The song is called Gabriel’s Message - by Sting, and it’s just his voice and percussion. I love that song.
I also love “So This Is Christmas” Happy X-mas War Is Over by Melissa Etheridge, and the original by John Lennon.
How funny that this thread should pop up. I am making a CD of Christmas songs to send to my friends as a Christmas card. I’m calling it the only Christmas album you’ll ever need.
Here is the preliminary line up:
Sleigh Ride - Squirrel Nut Zippers
Chesnuts Roasting - Nat King Cole
Adeste Fidelis - Pavarotti
Rocking Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
Boys Choir of Harlem - Carol of the Bells
Father Christmas - Kinks
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy - Duke Ellington
Hark The Herald Angels - Mormom Tabernacle Choir
Fairytale of New York - Pogues
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Barenaked Ladies w/Sarah McLachlan
Joni Mitchell - River
Jingle Bells - Barking Dogs
Joy To The World - Mormon Tabernacle Choir
John Lennon - So This Is Christmas
Little Drummer Boy - Joan Jett
Good King Wenceslas - Loreena McKennitt
O Holy Night - Techno Remix
Peace on Drummer Boy - Bing Crosby and David Bowie
Merry Christmas from the family - Robert Earl Keen
Silent Night - Nana Mouskouri
We Need a little Christmas - Andy Williams
We Wish You A Merry Christmas - Willie Nelson
Winter Wonderland - Eurythmics
Linus and Lucy - Vince Guaraldi trio
John Prine has a neat tune, Christmas in Prison, I’d like to fit in there.
The Christmas Song - Chestnut’s Roasting On An Open Fire, by Nat King Cole is a good one too. I forgot about that one.
What, no Slade?
i did up a disk of Christmas tunes and here is the line up
i believe in father christmas - greg lake
jingle bell rock - bobby helms
feliz navidad - jose feliciano
holly jolly christmas - burl ives
snoopy vs red baron - royal guardsmen
its the most wonderful time of the year - andy williams
rockin round the christmas tree - brenda lee
hark the hearld angels sing - peanuts/vince g trio
sleigh ride - the ronettes
christmas wrapping - the waitresses
so this is christmas war is over - john lennon
christmas in hollis - run dmc
feed the world do they know its christams time - bandaid
2000 miles - the pretenders
riu riu chiu - the monkees
wonderful christmas time - paul mccartney
little drummer boy - joan jett & the blackhearts
step into christmas time - elton john
christmas on the block - alan mann (local to philly)
christmas is the time to say i love you - billy squire
ding dong ding dong - george harrison
carole of the bells - trans siberian orchestra
christmas time is here - peanuts/vince g trio
I am of the opinion that Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” is one of the best modern Christmas songs out there. With Wham’s “Last Christmas” close behind.
And “Christmas Time is Here” is great, and doesn’t get near enough the love it deserves.
But still, you can’t beat the classics:
Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song”
Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”
Arthur Fiedler’s “Sleigh Ride”
I love Christmas…
The saddest Christmas song: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Judy Garland.
Shouldn’t Have Given Him a Gun for Christmas-- Wall of Voodoo
Don’t Believe in Christmas-- The Wailers
Father Christmas-- The Kinks
Merry Christmas From the Family-- Robert Earl Keen
…just to cut through the treacle
Christmas Is Going To The Dogs - Eels
Lonely Christmas - Sloppy Seconds
Underneath The Christmas Tree - Bill Lloyd
Christmas Eve - Teenage Fanclub
Super Sunny Christmas - Redd Kross
Christmas - The Posies
Don’t forget The Smothers Brothers Santa Claus Song:
On the serious side, how about Please Come Home For Christmas by The Eagles and Merry Christmas Darling by The Carpenters?
Yeah, I’m a sucker for sad Christmas songs.
big alex correct NO SLADE
Tom Lehrer OK - bah humbug.
The Waitresses OK (and yeah is is sad about Patty).
Roy Wood OK.
Slade NOT OK.
I love Christmas music.
