The Curse of the Christmas Single

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by GregY, Dec 10, 2004.

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  1. GregY

    GregY New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
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    Yet another list to get everyone's stockings in a bunch.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/fridayreview/story/0,12102,1369880,00.html

     
  2. reechie

    reechie Senior Member

    Location:
    Baltimore
    They didn't mention Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime". Only a few weeks after its release came Macca's infamous Japan pot bust, followed by the demise of Wings, McCartney II, etc.
     
  3. GuyDon

    GuyDon Senior Member

    These articles are written expressly to elicit a response (guess it worked on me). Paul McCartney, Elton John, Keith Richards, U2, Bruce Springsteen, etc have all recorded Xmas songs and have done just fine since.

    Maybe the Guardian could feature an article on the fate of singers/groups that have recorded Halloween songs next. ;)
     
  4. reechie

    reechie Senior Member

    Location:
    Baltimore
    Oh, I dunno...it seemed to me that the article had its tongue firmly in cheek here, nothing to be taken all that seriously.
     
  5. GuyDon

    GuyDon Senior Member

    I thought the same thing, but the mention of John Lennon being murdered because of a Christmas song curse is not very amusing to me.
     
  6. reechie

    reechie Senior Member

    Location:
    Baltimore
    Well, I never said The Guardian was tasteful, either. :rolleyes:
     
  7. tim_neely

    tim_neely Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Central VA
    One thing to keep in mind: In England, having the biggest-selling single at Christmas is a much, much, much, MUCH bigger deal than it is in the United States.

    A few clarifications are necessary:
    -- "The curse of all who duet with David Bowie": Last time I looked, Mick Jagger was still among us, and that was the biggest Bowie duet.
    -- In the U.S., Bing Crosby had 10 #1 singles AFTER "White Christmas" was a hit.
    -- John Lennon's Christmas single was not a flop in the United States. It didn't make the Billboard charts because Billboard was in the midst of about a 10-year period where Christmas songs were ineligible for its singles charts. It did get to #3 on the Billboard Christmas charts, plus it got to #36 on Cash Box and #28 on Record World. Hardly a flop!
     
  8. Ed Bishop

    Ed Bishop Incredibly, I'm still here

    Of course...and proof of that is how they grasp at certain straws, like Lennon's murder...with that logic, anyone who ever recorded a holiday song who is no longer with us was cursed, then, including Bing, Sinatra, George Harrison, Elvis....

    Should be remembered that some artists wouldn't be remembered at all if it weren't for holiday singles: the Harry Simeone Chorale("Little Drummer Boy"), Bobby Helms("Jingle Bell Rock"--yeah, he had a few mainstream pop hits, but you won't hear them much on modern oldies radio), and Vaughn Monroe("Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"--although he had many other '40s hits, those are forgotten now), to name just three.

    Hey, a little immortality is better than none....

    Just another list...

    :ed:
     
  9. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    As you know, Bobby did have a string of country chart hits but even a lot of those aren't played much on classic country stations. Speaking of Vaughn Monroe, I have a 45 reissue EP containing 4 of his hits including "Ballerina" and "Ghost Riders In The Sky" to name 2 of them.
     
  10. GuyDon

    GuyDon Senior Member

    Rich, I hope you don't think my comments were directed toward you. You made a legitimate point and my digust was directed at The Guardian.
     
  11. guy incognito

    guy incognito Senior Member

    Location:
    Mee-chigan
    To me, Vaughn Monroe will always be first and foremost the guy who did "Ghost Riders in the Sky".

    I take your point, though. Add Brenda Lee to the list; Little Miss Dynamite had more than two dozen Top 40 hits in the day, 12 of 'em cracking the Top 10, but from FM radio you'd think "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" was the only thing she ever recorded. :shake: :rolleyes: :realmad:
     
  12. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    Vaughn Monroe had 52...Charters!
     
  13. tim_neely

    tim_neely Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Central VA
    If there is such a thing as a "curse" of the Christmas single, it's that a perennial Christmas song can totally overshadow the rest of an artist's catalog. This is more true today than ever, as there is little diversity in radio and even less in television, and many of the great Christmas songs are by artists that radio wouldn't even THINK of playing the rest of the year.

    Especially for the non-rockers, there is a whole group of Americans who have no idea that they were important beyond a couple of cool Christmas songs.

    If not for the revival of "Unforgettable," would anyone know Nat King Cole outside his Christmas music?
    When was the last time you heard Andy Williams outside the Christmas season?
    What was the last Bing Crosby song you heard on the radio that wasn't holiday-related?
    How about Gene Autry? How many people can even name another song he recorded other than "Rudolph"?
    Even the Waitresses -- how many people have never heard anything by them other than "Christmas Wrapping"?

    Obviously, most people on this board have more depth of knowledge than the average American. But how about the people for whom music is mostly a background thing, and whose awareness doesn't go much beyond what they hear on the radio or television?
     
  14. Hawkman

    Hawkman Supercar Gort Staff

    Location:
    New Jersey
    I see your point but as for Mr. Autry, 'Back In The Saddle" and others will forever come first before "Rudolph..." in the mind of folks like my dad who grew up watching him on the screen and buying his records.
     
  15. tim_neely

    tim_neely Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Central VA
    Understood. I'm talking about a current generation that doesn't even get to see Gene Autry movies on television, and if the name rings a bell other than for "Rudolph," perhaps they'll remember he had something to do with baseball....
     
  16. JonUrban

    JonUrban SHF Member #497

    Location:
    Connecticut
    Thanks Tim,

    I was going to post that at least in the CT/NY/NJ area, John Lennon's Happy Christmas got maximum airplay and charted high (if not top 5) of the local radio charts in 1971. As I recall, it was heard everywhere, and I remember distinctly a female co-worker coming into my workplace and proclaiming that she had just heard "the most beautiful Christmas song I ever heard". I asked her who it was by and she did not know, but she thought it was The Beatles! That got my interest! Of course, it was "A" Beatle! :D
     
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