That Was The Best Christmas Song Ever!
'Tis the season to say "'tis the season" too much. 'Tis also the season to reflect on the year that was, eat too much, see family, and get nostalgic with your favorite holiday tunes. But since we're all about superlatives around here, we wanna know: What are the greatest Xmas songs of all time? Well, with Festivus rapidly approaching, the web has begun churning out special holiday treats for children young and old.
Like, did you realize that Wham!'s "Last Christmas" has practically become a holiday standard? Well there's a blog that's dedicated solely to covers of the tune -- and if there's a blog involved, it's gotta be true. Stereogum-reader Alex L. told us that Last Christmas promises 5 to 7 covers a day, and there are 41 already! That means "there will be around 150 covers by the big day. Who knew it was so popular?" Probably not even Georgie, Alex!
Then there's the "humor" holiday tunes. Nothing beats "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" -- but there are always new contenders. Here are two newcomers, one from Sarah Silverman and one from the South Parkers, both via Santa Vegan.
The Brofloskis (feat Cartman) - "Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel" (MP3)
A Plus D (feat Sarah Silverman) - "Give Da Jew Girl Toys" (MP3)
And of course there's The Killers' "A Great Big Sled," which you guys hated, so we won't bother telling you about the video. Instead, check out The Dan Band's punny clip for their yuletide tune "Ho Ho Ho." We fucking need them more than ever. There's also that blasphemous R. Kelly claymation parody, but a homicidal, bi-curious Santa coupled with a bong-toting Jesus ain't for everyone, we know!
So if holiday vids aren't your thing, how about a holiday mix with a bit of Low, Sufjan, Eels, and oh so much more?
Thought so. Check Rewritable Content for the goods. Or, for a self-described "weird" take on "O Holy Night" from our bud Cale from Aloha, head to Suburban Sprawl Music.
Have we jogged your memory a bit? Good! Now let's get a solid playlist of holiday tunes together. Which ones are your faves? If you have holiday mixes you wanna link to, feel free to post 'em in the comments. Grab a cup of eggnog and holler!
Posted at 8:06 PM in MP3
Tags: Aloha | George Michael | Sarah Silverman | South Park | Wham!
My Dad made this Christmas mix for me when I was a kid and it had a song on it that I loved but I don't know what it was called or who it was by.
The chorus was like, "We're gonna get a Christmas tree, we're gonna get a Christmas tree..." sung in a kind of gleefully taunting way. That's all I remember but it gets stuck in my head every year.
It may be cheesy, but I REALLY want to find this song again. Does anybody here know what I'm talking about???
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Does it even need to be mentioned?
"All I Want For Christmas Is You."
Nuff said.
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What? No mention of Pansy Division's "Homo Christmas"?? For shame. Any song openly singing about sticking candy canes up each others' butts is an instant holiday classic.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/xhdus4
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Patton Oswalt's take on Alvin & The Chipmunks' Christmas tune played at half-speed is a hoot.
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Simple Plan's "I Want Everything" makes me vomit blood.
Can I say it makes me vomit blood here? Because it makes me vomit blood.
Redder than Rudolph's nose, on Vomit, on Puking, on Hurling Up Bitzen.
DwD
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Teddy Thompson just recorded a Christmas song called "Boycotting Christmas." A wee bit cynical? Perhaps, but it's really good nonetheless, and in keeping with the holiday spirit, all the proceeds from the sale of the MP3 are going to savedarfur.org.
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Merry Christmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon
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Billy Squier!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=aS0cKjmGxSQ&mode=related&search=
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I'm in the practice of making a Christmas mix every year, here is my mix from last year - I'm wrapping up my 2006 mix now. I realize it is Sufjan-heavy, but with 42 songs to choose from it's hard to narrow down!
