With the Christmas season underway,
I thought I'd bring pack a series of Facebook updates I did last year- Enjoy -
Please forgive some of the YouTube links which may have gone bad in the past
year...
Two of my favorite things are Music
Countdowns and Christmas!
...And now- the penultimate part of the countdown...
20.
Jingle Bell Rock, Hall and Oates...
This classic was originally made
famous by Bobby Helms. This is a very faithful cover that just sounds right
with these guys doing it. Part of the charm is the video. Check it out if you
have 3 minutes.
19.
Father Christmas, The Kinks...
As far as I know, this was the first
angry Christmas song. A true classic
18.
Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, The Smithereens...
You want Rock and Roll? How about
New Jersey's own Smithereens- During the 1980's you could always find them
playing a club in New Jersey... Here is retro-pop-bluesy version of yet another
Christmas classic... Great bass line and vocals. Wonderful job taking a song,
and making it their own!
Another pseudo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3BdGIrZQU0
17. Deck the Halls, Manheim Steamroller
My first favorite bands as a kid
were bands that were handed down by my brothers and sisters: The Beatles,
Chicago, Bread (don't ask)... My first favorite band, that I "found"
was the Alan Parsons Project. At first glance, they were one of many
Art/Progressive bands that dominated FM airplay in the late 70s, but in
reality, they were storyteller rock. Each of their albums had a theme. Also,
every one of their albums always had an instru...mental based on a repetitive
melody, synthesizers in the lead backed with an orchestra, along with a driving
drum beat. What does this have to do with today's song? Nothing. Except if the
Alan Parsons Project ever did a Christmas theme album, this would be the
instrumental.
Pseudo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXkymHrZyFo
16.
Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, Bruce Springsteen...
Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuce!
Karaoke style fan video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xOe4GRyebo
15.
Christmas Wrapping, The Waitresses...
Monica's favorite Christmas song...
and so much better than their other hit, "I know What Boys Like".
Akron, Ohio's most famous post punk, new wave, band:
Not my house, but a cool video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyEztz6nY9Q
14.
Step Into Christmas, Elton John
There was a time when pop Christmas
tunes were a rarity. Back in the 70s- It seemed like there was this song, and
of course John Lennon's song. Recorded in the same era as Elton's masterpiece
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Title Track, Candle in the Wind, Harmony, Funeral
For a Friend, Benny & the Jets, and Saturday Nights Alright For Fighting),
this song foreshadows Elton's mid 80's pop tendencies, with the Phil
Spectoresque "Wall of Sound..." presaging Philadelphia Freedom's
Philly soul sound.
Video (Even sounds like it was
recorded off an AM radio!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSJMSnj6UUM
13.
Christmas Time ...Again, Extreme
What do you do if you are a hard
rock band, whose only hits to date are mellow acoustic tunes featuring vocal
harmonies? You get yourself a spot on "A Very Special Christmas II"
and do a mellow acoustic tune featuring vocal harmonies. It didn't really work
out for the band, but lead singer Gary Cherone used it as a launch pad to
become the trivia answer to "Who was the third most famous lead singer Van
Halen hired?".
Play Karaoke Christmas with Extreme! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEdwLRviJzw
12.
Please Come Home For Christmas, The Eagles...
It may be a remake of the 1960
Charles "Don't Call me Charlie" Brown original, but it charted 58
places higher on the Billboard Hot 100 when released as a single in 1978 and
peaking at number 18. Released after Hotel California but before the Long Run,
this is probably the unlikeliest of the many hit songs by the Eagles.
not an official video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1AaMe1KbwE
11.
Christmas All Over Again, Tom Petty...
Whenever two of the Traveling
Wilbury's get together, you know magic will happen... Jeff Lynne's production
makes this my all time favorite Tom Petty song. This song has the distinguished
honor of being used in three of the worst Christmas movies of all time: Home
Alone 2: Lost in New York, Jingle All The Way, and four Christmases (which may
or may not be bad, but is guilty by association).
Live version- without
the Tom Petty wish list ending http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaPj1GoDpQw
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