For me, a lot of traditional Christmas music is up for grabs, grew up hearing many different performers doing it (“Silent Night”, “The First Noel”, “Jingle Bells”, etc) but there were a handful where I only ever heard one performer and usually always the same recording, so anyone else doing it is necessarily covering it.
Which songs do you tend to regard as “owned” by a single artist and/or recording?
For me, “The Little Drummer Boy” is totally the property of the Harry Simeone Chorale:
That seems to be factually true, but interestingly they are also credited with being the original folks to do “Do You Hear What I Hear?” but for me, nope, Andy Williams is the one who owns that song:
Meanwhile, nearly everybody thinks of “The Christmas Song” (aka “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”) as being the personal property of Nat King Cole. He does have a golden voice but I grew up with the Firestone christmas record that had Julie Andrews doing it, so for me, it’s hers:
I can’t think of the last time I heard “We Three Kings” on Canadian radio that wasn’t the Barenaked Ladies/Sara McLachlan mash-up with “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”.
The defining Christmas Album for me (not counting Dean Martin’s) is A Very Special Christmas. I used to have it so consequently, I associate the covers on that album as the artist I identify them with. Specifically:
Though Andy Williams’ version of “Do You Hear What I Hear” is the first rendition I remember hearing, after many years of playing Bing Crosby’s version on the radio, I now identify the song with him.
And who else could do “Dominic the Donkey” than the inimitable Lou Monte. I’ll admit it. I love that little song. It conjures up very happy images in my mind and makes me smile. When I’d play it on the radio I always turned up the monitor and sang along with it. Microphone off, of course. I wouldn’t have subjected our listeners to my singing voice!
My parents had that Andy Williams Christmas album, but they also had one where Robert Goulet sang “Do You Hear What I Hear?” and that is who I associate with that song most strongly.
For some of these, I really don’t mind the cover versions. Sugar Ray did quite a decent version of “Little Saint Nick” and I like Amy MacDonald’s “Fairytale of New York.” But yeah, they’re truly owned by the original artists.
My contribution to this thread: Run D.M.C. “Christmas in Hollis.”