http://www.yousendit.com/download/zSKoeN6cUTl5TA%3D%3D
1.Christmas Time is Here - Cepia
2.Close Your Mouth It's Christmas - The Free Design
3.Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing - Sufjan Stevens
4.In The Black Midwinter - Bert Jansch
5.Christ Was Born On Christmas Morn - Cotton Top Mountain Sanctified Singers
6.Winter Wonderland - Darlene Love
7.Christmas Eve - Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
8.Once In David's Royal City - Sufjan Stevens
9.Deilig Er Jorden - Kings Of Convenience
10.Glory, Glory - Al Green
11.Taking Down the Tree - Low
12.O Holy Night - Sufjan Stevens
13.Asian Meteorologists Predicted the Heavens to Snow-down a Child a Child to Us (Plant a little Fir Tree) - Half-Handed Cloud
14.Sherburne - Alabama Sacred Harp Singers
15.Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers - The Crystals
16.In the Hot Sun of a Christmas Day - Caetano Veloso
17.Only At Christmas Time - Sufjan Stevens
18.A Child Is Born - The Free Design
19.Snowfall - Esquivel
20.My Favorite Christmas (In A Hundred Words Or Less) - Of Montreal
21.Sleigh Ride - The Ronettes
22.Christmas Party - The Walkmen
23.Christmas Is The Day - The Free Design
24.Carol of the Bells - Outputmessage
25.Silent Night - Phil Spector
26.Did I Make You Cry on Christmas Day? (Well, You Deserved It!) - Sufjan Stevens
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flaming lips white christmas
belle and sebastian santa claus go straight to the ghetto
arcade fire jinglebell rock
beck little drum machine boy (technically about hannukah but based on a christmas song)
sufjan stevens get behind me santa
tom waits silent night
I think that covers almost every stereogum fave
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mariah carey-all i want for christmas is you
BEST CHRISTMAS SONG EVA!!!
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The Kickassiest Christmas!!!
For free here:
http://www.planetdan.net/blog/2006/12/tis-season-and-stuff.htm
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Without a doubt. The only worthwhile christmas song written in the last 30 years is The Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping". Not too schmaltzy. Timeless. Fun to sing. Smart. Catchy. I look forward to it every year.
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3 of my faves -
Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses -
one of the baddest-ass bass lines ever. I love this song no matter what season.
Another lonely Christmas - Prince- sad, but good.
one of my favorite Prince songs period.
Vince Guaraldi (Sp?) - Christmas Time is Here (instrumental) - haunting melody, very emotional for me. The Charlie Brown song.
The all time worst???????
Gloria Estefan
"Let it snow"
makes me wanna puke
http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Through-Your-Gloria-Estefan/dp/B0000029DW
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Don't forget about the WOXY Holiday stream: http://streamer.lala.com/woxy-holiday/aac/32
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Yeah, Wham's Last Christmas is the BEST Christmas song ever. If, by BEST you mean WORST. Wham sucks. Big Time.
The best Christmas song I've heard this year is actually about Hanukkah. The LeeVees - How Do You Spell Chunnukkahh.
Best Christmas song of all time? The Three Wise Men aka XTC - Thanks For Christmas.
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I loved "Last Christmas" by Wham! And I heartheartheart the cover Savage Garden did of it (cuz it's like the same, haha).
I like "A Great Big Sled," so thanks for linking to the vid. <3
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"zen gospel singing" this song my folks sang every year at xmas with a friend. about a guy who is a baptist and the converts to budhism. he is talking about how he misses the singing, it is a great song and the one reason i love christmas.
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"zen gospel singing" this song my folks sang every year at xmas with a friend. about a guy who is a baptist and the converts to budhism. he is talking about how he misses the singing, it is a great song and the one reason i love christmas.
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it's christmas time in hollis, queens...
mom's cooking chicken & collard greens....
RUN DMC
rip jmj
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Dominick The Donkey (The Italian Christmas Donkey) - Lou Monte
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You've got to include something from Low's Christmas album. My vote is for "Just Like Christmas" or the spooky "One Special Gift".
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Subtlety be damned, I'm self-promoting my own blog's mix effort (a double, at that): http://sweepingthenation.blogspot.com/2006/12/sweeping-nation-covermount-3-very.html
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I'm all for the classics -- plenty of Bing, Dean, and Frank (with a little Carpenters thrown in for good measure).
I put together a playlist featuring 40 of my favorites over at my blog:
http://wiw.org/~jess/archives/2006/11/28/christmas-music/
Thanks to my iPod, they're in heavy rotation throughout the day. It would be enough to drive a lesser man insane. ;)
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Just wanted to agree with anyone who said The Waitresses "Christmas Wrapping". I am usually the only one I know who likes...much less even knows this song.
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smashing pumpkins - christmastime is very pretty
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Alright: I'm proposing a one song Sufjan Stevens limit on all Christmas mixes. Releasing a five CD sollection of Christmas music just makes it all a bit too easy.
