[78-L] Christmas Songs

[Michael Biel]

From: "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1 at abe.midco.net>
> Looks like we are listing our favorite Christmas songs.
> Here are mine...
> Lo, how a rose 'ere blooming
> Break forth O beautious heavenly light  <snip>

Actually the list was not just a list of songs, but a list of popular
Christmas songs with the name of the performer who first recorded it and
remains associated with it because other later versions by other
performers are felt to be inferior to the original. Such as:

From: Tom <nice_guy_with_an_mba at yahoo.com>
>> Here Comes Santa Claus, by Gene Autry
>> It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, by Andy Williams
>> Jingle Bell Rock, by Bobby Helms
>> White Christmas, by Bing Crosby
>> The Chrismas Song, by Nat King Cole
>> Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, by Brenda Lee

Note what Tom said -- and it is not just about Christmas music bue he is
using it as an example:

>> That's the problem with not only Christmas music, but with
>> so many other forms of music as well. It seems as if the first,
>> breakthrough version of a song is often the best, and the
>> standard by which other versions are judged,

David Lennick started this off by comparing the original Bobby Helms
version of "Jingle Bell Rock"--which he likes--with the Neil Diamond
version which he apparently HATES:

David Lennick <dlennick at sympatico.ca> wrote:
>>> And the one I heard many times and never got tired of was
>>> Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock". But we need to search out
>>> and destroy every copy of the Neil Diamond CD.    dl 

This sparked a resurgence of a discussion that was already hashed out
before Christmas but unfortunately triggered the immediate
"auto-response" we are treated to any time this song is mentioned:

> "Jingle Bell Rock" is also the most recent Christmas tune to show up at
> "carol sings" around/before the holiday; it remains to be seen whether
> this just reflects "baby boomer nostalgia," or whether the tune, like
> "White Christmas," will become part of the annual carol repertoire...?!
> Steven C. Barr

to which dl replied:
> Hardly a recent song..it came out in 1957 and there are dozens
> of well-played Christmas faves that came later.  dl

Well, Steve went one further this time by bringing up "carol sings"
rather than just radio and Muzak plays.  Last month to rebut the
auto-response, the list listed oodles of popular Christmas that were
more recent than 1957, but what Steve seems to think is that none of
those more recent songs are sung by ordinary folk in "carol sings".  

This is the list that the list came up with last time.  Are any of these
songs sung?  Of course they are.

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree (1958)
Little Drummer Boy (1958)
Chipmunk Song (1958)
Run Run Rudolph (1958)
Do You Hear What I Hear (1962)
Have A Holly Jolly Christmas (1964)
Christmas Time Is Hear (Charlie Brown Christmas 1965)
You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch (1966)
Feliz Navidad (1970)
"Happy Christmas (War Is Over)" (1971)
Wonderful Christmastime (1979)
Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer (1979)
All I Want For Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey 1994)

So, can we PLEASE stop with this foolish belief that "Jingle Bell Rock"
is the most recent Christmas song that is included in the modern "carol
sings".  I don't know if it is something about Oshawa, Ontario that has
not moved out of 1957 or what, but here in the states at least half of
this list is sung by ordinary folks, and I dare say just about ALL of
them find their way into church chior and band concerts.  

And now, in this post-Christmas Winter season, I am going to listen to
Jingle Bells, Sleigh Ride, Let it Snow, and other Winter season songs
while we still have two more months of Winter to go.  

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com








_______________________________________________

e.g.,


 
Two notable exceptions being Mele Kalikimaka by Jimmy Buffett,
whose version is superior to Bing's, and O Holy Night (Cantique de
Noel) where the version recently recorded by Josh Groban is
better than the one recorded 100 years or so ago by Caruso, imho.
 
As always, ymmv.  Tom




--- On Mon, 1/11/10, David Lennick <dlennick at sympatico.ca> wrote:
>> Incidentally, this past Christmas season is the
>> first where I never heard The Chipmunk Song
>> ONCE. Anywhere.


Randy Watts wrote:
> Can't say I was that lucky. It came on the radio while I was in the car of a friend, who said, "Oh, I LOVE this," and turned up the volume. If you like Alvin and friends, that's fine, but personally I'd just as soon make it through the holidays-or any days, for that matter-without them.
> 
> The song I got really tired of hearing this season and couldn't seem to escape was Burl Ives' "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas." For a friend it was "Santa Baby." She said it seemed like it turned up half a dozen times a day in the holiday music her office played. At least when it's on the radio you have the option of changing stations or turning it off.    Randy 
> 
> 
And the one I heard many times and never got tired of was Bobby Helms'
"Jingle 
Bell Rock". But we need to search out and destroy every copy of the Neil

Diamond CD.  dl