“I’ll be Home for Christmas,” Fats Domino, 1993?
It isn’t easy to cover a well-known song and make it your own, but Fats Domino easily succeeds with his upbeat rendition.
Category Archives: Christmas
My Favorite Christmas Songs 2015 #15
“The Twelve Days of Christmas,” John Denver and The Muppets, 1979
“Five gold rings” by way of Miss Piggy and Beaker meeping along with Dr. Bunsen Honeydew help make this one of my favorite renditions of the classic holiday count-up.
My Favorite Christmas Songs 2015 #14
“Santa Baby,” Madonna, 1987
Recorded for the seminal “A Very Special Christmas” charity album, Madonna turns up the cuteness in her cover of Eartha Kitt’s 1963 arrangement.
My Favorite Christmas Songs 2015 #13
Mannheim Steamroller, 1984+
Not to be confused with that other instrumental group associated with the holidays (their turn comes next week), Mannheim Steamroller’s takes on holiday standards are wonderful examples of modernizing traditional music.
My Favorite Christmas Songs 2015 #12
“I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas,” Gayla Peevy, 1953
“Kid logic is a wonderful thing,” I’ve often said, but this little girl has clearly thought her plan all the way through!
My Favorite Christmas Songs 2015 #11
“Home For the Holidays,” Perry Como, 1959
The holidays mean travel to visit loved ones and this tune always puts me in a traveling mood. This is actually the second version Como recorded, love that big brass sound!
My Favorite Christmas Songs 2015 #9
“Winter Wonderland,” Huey Lewis and the News, 1984
I’m trying to not duplicate songs on this list, but I have to have my all-time favorite group represented. Huey Lewis and the News have had a few a cappella songs on their albums over the years; recording this classic near the height of their popularity.
My Favorite Christmas Songs 2015 #8
“Frosty the Snowman,” Willie Nelson, 1979
There have been a number of wonderful renditions of Gene Autry’s “Frosty the Snowman” over the years: the original, Jimmy Durante’s rendition from the TV special and even the Beach Boys have covered the standard. I thought I’d go with Willie Nelson:
My Favorite Christmas Songs 2015 #7
“You’re a Mean One, Mister Grinch,” Thurl Ravenscroft, 1966
Thrul Ravenscroft (the voice of Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger for 50+ years) was not credited for singing this tune from the classic TV special “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” I’ve always loved the Seuss-ian lyrics like ‘thirty-nine-and-a-half-foot-pole’ and ‘nasty wasty skunk.’
Trivia: The Grinch was the first main character in a Dr. Seuss book to be a villain as well as the first adult main character.
My Favorite Christmas Songs 2015 #1-6
As I looked over my list of Christmas songs from last year, I realized that I left out quite a few good ones in my effort to highlight songs and covers that folks may not have heard of. Thus, I’ll start out this year playing catch up with some standards:
#1 – “The Christmas Song,” Nat King Cole, 1946
How else could I start?
#2 – “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” Burl Ives, 1964
Counting “There’s Always Tomorrow” from last year, this makes the second song on my list from the “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” holiday special. The song was originally to be sung by the character of Yukon Cornelius. Yeah, I can’t see it, either.
#3 – “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” Gene Autry, 1949
The original version of the story of “Santa’s 9th Reindeer.” I remember singing it in Cub Scouts and the troop all goofing with it; repeating the ‘reindeer’ in the chorus and adding words to the lyrics.
#4 – “Happy Holidays/Holiday Season,” Andy Williams, 1963
“Happy Holiday” was originally sung by Bing Crosby in the 1942 film “Holiday Inn.” “The Holiday Season” was added later to make this classic medley.
#5 – “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” Andy Williams, 1963
Another wonderful standard from Andy Williams. I’ve always wondered: Was telling ghost stories at Christmas time really a thing way back when?
#6 – “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” Brenda Lee
To my ears, Brenda Lee sounds as if she’s singing about ‘punkin’ pie’ but that only adds to the song’s charm.
Eduardo Soliz 