“Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” Elmo and Patsy, 1979
Say what you will about rednecks and drunk relatives and all that, but what I’d like to know is: How did this song get made into a Christmas special?
Tag Archives: Christmas
My Favorite Christmas Songs 2015, #23
“Chrissy the Christmas Mouse,” Debbie Reynolds & Donald O’Connor , 1957
There’s something about fictional animals and Christmas. This cheerful tune tells the story of a mouse that “lives in the middle of Santa’s house,” and even alludes to Rudolph, although not by name.
My Favorite Christmas Songs 2015, #22
“Give Love on Christmas Day,” The Jackson 5, 1970
Sure, the message is schmaltzy, the song is highly-refined bubblegum pop, but THAT’S WHAT MAKES IT CHRISTMASY, PEOPLE!
My Favorite Christmas Songs 2015 #21
“Jingle Bells,” The Singing Dogs, 1955
Today, this tune is dismissed as a kitschy novelty song, but it was actually an experiment from the early days of tape recording. Recording engineer Carl Weisman would routinely have his birdsong recordings ruined by barking dogs, so he spliced the barks together, tweaked their speed and pitch, and made music with them with assistance from record producer Don Charles. This was before the advent of modern editing equipment, so it took some effort.
My Favorite Christmas Songs 2015 #20
Trans-Siberian Orchestra, 1996+
Not to be confused with that other instrumental group associated with the holidays, Trans-Siberian Orchestra was conceived by Paul O’Neill. In his own words: “The whole idea was to create a progressive rock band that would push the boundaries (of the genre) further than any group before… Way, way further.”
For comparison’s sake, here is the “Carol of the Bells” inspired Christmas Eve/Sarajevo. I posted Mannheim Steamroller’s version on Day 13.
My Favorite Christmas Songs 2015 #19
“Carol of the Bells,” Mykola Leontovych (composer), 1987 (Claymation Christmas Special version)
A wonderful song with or without lyrics, easily recognizable by its four repeated notes. One of the featured songs from “A Claymation Christmas Celebration,” this short subject never fails to make me laugh.
My Favorite Christmas Songs 2015 #17
“The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)”, The Chipmunks, 1958
This was the first and most successful single by the fictional fuzzy trio. Ross Bagdasarian (as David Seville) sped up his voice to create brothers Alvin, Simon, and Theodore. It’s interesting to see how the Chipmunks designs have gone from crude to cute to CGI over the decades.
My Favorite Christmas Songs 2015 #16
“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.
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.
Eduardo Soliz 