Re: Xmas songs : Wed Dec 14, 2011 12:44 am  

Mintball wrote:

White Christmas is the granddaddy of seasonal songs.

And the grandmammy must be Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas from the film you mentioned on the other thread about Christmas memories ... Meet Me in St Louis.
I love the song and the lyrics.
But perhaps sung by Sinatra rather than Garland.

Re: Xmas songs : Wed Dec 14, 2011 12:46 am  

Ski wrote:

Band Aid takes the worst song ever. Not only is it an awful song, it lies.

Rubbish. Great song. Achieved a huge amount, probably holds a barrel of memories and emotions for anyone around at that time, and is about as intertwined with Christmas as you can get.

sally cinnamon wrote:

One bugbear of mine is why on Christmas LPs you have random songs with nothing to do with Christmas, that were released around Christmas, like that annoying stay another day song by East 17 and that Frankie goes to Hollywood song that goes "ayeayeayeaye feels like fire..."

Probably because they were released with the Christmas No.1 in mind (East 17 were No.1 in 1994 and FGTH were only beaten to No.1 by Band Aid in 1984), and again, they probably hold memories and emotions for that reason. The FGTH single is a classic of the 80s with a brilliantly cheesy Nativity video (albeit with no connection to the lyrics!) - it brings back loads of memories and feelings for me of Christmases in the 80s with my family, and East 17 is seen similarly by kids of the 90s - my Mrs loves it for the same reasons.

That's what makes a Christmas song for me. Not the musical content, lyrics, chart success or whatever is considered 'cool', but what it means to you personally.

A song doesn't have to be about, or include the word Christmas for is to be a 'Christmas song'.

Re: Xmas songs : Wed Dec 14, 2011 3:02 am  

There's a few.

You know it's Christmas when Noddy says so on "Merry Xmas Everybody"

When A Child Is Born by Johnny Mathis and
Mary's Boy Child by Boney M
both get across the Christmassy feeling to me

Best party Christmas song may well be
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day by Wizzard

Judy Garland's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is very bittersweet, and right up among my favourites.
"Fairytale of New York" is a classic.
"Let it Snow" by Sinatra even more so.

And what about Silver Bells? Jim or Bing (and of course "White Christmas")
Or Dean Martin - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! for that matter..
And Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song

Re: Xmas songs : Wed Dec 14, 2011 6:19 am  

Dora Bryan "All I want for Christmas is a Beatle"

Re: Xmas songs : Wed Dec 14, 2011 9:52 am  

Faitytale of New York is, I think, the 'best' Christmas song from a musical/artistic point of view. Really well written and executed to perfection.

My most christmassy Christmas song would probably be We Need A Little Christmas by Johnny Mathis.

Re: Xmas songs : Wed Dec 14, 2011 2:22 pm  

Eric Idle sings a nice little Christmas ditty. Just youtube his name and christmas

Re: Xmas songs : Wed Dec 14, 2011 4:36 pm  

Ferocious Aardvark wrote:

There's a few.

You know it's Christmas when Noddy says so on "Merry Xmas Everybody"

When A Child Is Born by Johnny Mathis and
Mary's Boy Child by Boney M
both get across the Christmassy feeling to me

Best party Christmas song may well be
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day by Wizzard

Judy Garland's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is very bittersweet, and right up among my favourites.
"Fairytale of New York" is a classic.
"Let it Snow" by Sinatra even more so.

And what about Silver Bells? Jim or Bing (and of course "White Christmas")
Or Dean Martin - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! for that matter..
And Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song

I've always far preferred the Matt Monro version, personally.

Others I like not mentioned so far are Jingle Bell Rock (always reminds me of Lethal Weapon too, which I suppose is technically a christmas film), and Brian Setzer's Jingle Bells.

Re: Xmas songs : Wed Dec 14, 2011 4:57 pm  

I can't be doing with any songs that are laden with transparent schmaltz, fake sincerity or baby-Jesus-ness.

Hence, I'm fine with a little light nonsense from Slade, Wizzard or even Dean Martin ... but want to vomit when I hear Johnny Bleedin' Mathis wheedling out "When a child is born". It's even worse if you actually listen to the words.

Bowie and Crosby, please, no, take it away.
Poor old Bing, not knowing if he's on this earth or Fuller's, wondering who this plonker is that's singing with him.

"Fairytale of New York" ... well, I could never understand how a decent singer like Kirsty McColl could tie up with such a bunch of talentless deadbeats as The Pogues. (From which you'll gather that I don't like that one either).

Cliff Richard should put his mistletoe and wine in a blender and pipe the result up his septuagenarian @rse.

Miserable old git? Yes, now feck off my doorstep.

Re: Xmas songs : Wed Dec 14, 2011 5:25 pm  

El Barbudo wrote:

Cliff Richard should put his mistletoe and wine in a blender and pipe the result up his septuagenarian @rse.

Septugenarian colostomy bag surely?

Re: Xmas songs : Wed Dec 14, 2011 7:24 pm  

Greg Lake's 'I Believe in Father Christmas' and Low's 'Just Like Christmas' are personal faves.

Also Eels' ' Everything is Gonna Be Cool This Christmas' deserves a mention, just for the line '....Baby Jesus, born to rock....'.....