# Strange Versions of Traditional Christmas Music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 2, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140 "2014-12-02T17:40:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140/1 "2014-12-02T17:40:54Z")
I am doing a radio show in the very early am hours this Christmas morning on the local college station. I’m looking for traditional Christmas music performed in a very non-traditional way. Bonus points for eeriness. Examples: **mom and daddy** : [O Holy Night](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QZJ_n1fgpA) **Autopsia** : [Stille Nacht](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYG-pQOMPvw) **Love Spirals Downward** : [Welcome Christmas](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdafbvxbBNk) * * * Any recommendations? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140/2 "2014-12-02T18:12:57Z")
**Joan Jett and the Blackhearts** : [Little Drummer Boy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5_gk-1OGXU) ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140/3 "2014-12-02T19:04:29Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/lJP68GrLT38/hqdefault.jpg "Little Town of Bethlehem by The Joy Strings") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJP68GrLT38) O Little Town of Bethlehem ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140/4 "2014-12-02T19:09:37Z")
[A Twisted Christmas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Twisted_Christmas) [Oh, Come All Ye Faithful](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmEfFlbqbbY) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140/5 "2014-12-02T21:22:33Z")
A Claymation Christmas has odd versions of traditional tunes: > **[Various Artists - Claymation Christmas Celebration - Amazon.com Music](https://www.amazon.com/Claymation-Christmas-Celebration-Various-Artists/dp/B000008E8N)** > > Various Artists - Claymation Christmas Celebration - Amazon.com Music ---
**Author:** ![misling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@misling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misling)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140/6 "2014-12-02T21:58:52Z")
Aliqua’s : [Sugar Plum Scary](http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irBCXK0TxJ4) ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140/7 "2014-12-02T22:08:46Z")
I knew this song was an instant classic the first time I heard it. SDMB’s own brujaja and a takeoff of We Three Kings… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/R6ZeSxAC9Js/maxresdefault.jpg "We Three Things Abhorrent Are") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6ZeSxAC9Js) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140/8 "2014-12-02T22:12:49Z")
It may not be strange in the way you mean, but I’ve always loved [this atypical way](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4tqc_q-360) to handle carols. (I’m also glad I found a video of adults playing it.) ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140/9 "2014-12-02T22:39:49Z")
You need to contact my cable company. The channel with the program listings includes some of the most gawd-awful renditions of seasonal music I’ve ever been forced to hear. (Well, no more, thanks to the miracle of Mute.) Honestly, I can’t think of any specifics because what little I’ve heard is so horrific, I’ve blocked it out. Worst of all, it started a couple of weeks ago. _MAKE IT STOP!!!_ ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140/10 "2014-12-02T22:40:38Z")
I heard an electronica version of The Anvil Chorus, unfortunately I did no manage to catch the name of the artist/s =( ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140/11 "2014-12-02T23:26:45Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > You need to contact my cable company. The channel with the program listings includes some of the most gawd-awful renditions of seasonal music I’ve ever been forced to hear. (Well, no more, thanks to the miracle of Mute.) Honestly, I can’t think of any specifics because what little I’ve heard is so horrific, I’ve blocked it out. Worst of all, it started a couple of weeks ago. > > _MAKE IT STOP!!!_ No! No! No! Stay away from holiday music on cable and the EZ listening stations! Check out some of the selections already given. The Joy Strings _Little Town of Bethlehem_ is great. The _Brujaja_ stuff is wickedly fun too. Christmas music is so well-recognized it can give an artist freedom to work with a piece guaranteed to be so familiar to the audience that he/she can try most anything unusual and still maintain that deep recognition. Sure most Christmas music is bad, but there are awesome examples of good stuff as well. My interest in particular is to find music that is quite comfortable exploring the serious religious feel of the holiday music. But don’t dismiss the whole caroling thing outright just because of _Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree._ ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140/12 "2014-12-02T23:37:36Z")
Yes, try “We Three Kings Bop”. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140/13 "2014-12-02T23:45:03Z")
[12 Days of Christmas](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vDUY4TAw98#t=85), by Straight, No Chaser [Bolero/Little Drummer Boy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5DE57WmB74) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140/14 "2014-12-02T23:53:20Z")
[Another strange but not eerie carol I adore](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fe11OlMiz8). EDIT: Should’ve refreshed after listening to it. It’s the one **Chefguy** mentions first but gives the wrong link to. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Mama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5ac83/32.png) [@Atomic\_Mama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Mama)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140/15 "2014-12-03T00:01:32Z")
Check this out: “The Holly and the Ivy” by Alfred Deller & The Deller Consort – Vanguard Classics OVC 8023, orig issued on Vanguard VRS 499 … ? Sorry, I can’t find it on Amazon but it should be there. I like “The Holly And the Ivy” tune & lyrics in general: They don’t RHYME 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140/16 "2014-12-03T00:02:33Z")
Interesting version of sugar plum fairy. \* Mannheim Steamroller - Faeries \* ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140/17 "2014-12-03T00:51:49Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > [Another strange but not eerie carol I adore](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fe11OlMiz8). > > EDIT: Should’ve refreshed after listening to it. It’s the one **Chefguy** mentions first but gives the wrong link to. Ah, crap. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140/18 "2014-12-03T01:44:57Z")
[Christmas with PelleK](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXGp6Ukqj1Il6oIZrGszBuK1PGb5ehxI0) PelleK sings excellent metal covers… without losing his Norwegian accent. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140/19 "2014-12-03T01:49:22Z")
If anyone ever tells you the Beatles only got weird around 1966 or '67, show them this: [“Good King Wenceslas”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXXAQ8eeiQY). ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140/20 "2014-12-03T03:18:17Z")
[O Little Town of Bethlehem to the tune of House of the Rising Sun](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pkzhQ5Gv3A). And don’t forget [O Holy Night](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA_foybUBk8) with a cattle prod. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-versions-of-traditional-christmas-music/706140.md?page=2)