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Wow, how has everybody failed to mention the
Truly Greatest Xmas Song Ever--
"Father Christmas"-The Kinks
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Agreed. The Kinks "Father Christmas" rocks my world. I am also a HUGE fan of "Feed the World (Do They Know Its Christmas?)" By BandAID ... the long version. I am a huge Christmas music dork. Thanks Ipod
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1. Aimee Mann - Christmastime
2. Aimee Mann - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
3. Alex Chilton - The Christmas Song
4. The Apples in Stereo - Holiday Mood
5. Badly Drawn Boy - Donna and Blitzen
6. The Band - Christmas Must Be Tonight
7. The Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick
8. The Beach Boys - The Man With All The Toys
9. The Beach Boys - Santas Beard
10. The Beach Boys - Merry Christmas Baby
11. The Beatles - Christmas Time (Is Here Again)
12. Beck - Little Drum Machine Boy
13. Belle & Sebastian - O Come O Come Emmanuel
14. Belle & Sebastian - Christmas Time Is Here (Peel Session)
15. Belle & Sebastian - Santa Claus (Peel Session)
16. Belle & Sebastian - Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me (Peel Session)
17. Belle & Sebastian - Took Some Time For Christmas (Peel Session)
18. Ben Folds - Bizzare Christmas Incident
19. Ben Folds - Lonely Christmas Eve
20. Big Star - Jesus Christ
21. Bright Eyes - Blue Christmas
22. Bright Eyes - O Little Town Of Bethlehem
23. Bright Eyes - Silver Bells
24. Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town [Live]
25. Bruce Springsteen - Merry Christmas Baby [Live]
26. Coldplay - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
27. Dandy Warhols - Little Drummer Boy
28. The dB's - Christmas Time
29. The dB's - Home for the Holidays
30. The dB's - Holiday Spirit
31. The dB's - Feliz Navidad
32. David Bowie & Bing Crosby - Little Drummer Boy (Peace on Earth)
33. Death Cab For Cutie - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
34. The Decemberists - Please Daddy (Don't Get Drunk This Christmas)
35. The Eels - Christmas Is Going To The Dogs
36. The Eels - Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas
37. Fiona Apple - Frosty the Snowman
38. The Flaming Lips - A Change At Christmas (Say It Isn't So)
39. The Flaming Lips - Christmas At The Zoo
40. The Flaming Lips - White Christmas
41. Fountains of Wayne - I Want An Alien For Christmas
42. Fountains of Wayne - The Man In The Santa Suit
43. Grandaddy - Alan Parsons In A Winter Wonderland
44. Ivy - Christmas Time Is Here
45. Jimmy Eat World - 12.23.95
46. Jimmy Eat World - If You Were Born Today
47. Jimmy Eat World - Last Christmas
48. John Lennon - Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
49. The Killers - A Great Big Sled
50. The Kinks - Father Christmas
51. Low - Just Like Christmas
52. Low - If You Were Born Today
53. Low - One Special Gift
54. Marshal Crenshaw - Lonely Christmas
55. My Morning Jacket - Xmas Curtain
56. My Morning Jacket - Xmas Time Is Here Again
57. My Morning Jacket - Santa Claus Is Back in Town
58. Patti Smith - We Three Kings
59. Paul McCartney - Christmas Time
60. Pete Yorn - Do They Know It's Christmas?
61. Phantom Planet - Carol of the Bells
62. Phantom Planet - Winter Wonderland
63. The Polyphonic Spree - Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
64. The Pretenders - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
65. Queen - Thank God It's Christmas
66. The Ramones - Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonite)
67. The Raveonettes - The Christmas Song
68. Rilo Kiley - Xmas Cake
69. Ron Sexsmith - Maybe This Christmas
70. Ryan Adams - Hey Parker, It's Christmas
71. Simon & Garfunkel - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
72. Simon & Garfunkel - Silent Night
73. Smashing Pumpkins - Christmastime
74. Squeeze - Christmas Day
75. Sufjan Stevens - Put The Lights On The Tree
76. Sufjan Stevens - Come On! Let's Boogey To The Elf Dance
77. Sufjan Stevens - Hey Guys! It's Christmas Time
78. Sufjan Stevens - Get Behind Me Santa
79. Sufjan Stevens - Star Of Wonder
80. Sufjan Stevens - Holy, Holy, Holy
81. Tom Petty - Christmas All Over Again
82. U2 - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
83. The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping
84. The Walkmen - Christmas Party
85. Weezer – Christmas Celebration
86. Weezer – The Christmas Song
87. The White Stripes - Candy Cane Children
88. The Who - Christmas
89. XTC - Always Winter Never Christmas
90. XTC - Thanks For Christmas
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That waitresses track has been covered by:
save ferris: http://www.amazon.com/Kevin-Beans-Last-Christmas-1999/dp/B0002H4YN0
and the spice girls (which is surprisingly decent):http://www.amazon.com/Goodbye-UK-CD1-Spice-Girls/dp/B00000I2NN
Also no mention of the chipmunks song christmas don't be late or you're a mean one mr grinch yet?
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I can't believe how fast you squares have forgotten about Jessica Simpson's wonderfully heartfelt Christmas CD. I keep it on my ipod all year long!
