Dan South Posted December 3, 2002 Share Posted December 3, 2002 I fear that this thread will be shortlived. :( Most pop/rock Christmas songs suck. The only good ones I can think of are from the WWII era...White Christmas, Let It Snow, etc. Why can't rockers and poppers write a decent Christmans song? Any of you MP'ers want to give it a shot? The Black Knight always triumphs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFOracle Posted December 3, 2002 Share Posted December 3, 2002 Harry Connick Jr. does a nice rendition of "I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus", that makes the song tolerable. Also from the post war era, "Silver Bells" is schmaltzy, but then so is Christmas. My mother has a Bing Crosby version that is so well done. She also has an Elvis version that really sucks. Pop/Rock christmas songs that really truely suck: - "Jingle Bell Rock" - by anyone. - "Have yourself a merry little christmas" - just sounds patronizing. - what was the one that "Boney-M" did in the late 70's? That really sucked. Our country is not the only thing to which we owe our allegiance. It is also owed to justice and to humanity. Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong: James Bryce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rim Posted December 3, 2002 Share Posted December 3, 2002 I personally like the following: "Happy Xmas/War is Over" John Lennon "Wonderful Christmas Time" Paul McCartney "Christmas is a Time to Say I Love You" Billy Squier "Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy" David Bowie & Bing Crosby aka riffing Double Post music: Strip Down http://rimspeed.com http://loadedtheband.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Botch. Posted December 3, 2002 Share Posted December 3, 2002 "I Believe in Father Christmas" (think that's the title) by Emerson Lake and Palmer was a good tune, certainly not schmaltzy, or even cheerful. Botch "Eccentric language often is symptomatic of peculiar thinking" - George Will www.puddlestone.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffbayson Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 Low's Christmas album. Even though they used their "Little Drummer Boy" rendition in a Gap commercial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D_dup3 Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 I'm partial to the Smothers Brothers version of "Oh, go ahead & shout Go ahead & cry Go ahead & pout I'll tell you why--- Santa Claus is [i]dead[/i]! There's also Captain Beefheart's "There Ain't No Santa Claus On The Evening Stage" on [b]The Spotlight Kid[/b]. Oh, & Hendrix didn't write it (your point, I think) but the Band of Gypsys did a medley of "Little Drummer Boy", "Silent Night" & "Auld Lang Syne" that was finally released on CD a couple years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salyphus Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 How about the South Park ones? :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topper74 Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 Don't know this qualifies as Pop, but this time a year, A Charlie Brown Christmas is my favorite album. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackpine Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 Timbuk 3 has a great Christmas song entitled "All I want for Christmas is World Peace" www.relayerstudios.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJDM Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 My favorite version of a Christmas song is U2's cover of "Baby Please Come Home" from the "Very Special Christmas Album". Totally rocks and I have always loved the Guitar solo that the edge does over it. Very simple. Its not Christmas for me without it. :) - DJDM DJDM.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-money Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 U2 - Baby Please Come Home Bing and Bowie John Lennon - War is Over Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick Kinks - Father Christmas Pretenders - 2000 miles ??? Springsteen - Santa Clause is Coming to Town Band Aid - Do They Know it's Christmas Time at All Nat Cole - Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire Dan Fogelberg - That old Lange Syne Eagles - Come Home for Christmas "Politics are like sports, where all the teams suck" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip OKeefe Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 I like E-Money's list - except for the Band Aid thing - man, I HATED that track! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Flier Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 [quote]Originally posted by Sal Ubrious: [b]How about the South Park ones? :D [/b][/quote]Yeah!! "Merry Fucking Christmas" is awesome! :D I like John Lennon's Xmas song but McCartney's makes me wanna hurl. I swear if I hear that one more time... :mad: However, Keef's version of "Run Rudolph Run" is da bomb, and Chuck's doesn't suck either. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mplspaul Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 [quote]Originally posted by Philip O'Keefe: [b]I like E-Money's list - except for the Band Aid thing - man, I HATED that track![/b][/quote]Not me! Despite the distinct 80's-ness of it all, the sound and the singers (Paul Young? Bannarama?), I think it holds up as a nice piece of songwriting. Especially when you compare it to We Are the World and Hands Across America. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nowak Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 "This Christmas" - Donny Hathaway :) http://www.groovetown.com.au Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy clay Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 "Let it Snow" by Chicago In fact I dig that whole Christmas CD by Chicago. Some original takes on old "chestnuts" I'm trying to think but nuthin' happens.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaGe Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 BTW, does anyone knows if the song Stevie Wonder sings in the Target (the retail store) commercial is featured on any album? That my friends is superb christmas music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super 8 Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 [quote]Originally posted by Lee Flier: [b] [quote]Originally posted by Sal Ubrious: [b]How about the South Park ones? :D [/b][/quote]Yeah!! "Merry Fucking Christmas" is awesome! :D I like John Lennon's Xmas song but McCartney's makes me wanna hurl. I swear if I hear that one more time... :mad: :) [/b][/quote]I have a love/hate relationship with South Park. They can be REALLY funny, but they can also be needlessly offensive too. I only get where they're coming from about half the time. The other half, I think they're just trying to shock viewers into watching. Anyway, Yeah, the Lennon tune is good but overplayed. The McCartney tune makes me wanna hurl too. But nothing -and I mean NOTHING- and compete with The Chipmunks! The U2 song is okay, but I'm not crazy over it. [b]Christmas Tunes that DON'T SUCK...[/b] 1. Bells Will Be Ringing 2. Santa Clause is Come'n to Town -Sringsteen version 3. Carol of the Bells [i]-Not exactly a rock/pop tune, BUT it translates SO WELL! And it's awesome on it's own too![/i] 4. Do They Know it's Christmas? - Band-Aid 5. Trans-Syberian Orchestra 6. Christmas Song - Dave Matthews Band [i]I'm sure one wouldn't have to look too hard to find other great stuff -it's out there.[/i] Super 8 Hear my stuff here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zele Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 Some great arrangements on those early Brian Wilson/ Beach Boy albums....maybe a little "corny" this day an age..but still the best polished sound.... cjogo C Jo Go Crystal Studios http://fp2k.redshift.com/cjogo/recording_studio.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitr777 Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 You gotta love Gary Hoey's renditions of all yer Christmas favs on the 'Ho Ho Hoey' releases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 Christmas songs that aren't religious in nature are usually schmaltzy. Schmaltzy's good in a Christmas tune. The whole idea being that if you do get the religious message, then why not spread some good cheer, too? So please keep any of those "social awareness" message Christmas songs away from me, would you? And it IS true that in recent years, good Christmas "pop" tunes haven't been forthcoming. Wasn't that the point of this thread, anyway? And although I don't consider myself a very overtly religious person, novelty tunes that aim to elicit laughs through the lowest common denominator are a turn-off, too. Put "Granma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" at the top of THAT list. I also had a thread about songs that always show up at Christmas time that don't seem to have a thing to do with Christmas. But, there they are, on a large percentage of all the Christmas CD's out for sale. Like, "Jingle Bells", "Sleigh Ride" and "My Favorite Things." Where is Christmas mentioned in any of those? And don't give me that crap about them being "Seasonal." Put them on a special "Winter Time Music" CD then! But of all the teeth-grinding Christmas tunes out there, the ones that irk me the most are... McCartney's God-awful tune that sounds as if he's letting Pee-Wee Herman play keyboards, I guess. Lennon's Christmas song, that sounds suspiciously too much like Peter, Paul and Mary's "Stewball." "Go Tell It On The Mountain". Now, I used to like this one, but in 1989, I had the job of being the Santa Claus at Detroit's Trapper's Alley shopping mall. Nearby was a video crew and a piano player. The old guy that ran the video crew always had the pianist play that song so he could sing with it, 30 or 40 times a fucking DAY! If he could SING, it might be different... Karen Newman, the young lady that sings the National Anthem at all Red Wing home games has a song out, "Christmastime on Woodward Avenue." It just plain SUCKS! And any Christmas music butchered by Kenny G.! On a more positive note, Rob McConell and the Boss Brass have a Christmas CD that's a joy to hear! Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felix_dup1 Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 I've got some cool versions of older Christmas songs on a CD I got at Starbucks a few years ago entitled Hi-Fidelity Holiday. Some of my favorites on this disc: Jingle Bells - Esquivel Jingle Bell Jamboree - Keb' Mo' Sleigh Ride - Combustible Edison Winter Wonderland - Cocteau Twins (I liked Eurythmics version best until I heard this one) Some other favorites: Merry Christmas Baby - Lou Rawls Cool Yule - Louis Armstrong Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season - Manhattan Transfer The Christmas Waltz - Nancy Wilson Santa Baby - Madonna All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey I really don't like the Paul McCartney or Bruce Sprigsteen tunes at all. Another one that bugs me is Lena Horne's version of Jingle All The Way. And once Christmas is over, don't forget "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve." Amazing how few new Christmas tunes have happened since the classics! How about "Thanks For Christmas" by XTC? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nraki Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 [quote]Originally posted by Dan South: [b] Most pop/rock Christmas songs suck. [/b][/quote]I love the John's one" Happy Christmas (the war is over).... Do you think it sucks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hippie Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 [quote]Originally posted by Lee Flier: [b] [quote] [/b][/quote]However, Keef's version of "Run Rudolph Run" is da bomb, and Chuck's doesn't suck either. :) [/QB][/quote]Lee, high princess of the Rolling Stones, what record is that on? B-side of a 45? The version I have of RR Rudolph was taped from the radio. I'd buy it if I could find it. That is nowhere to be found. Thanks, Matt In two days, it won't matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Flier Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 Matt, It was released as a 45 in its own right, with a dandy picture sleeve and Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come" on the B-side. It's out of print now, it was only available for a very limited time in limited quantities. I bought mine new in 1979. :) I think you can find it on eBay, or I can send you an MP3 if you're desperate. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan South Posted December 4, 2002 Author Share Posted December 4, 2002 [quote]Originally posted by Nraki: [b] [quote]Originally posted by Dan South: [b] Most pop/rock Christmas songs suck. [/b][/quote]I love the John's one" Happy Christmas (the war is over).... Do you think it sucks?[/b][/quote]Well, suckiness is in the ear of the beholder. ;) 'Happy Christmas' is mildly sappy, but it's relatively inoffensive when compared to most of the rock and roll Christmas schlock that I've heard over the years. The point is that I'm bewildered that there are so many pop Christmas songs but so few really GOOD ones. :confused: The Black Knight always triumphs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie-brm Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 Three things I look forward to at Christmas time: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, the radio playing The Poques' Fairytale of New York and; I think it is The Motels. Barely a melody, almost like rap with a horn section on the chorus: Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, da da ?????? Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, da da ?????? It's story from a single woman getting ready for Christmas and everything is going wrong. Help me out with that one. It's OK to tempt fate. Just don't drop your drawers and moon her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparksongs Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 Check out the Christmas Album Phil Spector put out in the 60's (re-issued on CD) w/ The Ronettes, Darlene Love, etc.) The title is something like "A Christmas Gift For You". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midispaceho Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 Its jazz, but I like Herb Alpert and the TJB version of Jingle Bells. Could do without the cheezy 70s style vocal scat though. Heeeeeere kitty kitty kitty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Zeger Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 [quote]Originally posted by Charlie-brm: [b] I think it is The Motels. Barely a melody, almost like rap with a horn section on the chorus: Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, da da ?????? Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, da da ?????? It's story from a single woman getting ready for Christmas and everything is going wrong. Help me out with that one.[/b][/quote]I think the group & song is The Waitresses "Christmas Wrapping". I'll add to the list: Run-DMC "Christmas in Hollis" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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