No guarantees, but the two Manilow titles I am familiar with are: Because It’s Christmas (not big band-y in the slightest; more like anthem-y), and Jingle Bells, a very big band-y, but note-for-note parlor trick of a cover of the chart that Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters recorded on this album.
I’m not knocking Madonna’s version, but there is just something so damn sexy about Eartha’s voice. Kinda makes me wish I was a scratching post.
I AM knocking Madonna’s version. The Boopifying is horrifying. I also heard Kylie Minogue’s giggly airheaded version this season and hate that, too. Frankly, anything that plays around with Ms. Kitt’s sublime, sexy original is poo.
I like Manilow and K.T. Oslin’s version of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” if only for the camp value. Probably the only Christmas song you’ll ever hear where one singer calls the other “puddin’ pop”…
I’ve been trying to get into the Christmas spirit a little bit by listening to the Christmas music on the radio, but I can’t deal with it for long…why are all the songs so freakin’ slow? Also, what’s the deal with all the soulful yodeling of extra notes? I keep having to turn the radio off and sing the songs myself.
It’s a less than ideal solution. Just ask my kids.
You’re quite welcome. I have 835 Christmas songs (and counting) and those are some of my favorites.
Missed this one, should also be available via iTMS.
that’s the one! thankyou both! and i kinda like Barry’s voice better than Bing’s
Personally, it doesn’t get much better than A Punk Rock Christmas by some classic 70s and 80s punk bands, one song of which was mentioned in the OP.
Try Harry Connick, Jr., The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Canadian Brass, and (if you can find them) The Music City Brass. Especially the instrumental tracks.
Aha! Turns out The Music City Brass is at iTMS after all.
I just published an iTunes iMix of some of my favorite holiday songs - i’m still compiling my list, and the iMix may gt longer. 
I can’t believe no one mentioned Run Run Rudolph-Chuck Berry
and
Santa Got the AIDs This Year-Tiny Tim(instead of ho-ho-ho,He’s saying no-no-no)
Lute Skywatcher has already mentioned “Zat You Santa Claus?” by the Brian Seltzer orchestra, but I would have to recommend the same song as done by Louis Armstrong. Nobody does it like Satchmo 
What’s melisma?
I don’t know if this has melisma, but here’s an mp3 of a pretty guitar/vocal version of the song (posted with permission):
One of the best Christmas compilations I’ve ever heard (at least, it’s my favorite) is (these next links go to Amazon pages) Count Your Blessings, a recording of an extraordinary live Christmas concert with Jane Siberry, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Holly Cole, Victoria Williams and Rebecca Jenkins (with Tim Ray on piano). I’d love it dearly even if we weren’t lucky enough to be in the audience.
Getting it from Canada in time for Christmas seems to be an iffy prospect according to that Amazon site. Show me some kind of receipt that you’ve bought it and I’ll tell you where to get mp3s just in case it doesn’t arrive in time. That this is so close to being out of print that it would take 4-6 weeks to deliver is a crime. Canada ought to be ashamed.
Another favorite of mine is Mary Margaret O’Hara’s wonderful Christmas EP which is out of print (fie!), so if anyone likes the samples and really wants them, contact me and I’ll give them to you.
Holly Cole has some very nice Christmas music too. Since this usually ships within 24 hours, you’ll get no offer from me on this one.
That I, as an American, care more about all this Canadian music is a subject for another thread. A Pit thread, asking why Jane Siberry and Mary Margaret O’Hara aren’t considered national treasures and sponsored to the gills. I’d expect America to be full of idiots who don’t care about their exceptionally talented home-grown gems, but Canada is supposed to better than us.
Please disregard that last bit of my post. I had second thoughts and meant to delete it since it was wildly off-topic. I got distracted and hit Submit, forgetting about it.
red face
Put me down as another traditionalist…
John Ritter has done a compliation of traditional carols called ‘Dancing Day’, after the last carol, and most of them are absolutely beautiful when done with a good chorus coughlikemyoldonecough and a harp. ‘On this day Earth shall ring’ in the original Latin is beautiful, and the ‘Coventry Carol’ makes me want to cry every single last time I hear it.
I like the really sweet, simple, haunting ones–the Huron carol, for instance, or ‘Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming’. And of course, all the wassail tunes are fun, too.
Last one, I swear: If you can get a hold of Derek Holman’s ‘Sir Christemas’ composition, give it a good listen. It’s bizarre, wacky, brilliant stuff.
Excessive melodic embellishment/singing several notes on one syllable. I learned that from an American Idol thread last year.
Thanks for the song.
Not sure about the real name, Jeff Foxworthys “12 days of Redneck Xmas”
Twelve pack of Bud
Elevian 'rasslin tickets
All that good stuff.
I’m another “traditionalist,” preferring Christmas carols sung by choirs. “What Child is This” (aka Greensleeves) is one of my favorites, as is the Coventry Carol. My Mom had a CD that I’ve taken a liking to; it’s by Baltimore Consort and is called Bright Day Star, Music of the Yuletide Season. Here is a link to the CD at amazon.com. I’ve played this CD through the year even, that’s how much I enjoy it! Listening to it also reminds me of my Mom.
Dang, I should have done PREVIEW! Could a kindly MOD pretty please fix that hyperlink? The CD is worth it! Thank you in advance.
Dang, I should have done PREVIEW! Could a kindly MOD pretty please fix that hyperlink? The CD is worth it! Thank you in advance.