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I much prefer the original version of "Reindeer" to the weird Christmas one...anyway, The Waitresses' song is awesome, I'll third or fourth or whatever that suggestion. Coldplay did a very pretty, mellow cover of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" that I loved.
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My all time favorites:
"Father Christmas" - The Kinks
"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" - Darlene Love
"Teenage Christmas" - Nikki Sudden
Best of the year:
"Another Christmas at Home" - Eux Autres
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I think Pedro the Lion's "I Heard the Bells" is probably what inspired Sufjan to make his record.
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You guys clearly haven't heard the NEW CHRISTMAS CLASSIC by a New York band called Wormburner. I'ts a brand-new song called "Bells of St. Ignatius". Check it out (and download it for FREE) at www.myspace.com/wormburner.
It's in the vein of The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York" and Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas" with a pub sing-along chorus and icy guitar lines reminiscent of The Pretender's "2000 Miles".
These guys (Wormburner) were produced by David Lowery, frontman for Cracker and Camper van Beethoven!
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I'd bet my christmas stocking that last one was written by someone connected to the band. ha.
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to be honest, i've grown quite attached to that annoying wings xmas song.
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I gotta go with Slade's "Merry X-mas Everybody."
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Springsteen's "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" is one of the worst X-mas songs ever. Up there with Paul McCartney's "Simply Having a Wonderful Christmastime," which could drive someone to suicide. And I'm a huge fan of both those artists.
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Arcade Fire - Jingle Bell Rock has my vote! :-D
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'The Beach Boys' Christmas Album', particularly 'Merry Christmas, Baby'.
Also, 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon.
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Saint Etienne, "I Was Bron On Christmas Day" - can't walk into a Tesco without hearing that one.
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"Born." Being bron sounds painful.
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arghh
I guess the only reason I forgot to include this turd in my last entry is that I run out of the room anytime I ever have the misfortune of hearing it.... but alas, no luck tonight.
Feliz Navidad.
Any version.
This song has absolutely no reason to exist.
From the bottom of my heart.
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Here's one i bet you haven't heard: "Don't Believe in Christmas" by the Sonics. Belligerant, great beat, only 2 minutes long.
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So in another sign of the rapid decline of this site, posts criticizing the changes here and the corporate takeover are being removed. There were several yesterday and now they are gone.
While I can, I will agree with what was said. This site has turned into a puerile, stupid mess. Is Scott even writing here anymore, or did he and Amrit take their cash and fly down to Buenos Aires?
There is no class here anymore. This site is a bastardization of what was once great. Now, profanity is used in place of wit, and we have a legion of new writers unsuccessfully trying to ape Scott's style. It's become worse than MTV here, and you are all being had. And really, what is up with all these posts about WHAM! fer chrissakes? How is WHAM! in any way shape or form relevant to the current indie scene, or the music world at large?
There's nothing wrong with success, and making money, but if you dudes are gonna completely sell out and let your once-great site become a cruel self-parody of what it once was, at least be honest with your readers about it.
If this is actually posted, I don't expect it to be around long, but we're onto you guys.
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Okay, my bad. I found the posts that I thought had been deleted, so I was wrong on the censorship aspsect of my comments. However, I still stand by comments regarding the declining quality of the content here.
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I appreciate the person who mentioned Prince and Vince Guaraldi, as those are my two picks, almost exclusively. I also enjoy "O Tannenbaum" by They Might Be Giants and "Christmas in Cape Town" by Randy Newman. Oh, and half of the music Raymond Scott ever wrote for a jazz band goes pretty well.
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You are a douche, Mr. Censorhip. If anything this site has gotten better over the last few months. And its a blog silly, give me the rule book that says you have to post anything relevant at all. Who cares if he posts about Lohan, Britney, or WHAM! once in awhile or even on a regular basis. Sift through it because Scott puts up enough stuff for everyone to find something worthwhile everyday. Worse than MTV? You are delusional.
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Also, did Andrew W.K. do a Christmas song? I think there's a 50% chance it woud be amazing.
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the "charlie brown christmas" theme would have to be my number one. some other favorites would be "a child's christmas in wales" by john cale, "jesus christ" by big star, and anything off of "a christmas gift for you from phil spector". oh shit and the beach boys christmas album was amazing too.
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I love "Christmas Wrapping." I'll never skip forward if it comes on my iPod ... even if it's not XMastime.
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"Christmas Time is Here" - Vince Guaraldi
"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Darlene Love (actually that whole Phil Spector album 'A Christmas Gift For You' rules)
And Jimmy Eat World's cover of "Last Christmas" is pretty good too.
