# Your favorite lesser-known Christmas recordings **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [December 14, 2022, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532 "2022-12-14T20:51:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532/1 "2022-12-14T20:51:04Z")
You may interpret “lesser-known” however you like. As a guideline, though, think about that local radio station that plays Christmas music all season, and then think of something you probably won’t hear there. It can be an original song. It can be a version of something traditional. It can be anything, really - just looking for something I don’t hear a thousand times every December. I’ll start with Art Carney’s weird and wonderful beatnik-rap rendition of “‘Twas The Night Before Christmas” from 1954: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1hz1EIpfvLY/hqdefault.jpg "1954 Art Carney - Twas The Night Before Christmas") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hz1EIpfvLY) (There may be some overlap here from @Saint_Cad’s Spotify list thread; that’s OK. But I think this is a different enough idea to have its own thread.) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532/2 "2022-12-14T21:00:34Z")
Mine are over here: > [@Link me some rockabilly Christmas music](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/link-me-some-rockabilly-christmas-music/928305/3): > > “Big Bud”, whoever that was: [[Big Bud - Rock Around The Christmas Tree / Snow Man Rock - Royal Roost 615 - 1955] ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFidHkRfN7Y)[Freddie Mitchell:](https://www.vintagemusic.fm/artist/freddie-mitchell/)[[1949 Freddie Mitchell - Jingle Bell Boogie] ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkvjMs1Owc0) I think all my suggestions there, except Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Harry Connick, I came across by wading through [Christmas music at the George Blood archive.](https://archive.org/details/georgeblood?and%5B%5D=subject%3A%22Christmas%22&and%5B%5D=year%3A%221960%22&and%5B%5D=year%3A%221959%22&and%5B%5D=year%3A%221958%22&and%5B%5D=year%3A%221957%22&and%5B%5D=year%3A%221956%22&and%5B%5D=year%3A%221955%22&and%5B%5D=year%3A%221954%22&and%5B%5D=year%3A%221953%22&and%5B%5D=year%3A%221952%22&and%5B%5D=year%3A%221951%22&and%5B%5D=year%3A%221950%22&and%5B%5D=year%3A%221949%22&and%5B%5D=year%3A%221948%22&and%5B%5D=year%3A%221947%22&and%5B%5D=year%3A%221946%22&and%5B%5D=year%3A%221945%22&and%5B%5D=year%3A%221944%22&and%5B%5D=year%3A%221943%22&and%5B%5D=year%3A%221942%22) ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532/3 "2022-12-14T21:09:21Z")
This is, hands down, my favorite Christmas song: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/yfY4b1NszpY/maxresdefault.jpg "Greg Lake - I Believe In Father Christmas (Official 4K Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfY4b1NszpY) I first heard it on the Muzak Christmas station at work. I have not heard it anywhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532/4 "2022-12-14T21:16:53Z")
“Logs To Burn” by Golden Bough. I love everything on _Winter’s Dance_, but this is my favorite. [Logs to Burn - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgIcDQBuzII) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532/5 "2022-12-14T21:33:10Z")
This is fun; added to the George Blood archive just a couple weeks ago. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/V7uTwD4pU00/hqdefault.jpg "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (1952) - Jimmy Durante") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7uTwD4pU00) “You need a special kinda nose for a special kinda job!” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532/6 "2022-12-14T21:34:54Z")
**kitap** beat me to the song, but I get to post the best performance. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/U6-PAKOt7sM/maxresdefault.jpg "I believe in Father Christmas - Greg Lake - Ian Anderson") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6-PAKOt7sM) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532/7 "2022-12-14T22:04:58Z")
This thread, despite the semi-misleading title, is also about obscure loved (and hated) Christmas songs. With lots of good cites in both directions. > [@What is with the hate for Mariah Carey?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-the-hate-for-mariah-carey/976437): > > Every day I see some sort of meme on Facebook about “All I want for Christmas is You” being a horrible hated song. Even the WSJ did a little article about it. Okay, I know that it is Pop music- which people do not like. Some people hate all Christmas music. And it can be overplayed. But that is true about just about every Christmas tune in the last few decades- Pop, Christmas, overplayed, and even saccharine So why that song? It makes no sense. There are LOTS of really bad, turn the dial, … ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532/8 "2022-12-14T22:20:43Z")
