Any Major X-Mas Favourites
The alert ones among loyal readers of this little corner of he Internet may have picked up that I have a thing for Christmas music. Please be invited to check out past collections posted here. This year I have only one mix to offer, and that one includes many repeats from previous collections “” and yet, I think it”s a pretty special mix.
This is the first of my Christmas Greatest Hits, some of my favourites, the songs I play and, in most cases, have long played during my Christmases. Many of these are the songs the young adults in our family grew up with and associate with the feast, and the spirit of love in which we have celebrated it. This is the sound of my Christmas (as will be the follow-up, for which you”ll have to wait a year).
Some of the inclusions are no-brainers. The trio of glam hits by Slade, Wizzard and Elton John are indispensible, so are the pop classics such as those by Springsteen and Mariah Carey, and so are the old chestnuts roasting on an open fire. And I want no other person wishing me a merry little Christmas but Lou Rawls.
One might argue about the versions of the Christmas standards I”m using here. I”m quite certain Perry Como”s rendition of Silver Bells does not represent an apex in the song”s recorded history “” but that”s the version I have played for many years, even before blogs and torrents. My attachment to it is emotional, even if the backing vocals are cheesy. Likewise Sinatra”s Jingle Bells. I generally loathe the song, except in this version from 1957, which forms part of my Christmas soundtrack.
And here is a Christmas challenge: sing the very last line of this compilation in the voice of the artist, Billy May.
Finally, if you are of a certain age, you might enjoy this step-by-step comparison of Christmas in the 1970s and Christmas today.
I will take next week off, but hope to have something nice for your New Year”s Eve the week after.
Have a merry Christmas, may your yuletide be bright.
1. The Jackson 5 – Christmas Won”t Be The Same This Year (1970)
2. Rosie Thomas – Why Can”t It Be Christmas All Year? (2008)
3. Mariah Carey – All I Want For Christmas Is You (1994)
4. Slade – Merry Xmas Everbody (1973)
5. Wizzard – I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day (1973)
6. Elton John – Step Into Christmas (1973)
7. Dana – It”s Gonna Be A Cold Christmas (1975)
8. Bruce Springsteen – Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (1985)
9. Donnie Hathaway – This Christmas (1970)
10. The Flirtations – Christmas Time Is Here Again (1968)
11. William Bell – Everyday Will Be A Holiday (1969)
12. Lou Rawls – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (1967)
13. Andy Williams – Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season (1963)
14. Angela Lansbury – We Need A Little Christmas (1966)
15. Frank Sinatra – Jingle Bells (1957)
16. Nat “˜King” Cole – The Christmas Song (1956)
17. Perry Como – Silver Bells (1968)
18. Jack Jones – Sleigh Ride (1964)
19. Dean Martin – Rudolph, The Red-nosed Reindeer (1959)
20. Sammy Davis Jr – Christmas Time All Over The World (1965)
21. Carpenters – Merry Christmas Darling (1970)
22. Marilyn Monroe – Santa Baby (1954)
23. Bob B Soxx and Blue Jeans – Here Comes Santa Claus (1963)
24. Elvis Presley – Blue Christmas (1957)
25. Billy May – Do You Believe In Santa Claus (1950)
More Christmas Mixes
Any Major Christmas Favourites
Any Major 1980s Christmas
Any Major 1970s Christmas
Any Major 1960s Christmas
Any Major 1950s Christmas
Christmas Mix, Not For Mother
Any Major X-Mas Mix
Any Major Christmas Pop Vol. 1
Any Major Christmas Pop Vol. 2
Any Major Christmas Carols (in pop)
Any Major Christmas Bells
Any Major Smooth Christmas Vol. 1
Any Major Smooth Christmas Vol. 2
Any Major Christmas Soul Vol. 1
Any Major Christmas Soul Vol. 2
Any Major Christmas Soul Vol. 3
Any Major Doop Wop Christmas
Any Major Rhythm & Blues Christmas
Any Major Country Christmas Vol. 1
Any Major Country Christmas Vol. 2
Any Major Acoustic Christmas
Christmas In Black & White Vol. 1
Christmas In Black & White Vol. 2
Christmas In Black & White Vol. 3
Song Swarm: Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
PW = amdwhah
Many thanks for all your wonderful efforts this year AMD. Enjoy your break and have lots of fun.
Thank you, GarthJeff, and also for all your nice comments!
First, thanks for the comp — I was hoping you’d be able to create one this year!
Second — I must correct one of your statements, re: “Do You Believe in Santa Claus.”
Billy May was a trumpeter, bandleader, arranger and composer (he wrote the TV themes for Batman and the Green Hornet, for example). The singer on this particular track is actually Thurl Ravenscroft. He also sang “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” for the TV production, and was the original voice of “Tony the Tiger”, the animated pitchcat for Kellogg’s Sugar Frosted Flakes.
And although I sing second-bass in my church choir, I can’t hit those notes even in my imagination!
Oh, and thank you for the info. And how interesting that the singer is Tony the Tiger (“pitchcat”, excellent).
Thank you for this special Holiday mix…bound to share it with friends & family…
Nice choice of personal faves but too much danger of my getting all slushy & sentimental (Heaven forbid!). Many thanks as always and very happy holidays to you and yours. Cheers!
Thanks for everything and merry Christmas!
Any chance for re-up of old mixes? For ex 2008/12/any-major-x-mas-mix-vol-2 is dead.
Thank You for your mixes!
Thanks for all these great compilation. Your musical knowledge is outstanding and you really know how to put a great samplers together. I enjoyed the music from your blog during the last months so much. I’m mainly listening this year to your christmas samplers. A few weeks before that I enjoyed the glam rock mixes. (What about a glam rock christmas sampler next year? There might be enough christmas songs from that era). I also enjoyed your life in vinyl samplers because i did grow up in germany more or less during the same time as you did. These music and pictures brings back so many memories. And before my trip to London I enjoyed your London samplers. Thanks a lot for your outstanding work.
Wolf
Thanks for the kind feedback, Wolf. It really means a lot to hear what and how people enjoy the compilations.