Or The Pogues (your Dropkick Murpheys brought this to mind)... Fairytale of New York https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9jbdgZidu8
And this wonderful song...stunningly sad and hopeful at the same time Mary Guthier - Christmas in Paradise...
Mark Koselek shares a wonderfully slightly off kilter yet traditional Christmas... Sings Christmas Carols
It's such a simple integration I'm surprised it hadn't happened before. Certainly not from any major acts. This one's going on my Christmas music video playlist for sure.
Speaking of... I couldn't help myself. I made another one. A Christmas Music Box - VIDEO EDITION: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwQ6y9BmcSWvAgl07uL4F8ioK8za-7SWU This one's just for Christmas tunes with an accompanying music video and/or live performance; I tried to avoid lame "lyric video" selections whereever possible, but there's a couple in there. This also gave me the opportunity to share a couple things from musicians who do a lot of posting to Youtube. Case in point, harpist Amy Turk: (also confirming once again, yes, Virginia, Die Hard is a Christmas movie. )
Speaking of Youtubers, anybody ever though "Hmm, Christmas music is great, but it really doesn't rock hard enough!" No? Oh well.
Kate Rusby - Angels & Men Pure Records, UK, 2017, PRVIN44 PRVIN 45 A, 46022, KT, SST PRVIN 45 B, 46022, KT, SST PRVIN 45 C, 46023, KT, SST PRVIN 45 D, 46023, KT, SST
Just sent out my annual Real Cool Yule 2020 Xmas CD. Almost all sourced from my own collection of CDs, LPs and 45s. All year I'm scrounging the thrift stores looking for the gems among the Nana Mouskouris and James Lasts (no offense to their fans). I mix them in 4 main tracks with the obligatory bonus track, and this year I added in Xmas greetings from all different types of singers and actors. All the artwork is done by me on photoshop from old LPs,cards etc. and yes it does include free stickers!
I added a few more titles yesterday while browsing in a local shop--to my Xmas record collection. In fact, I completed my hunt for two highly recommended albums both from the recommendation of earlier postings by RSteven! (thanks for the awesome suggestions) I actually now have 2 versions of the John Klein (I found the Living Stereo black bar pressing about 3 weeks ago, and then found the green border version yesterday (I think it might be a Canadian pressing, but it is in excellent condition and sounds amazing--as does the other one!) The Felix Slatkin album is not stereo but mono, but has a cool gatefold cover with die-cut for the center image! RSteven: "My current and most recent project for Real Gone Music is Felix Slatkin's Seasons Greetings CD, which we released exclusively on the RGM website for our Christmas In July special, but it is now available from wider retail including Amazon. Mr. Slatkin was Frank Sinatra's very favorite in studio conductor and a world class violinist. His wife was also an amazing cellist who played a specially written part on her instrument in the movie Close Encounters Of The Third Kind. Mr. Slatkin recorded his gorgeous orchestral album in wide stereo with two separate string sections of 45 musicians each. Wow, what a truly beautiful instrumental album and it is now one of my top five favorite instrumental holiday albums of all time, right next to Percy Faith and Mantovani's great Christmas albums." I also found these 2 as well (the Mannheim Steamroller is on gorgeous HQ brown translucent vinyl and is stunning! The Kenny Rogers Christmas from 1981 is also on a dark brown translucent vinyl and it is in near mint condition! I haven't listened to this album in quite a while and wow, I forgot how good it was! I also found a 1957 UK pressing of Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Carmen Dragon) called "The Music of Christmas" I think it may have been suggested as well, but the artwork on cover was intriguing and was an early Capitol Stereo pressing which often has some excellent mastering and production! Fun to browse and find hidden gems--especially ones suggested by several here on this post topic and on this site!
You have a real treasure trove of great Christmas music in your hands, my friend! Well, you know how much I love the John Klein album, but you have also scored some really fine holiday gems with Kenny Rogers highly underrated Christmas (if you can call any album underrated that is 2x platinum, Lol), which is a truly terrific pick with those glorious arrangements by the late Gene Page (the arranger for The Righteous Brothers' You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling) as well as Carmen Dragon's breathtakingly beautiful, The Music Of Christmas, featuring The Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra.
