It’s been long established that the term Xmas is not an insult to Christians, but rather that the X actually represents the cross, as I’ve noted here and undoubtedly elsewhere.
This is is going to be a list of some of my favorite Xmas music NOT otherwise represented in this blog this month, with links to each. Of course, “Christmas” songs are peculiar beasts, some of which don’t even mention the holiday – Let It Snow (X3) or Jingle Bells being obvious choices. And let’s not even talk about the theological implications.
Hamildolph – Eclipse 6 (a new one for me)
Christmastime is Here – Vince Guaraldi
Good King Wenceslas – Ames Brothers
Little Saint Nick – Beach Boys
Purple Snowflakes – Marvin Gaye. I song I had not heard until this season, yet I had, sort of.
The Christmas Song – Nat King Cole. One of my wife’s favorites, and Nat always reminds me of my mom
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – Darlene Love. Way better than the U2 version on A Very Special Christmas 1.
Santa Claus is Coming to Town – the Jackson 5
Linus and Lucy – Vince Guaraldi
This Christmas – Donny Hathaway – I miss Donny Hathaway
Snoopy’s Christmas – the reason I took such great exception to the Snoopy v Osama record is that it wasn’t THIS Snoopy
Child of Winter – Beach Boys. A 1974 single I discovered on one of those early 1970s Warner Brothers Loss Leaders
Mele Kalikimaka -Bing Crosby with the Andrews Sisters, which I think is a hoot
Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses, which reminds me of my pop music listening renaissance in the early 1980s
The Wexford Carol – Yo-Yo Ma, Alison Krauss
The Christmas Waltz – Frank Sinatra, which is on some 4 CD Capitol singles box set
Getting Ready For Christmas Day – Paul Simon, from his 2011 album
Every valley shall be exalted – Lizz Lee and Chris Willis (with Mike E.) from Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration
The Mistletoe and Me – Isaac Hayes – and I miss Isaac
Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth -Bing Crosby and David Bowie This was strange. Crosby had a Christmas special, which aired AFTER HE DIED and he had Ziggy Stardust on? Now, Bowie’s gone too.
River – Joni Mitchell. Hey, it namechecks Christmas, and it reminds me of my late friend Donna
What Christmas Means To Me – Stevie Wonder; Paul Young does a decent version on A Very Special Christmas 2, but it doesn’t hold an Advent candle to the original.
R.O. Blechman – CBS Christmas Message (1966)
The Bells of Christmas – Julie Andrews, from a Firestone (tire company) LP I still own. There’s an extended version of this which is less good
Winter Snow – Booker T & the MGs (starts at 2:30)
Slightly off topic:
In defense of Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime”
World’s First AI-generated Christmas Song Is the Stuff of Nightmares