well-known “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “If It Doesn’t Snow on Christmas” is interesting because for whatever reason, it seems to ignore the fact that Santa’s reindeer can fly.
“Little Saint Nick,” The Beach Boys, 1963
I hail from South Texas, so it is a little bit harder for me to relate to songs about snow and ice and roaring fires. The only fires I experience in December are those started inside of a barbeque grill. The Beach Boys set Santa’s reindeer aside in favor of “a little bobsled called Little Saint Nick.” Appropriately enough, the song’s structure comes from “Little Deuce Coupe.”
“Winter Wonderland,” The Eurythmics, 1987
Except for their big hits, I’m not terribly familiar with The Eurythmics’ music, but their synth-ed up version of Winter Wonderland really does it for me. It stays true to the standard, but The Eurythmics really make it their own. Nothing says 1980s quite like synthesizers!
“Please Come Home for Christmas,” The Eagles, 1978
In the interest of keeping my spirits (and yours) up, I’ve decided to post a different Christmas song here every day. I love Christmas, I enjoy music and so it seems appropriate to celebrate the ‘sounds of the season.’ In addition to the standards, I hope to drop in a few oddballs here and there. Enjoy!
I’ll start out with my all-time favorite: “Please Come Home for Christmas.” Originally recorded by Charles Brown in 1960, the version most folks will be familiar with is this 1978 Eagles cover. To this day, those first four piano notes still make my eyes misty whenever I hear them. I find it odd that I like the song so much because the lyrics are a bit on the depressing side, because nearly all of my Christmases have been joyous affairs. Then again, it is The Eagles, and who doesn’t like The Eagles?
Eduardo Soliz 