O Holy Night–Placido Domingo
The Christmas Song–Nat King Cole
O Christmas Tree–The Vince Guaraldi Trio
Santa Claus is Back in Town–Elvis
Carol of the Bells–The Nylons
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year–Andy Williams
Santa Baby–Eartha Kitt
Do You Hear What I Hear?–Jim Nabors
Children, Go Where I Send Thee–Tennessee Ernie Ford
Little Toy Trains–The Statler Brothers
White Christmas–Bing Crosby
Good King Wenceslas–Mel Torme
Hark the Herald Angels Sing–Take 6
Merry Christmas, Darling–The Carpenters
Holly Jolly Christmas–Burl Ives
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer–Gene Autry
For Unto Us a Child is Born–Cambridge Singers
Walking in the Air–Cincinnati Pops
Jingle Bells–The Andrews Sisters with Bing Crosby
I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm–Dean Martin
Baby, It’s Cold Outside–Ray Charles and some woman
Okay, I’ll stop now. I collect Christmas songs the way normal people collect, well, normal things. Some people do the most bizarre renditions of songs you’ve ever heard.
The best Christmas album ever? Easy. The Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack.
Julie
The Roches made a fantastic Christmas album; unfortunately I don’t recall the title. We play it over and over each year. If you liked their a cappella version of the Hallelujah Chorus, you’ll love this too.
Didn’t see anyone mention Johnny Mathis Christmas album.
My favorite album at the moment is David Benoit’s “Remembering Christmas”, which was put out a few years back. Some good jazz work on Christmas standards.
I also like the Mannheim Steamroller albums.
Which one? I’ve got “Christmas with Johnny Mathis” which has a very nice “Let it Snow” and a sticks-to-your-brain-like-taffy “Marshmallow World.”
Julie
I just love Christmas songs - I just love buying Christmas albums. Just bought the new Harry Connick Jr, just because he does a duet with George Jones. And it’s not that bad!!
Here’s some of my favorites that haven’t been listed yet…
Clint Black’s Till Santa’s Gone (Milk & Cookies)
Roger Miller’s Old Toy Trains
Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s I Believe In Father Christmas
Al Jarraeu’s Please Celebrate Me Home
and it is NOT Christmas till Alvin and the Chipmunks sing Christmas, Christmas Time Is Here!!!
Maura Sullivan: Christmas Eve in Washington.
Bumping this thread up 'cause it’s more seasonably appropriate now. Has anyone else ever heard “Snoopy vs. the Red Baron”? That’s been a staple in my family for as long as I can remember.
“Merry Christmas, mein friend!” Yeah, we love that one too.
I, too, collect Christmas songs. Here are some that I love that do not get overplayed through the season:
Another Christmas Song - Jethro Tull
Ring Out Solstice Bells - also Jethro Tull (from the album Songs From The Wood, not a Christmas album)
Baby It’s Cold Outside - either Dean Martin or Barry Manilow’s version
Driving Home For Christmas - Chris Rea
Seven Joys of Mary - Great Big Sea
Jingle Bells - Brian Setzer Orchestra
Mary Did You Know - Kathy Mattea
My Christmas Card to You - Partridge Family
Snow - Lorena McKennitt
Thank God For Kids - Oak Ridge Boys
The 12 Pains of Christmas - Bob Rivers
Hard Candy Christmas - Dolly Parton
I’ve been thoroughly enjoying some of the newer versions of great old traditional Christmas songs - Jewel does a lovely version of O Little Town of Bethlehem, John Schneider (yep, Bo Duke) does a great Joy To The World, Shawn Colvin’s Silent Night, and Chicago’s O Come All Ye Faithful are all excellent.
My numero uno Christmas CD for more than a decade has been Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration, by various black artists. Patti Austin’s “But Who May Abide” blows my hair straight back – the Yellowjackets do “Behold the Lamb of God” – etc. I found “For Unto Us a Child Is Given” a little disappointing – but that’s my favorite of the traditional version. Some of the cuts work better than others, but the talent (Stevie Wonder, Take 6, Diane Reeves, Al Jarreau, Tevin Campbell, Boy’s Choir of Harlem) is considerable. And the “Hallelujah” will have you dancing around shaking your rump and waving your arms.