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I'm posting 5 Christmas songs every day till Christmas over at:
http://blog.podbop.org
So far the five song mixes have included stuff like:
"Creative Names. NOT" (Christmas songs named Christmas)
"Nose So Bright" (Rudolph Renditions)
"Toon Tunes" (songs from cartoons)
"Eggnog Makes Me Emo" (emo xmas songs)
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If you want a great holiday song check out the one up on here http://myspace.com/foxsrockers .... gotta love all things not PC :)
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If you want a great holiday song check out the one up on here http://myspace.com/foxsrockers .... gotta love all things not PC :)
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If you want a great holiday song check out the one up on here http://myspace.com/foxsrockers .... gotta love all things not PC :)
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Gregory Page had a song in 1993 called "Tomorrow is Found" that has long been my favorite Christmas Song. He's rerecorded it and slowed it down, changed some lyrics up a tad, and reposted it on his Myspace page. It is free for download there, too.
http://www.myspace.com/gregorypage
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If anyone happened to know where one could find an MP3 of Freedy Johnston's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", they would be my new BFF.
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absentee and broken family band have just recorded a winterval song to warm the cockles. it's not for charity, probably cos no-one asked them. ormaybe it was the line about reminding an old timer about feeling stiff. in anycase you can download it for free, so maybe they think we're all deserving charity cases. www.myspace.com/hotuncles
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I can't believe no one has mentioned this yet! David Bowie and Bing Crosby's "Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth" medley. Classic.
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are you people high, or just too young to remember? best christmas song ever: the original 'do they know it's christmas' by band aid. back when celebs doing something for charity actually meant more than a photo op and a tax write off.
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I've always thought "Have yourself a merry little christmas" was the greatest, atleast the one that brings back memories for me - and gives me the christmas-mood. It's so subtle and quiet, love it. I think Coldplay does a great job with their version as well, but I guess it's the original for me.
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Check out this xmas tune, it's revitalized my holiday cheer this season.
Spiraling did a mash-up of the classic Do You Hear What I Hear? with The Who's Baba O'Reily - it's being streamed on their web site right now, http://www.myspace.com/spiraling and is already getting a good response.
Once you start listening you just can't stop...
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I know what i want for christmas... george strait... steel guitar... original, very good ... ryiuchi sakamoto, merry christmas mr lawrence... who was using more drugs during the little drummer boy video, bing or bowie... my bet is bing... did he need the money that much
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I know what i want for christmas... george strait... steel guitar... original, very good ... ryiuchi sakamoto, merry christmas mr lawrence... who was using more drugs during the little drummer boy video, bing or bowie... my bet is bing... did he need the money that much
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I know what i want for christmas... george strait... steel guitar... original, very good ... ryiuchi sakamoto, merry christmas mr lawrence... who was using more drugs during the little drummer boy video, bing or bowie... my bet is bing... did he need the money that much
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I know what i want for christmas... george strait... steel guitar... original, very good ... ryiuchi sakamoto, merry christmas mr lawrence... who was using more drugs during the little drummer boy video, bing or bowie... my bet is bing... did he need the money that much
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whats wrong with u people why arent u saying classics like Slade, shakin stevens, wizzard or the pogues, there some of the best christmas songs ever been
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whats wrong with u people why arent u saying classics like Slade, shakin stevens, wizzard or the pogues, there some of the best christmas songs ever been
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whats wrong with u people why arent u saying classics like Slade, shakin stevens, wizzard or the pogues, there some of the best christmas songs ever been
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whats wrong with u people why arent u saying classics like Slade, shakin stevens, wizzard or the pogues, there some of the best christmas songs ever been
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whats wrong with u people why arent u saying classics like Slade, shakin stevens, wizzard or the pogues, there some of the best christmas songs ever been
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Can anyone tell me the name of the christmas song sounds like its preformed by a choir and a few lines are: What a night what a merry christmas night
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Helen
Trans Siberian Orchestra Christmas Canon
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My Top 10 Greatest Christmas Song
1."The Christmas Song" Nat "King" Cole(1961)/Natalie Cole(1991)
2."White Christmas" The Drifters
3."Silent Night" The Temptations(1980)/Mannheim Steamroller(1984)
4. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" Judy Garland
5. "Ave Maria" Luciano Pavarotti
6."Do They Know It's Christmas" Band Aid
7."Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" The Jackson 5/Bruce Springsteen/The Carpenters(1974 Slow Version)
8. "Let It Snow,Let It Snow, Let It Snow" Dean Martin/Vaughn Monroe
9. "What Child Is This" Guaraldi Trio(1965)/Vanessa Williams(1997)
10."Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth" Bing Crosby & David Bowie
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