I love "Silver Bells" as much as the next guy, but there are only so many versions of "Silver Bells" I can withstand in a day. I decided long ago, probably early 80's when I was making mix tapes to play at my job, that a good Christmas mix didn't need to be all Christmas carols.
It went over well with some, while others preferred singing along with Mitch. Even The Kinks' "Father Christmas" or The Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping," now classics, were just not traditional enough for some friends and family. So, songs that had nothing at all to do with the holiday, really sank like stones with a few people.
I say, Tough Tinsel!
I've put together a mix, an alternative to your standard Christmas playlist, that I think works just as well.
It has a couple of carols, just to remind you where we are. But it's mostly songs that I find both beautiful and comforting, for one reason or another. These songs can feel like Christmas if you let them. I've decided to break the moratorium on Van Morrison for the occasion.
Plus, any reason to share Sandy Denny's "Listen, Listen" is good enough for me.
I hope you listen to it and maybe even enjoy it.
TRACKLIST
Here's That Rainy Day- Modern Jazz Quartet
Christmas Time Is Here- Joel Paterson
The Morning Is Waiting- Field Music
Silent Night- Allen Toussaint
Blessed- Wycliffe Gordon
Land Mines- St. Vincent
Listen, Listen- Sandy Denny
Deep River- Grant Green
Blackberry Winter- Keith Jarrett
Water From An Ancient Well- Abdullah Ibrahim
Affirmation- Van Morrison
Closing Time- Tom Waits
6 comments:
Nice list - gracias, amigo!
I still firmly believe that there are 3 great, modern, songs that also happen to be about Christmas:
Charles Brown - Please Come Home For Christmas
Coco Robicheaux - Saturday Night Before Christmas
Tom Waits: Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis
Happy Holidays to all!
Add "Just Like Christmas" by Low, and you have a fourth great, modern Xmas song. RIP Mimi Parker, who was not only a great singer, but was the band's 'little drummer girl'.
C in California
The Little Drummer Boy joke at the top is hilarious.
Great mix! I've got about 15 playlists broken down into three categories: traditional, pop and hip (along with a religious one and another that globetrots) for the holidays. The hip is for the likes of Billie Holiday singing "My Love Will Keep Me Warm" and offbeat Christmas songs like Ron Sexsmith's "Maybe This Christmas" and Kate Bush's "Home For Christmas" (which is finally streaming.) But I do have some albums I love from start to finish, starting with Ella Fitzgerald Wishes You A Swingin' Christmas and Wynton Marsalis's Crescent City Christmas. Any albums you fancy?
http://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-greatest-holiday-albums-of-all-time.html
Well played Sal!
Happy Christmas (and Christmas music) to all.
Ho Ho Ho
Great mix, Sal - thanks!
Randy
Looks like a great mix!
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