I woke up this morning to a text from a friend:
"‘Tis the season where the debate about whether "Die Hard" is a Christmas movie or not begins. My question is whether 'Jesus' off Queen’s first album is a Christmas song or not."
I say no to both.
But I also think that two beloved pop Christmas songs, "Last Christmas" by Wham and "This Christmas" by Donny Hathaway have nothing Christmas-y about them except for the titles and maybe a few lyrics. For me, that's not enough, anymore than throwing sleigh bells on "Brown Sugar" and calling it a Christmas song is enough. "Last Christmas" is a great Wham tune that belongs on an 80's Brit pop CD, not sitting next to "Good King Wenceslas."
A Christmas song needs a vibe and a feeling. A Christmas song needs the proper melody and instrumentation. It doesn't even need to be an actual Christmas song for it to feel like a Christmas song. (See "Rock & Roll Winter" by Roy Wood's Wizzard" or "Cold Weather" by Mark Johnson, for starters.)
I've made countless Christmas mixes and playlists in my lifetime, and they've always included pop tunes that I thought made sense, both to the spirit of the holiday and of course, the sequenicing of the mix. One year, both "Can't Find My Way Home" by Blind Faith and The Holmes Brothers covering Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me" made a playlist, and a few guests gave me a round of applause. (Okay, no round of applause, but I was indeed complimented.)
I've posted three tracks here, all instrumental, not a sleigh bell to be heard, and no words to remind you that it is Christmas, damn it! These three songs, for me, sound like what I think Christmas should feel like.
And actually, I may insert "Jesus" by Queen on one of this year's Christmas mixes.
It. Could. WORK!
13 comments:
I think the music needs to sound like Winter as well. But then again I am a sucker for Rock Christmas songs. It doesn't feel like Christmas until I hear The Kinks Father Christmas. Yet Greg Lake's Father Christmas most definitely has wintery music. Ben Folds put out a Christmas album this season called Sleigher. I wish the album was a good as its title.
The saddest, most melancholy, Christmas song ever, and a song I love, but maybe not in the spirit, is The Smile of Rachel Ray by David Mead. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEJZxBoB2F4
So, I guess Christmas Card From A Hooker in Minneapolis would not make the cut (I love the song)?
Dammit, NO!! Die Hard is NOT a Christmas movie! It's an action/adventure flick that occurs at Christmastime.
Randy (aka The Grinch)
Been including John Fogarty's "Don't You Wish It Was True" on holiday mixes for the last couple years.
I had a brilliant idea for a hit Xmas record. Do a reggae version of "White Christmas" using a Police sound-alike band and bill it as by "Der Stingle." If anybody wants to run with it....😎
I'm in London and you can't be in central London and not be Whammed by "Last Christmas" every five minutes. I respectfully disagree. Any song that claims the holiday as a backdrop is a holiday song for said holiday. It may not be good, but it's still trying. Getting dumped at Christmas (or New Year's or on Valentine's Day) presumably hurts more, thus the tie in to the season. And since many feel the holiday blues, a sad breakup song is very Christmassy indeed, sleighbells or no sleighbells. Thus, Prince did perform a classic holiday tune with "Another Lonely Christmas," though it's no more Christmassy than Wham's. Wouldn't you also have to ignore that modern standard Joni Mitchell's "River"? But you make an admirable point. And since I think Die Hard is a Christmas movie (because the entire movie takes place during Christmas!) clearly I'm far too lenient. Plus, it pisses off my older brother to say so. And I applaud ranging far and wide for wintry and holiday-ish songs that fit the mood of your playlists!
Wonderful Christmastime by Macca is for certain a Christmas song, and I’m not ashamed to say I love it.
No question!
Here's a non-Christmas piece from the Classical realm - it's only 2:36 long - that was often played at Xmas time when I was growing up, and according to the blurb on the clip, still gets used that way. Prokofiev's "Troika" (from the 'Lieutenant Kije', which was written in 1934 to accompany a Russian film of the same name.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GUzJ7fQBtg
Absolutely. Greg Lake tags it on the end of "I Believe In Father Christmas."
That's a real nice set of three. Thanks, Sal. I just started playing the George Winston album over the weekend. And LOVE that Keith Jarrett track. It's always fun to see what pops up in a set of music deemed a Christmas mix. Heck, I've always thought of the Stone's "Moonlight Mile" as a Christmas song. Maybe we'll get a set of Xmas tunes from you for a weekend mix.
The Sonics-Santa Claus.
The Ramones-Merry Christmas (I don't want to fight tonight).
Honorable mention to Run Rudolph run by the Fleshtones on their Christmas album.
Look no further. By the way, Wham sucks.
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