Gaudete by Steeleye Span. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/bTbq2pPLW6I/hqdefault.jpg "Steeleye Span - Gaudete (Official Lyric Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTbq2pPLW6I) Little bit o’ Latin for Christmas. j ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532/9 "2022-12-15T03:08:22Z")
A good deal of my musical taste was formed by _Christmas in High Fidelity_ by George Melachrino. This particular track was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in 1955, with the aid of a telephone line running to a nearby church. (They didn’t have multitrack then, so it had to be mixed live.) [Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - YouTube](https://youtu.be/JSjqGn0aNoU) Listen to it loud. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532/10 "2022-12-15T03:30:16Z")
My all time favorite Christmas song is Merry Christmas Baby by Charles Brown, but I don’t think is qualifies as lesser-known. So here’s Denise LaSalle: [Santa Claus Got The Blues - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa7ekYyHu-U) ---
**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 15, 2022, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532/11 "2022-12-15T03:34:39Z")
Jorma Kaukonen: Downhill Sleigh Ride [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/UTBEIC4XVfM/maxresdefault.jpg "Downhill Sleigh Ride") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTBEIC4XVfM) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532/12 "2022-12-15T04:42:42Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BGzO1ghRKp4/maxresdefault.jpg "TV Funhouse: Christmastime For The Jews - SNL") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGzO1ghRKp4) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532/13 "2022-12-15T05:04:55Z")
Lemmy’s cover of “Run Rudolph Run” is an underappreciated classic. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/1q0J3y_0xuI/maxresdefault.jpg "Run Rudolph Run") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1q0J3y_0xuI) ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532/14 "2022-12-15T12:27:56Z")
> [@kitap](#): > > This is, hands down, my favorite Christmas song: > > [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yfY4b1NszpY](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yfY4b1NszpY) > > I first heard it on the Muzak Christmas station at work. I have not heard it anywhere else. I came here to mention this one. Really like this song. ---
**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 15, 2022, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532/15 "2022-12-15T12:38:54Z")
Koledy - Polish Christmas Songs [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/c7H-rQLF03k/maxresdefault.jpg "Koledy - Polish Christmas Carols") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7H-rQLF03k) ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532/16 "2022-12-15T12:50:59Z")
“All I Want for Christmas is You” “What,” you shout, “how is that a lesser-known Christmas recording?!” No, not the crappy Mariah Crappy one, the REAL one, by Vince Vance and the Valiants (with Lisa Lane on vocals). [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/w8HWHd0EYJA/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGHIgSShBMA8=&rs=AOn4CLDBcdr7dfdDqi-kP2WY499qA9Zkvg "Vince Vance & The Valiants - All I Want for Christmas Is You") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8HWHd0EYJA) ---
**Author:** ![themapleleaf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/themapleleaf/32/14349_2.png) [@themapleleaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/themapleleaf)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532/17 "2022-12-15T12:51:03Z")
“Amber Christmas” is a recording of various carols by Canadian artists Pamela Morgan and Anita Best. Here are two tracks: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/mgQyCCpTRBY/maxresdefault.jpg "Christmas Creatures") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgQyCCpTRBY) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/yHhvXXB2qRA/maxresdefault.jpg "The Holly and the Ivy") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHhvXXB2qRA) ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532/18 "2022-12-15T12:56:02Z")
Tried to copy. Twisted Sisters Oh Come All Ye Faithful. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532/19 "2022-12-15T13:14:48Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/fPPCPqDINEk/maxresdefault.jpg "The Kinks - Father Christmas (Official HD Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPPCPqDINEk) ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532/20 "2022-12-15T13:33:59Z")
I don’t know how “lesser known” it is, as it was (and still is) fairly popular in my circle of friends, but the 1997 album [“Merry Axemas”](https://www.amazon.com/Merry-Axemas-Various-Artists/dp/B000002BP3) has always been a holiday favorite of mine. The full album is on YouTube, maybe iTunes (I can’t check just this moment), and the CD is, obviously, available on Amazon. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-lesser-known-christmas-recordings/976532.md?page=2)