Just out December 4. A retro style R&B soul pop mix, including light funk / gospel overtones / occasional rockin', not too heavy or too loud. 8 originals + 2 covers. Listen here: It's A Soulful Christmas Available as a download now, they say CDs are too, but I can't find them anywhere yet... A review fer yew: http://www.radioandmusic.com/entert...-michelle-david-the-gospel-sessions-will-help
I'm not sure if anyone's posted Sweet Bells by Kate Rusby in the traditional vein. She's got some other folky Christmas albums, but I've not heard 'em.
What a great thread. Like many on here I like the older classics. However every year, I also search out and try the newer stuff and have been rewarded over many years now. Michael Buble- Christmas 2011- Favourite song- Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Celine Dion- These are the Special Times - Fave Song is the title name Sarah McLaughlan- Wintersong - songs River and Song for a winters night Bette Midler- Cool Yule- 2 favourites- O come Emmanuel, and From a Distance Faith Hill - Joy to the World - songs- Holly Jolly Christmas and Silent Night Rod Stewart- Merry Christmas Baby- Faves are White Christmas and Merry Christmas Baby with Cee Lo, and believe it or not he does a great Silent Night Cee Lo Green- Cee Lo's Magic Moment- He nails Mary Did You Know Eric Clapton - Happy Xmas- Everyday will be like a Holiday, For love on Christmas Day, and Home for the Holidays For 2020, 2 in particular have caught my fancy; For King and Country - A Drummer Boy Christmas- 2 songs I love are - Heavenly Hosts and Little Drummer Boy. I really liked the bass and overall sound of this album. Play it loud and you will be rewarded. I tried it on my surround system and was blown away. Carrie Underwood - My Gift- My favourites are the first song Joyful ,Joyful ,We Adore Thee, and a duet with John Legend -Hallelujah
I suggest to listen to the "Alternative Christmas" playlist on Spotify to get a good selection of non-traditional music. Alternative Christmas, a playlist by Digster Playlisten on Spotify
I rather enjoy these playlists. There's a ton of them on YouTube for Winter, Autumn, Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc. TRACKS (with timestamps) 1.) 0:00 Christmas is A-Comin' - Bing Crosby 2.) 2:38 We Need a Little Christmas - New Christy Minstrels 3.) 4:50 Christmas Dreaming - Frank Sinatra 4.) 7:47 Christmas Eve in My Hometown - Eddie Fisher 5.) 10:52 I'll Be Home for Christmas - Frank Sinatra 6.) 14:02 White Christmas - The Drifters 7.) 16:41 Mistletoe and Holly - Frank Sinatra 8.) 18:58 My Christmas Song - The Mills Brothers 9.) 22:04 An Old Fashioned Christmas - Frank Sinatra 10.) 25:48 Jingle Bells - Glenn Miller 11.) 29:23 Christmas in Killarney - Bing Crosby 12.) 32:04 The Christmas Waltz - Frank Sinatra 13.) 35:02 Snowbound for Christmas - Dickie Valentine 14.) 37:43 That Christmas Feeling - Bing Crosby 15.) 40:45 We Wish You the Merriest - Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby 16.) 43:01 The Night Before Christmas - Marian Jordan, with Billy Mills and the King's Men (from Fibber McGee and Molly)
A little Christmas Blues from one of the greats,the late Charles Brown.Originally released in 1994 on CD and just recently out on vinyl for the first time from Craft Records. Cool Christmas Blues
I need this: The Golden Age of Light Music: Christmas Lights 01 Joy To The World (Originally based on Psalm 98) George Frideric Handel, Lowell Mason, Isaac Watts, arr. Percy Faith PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA 2:06 02 White Christmas Irving Berlin FRANK CHACKSFIELD AND HIS ORCHESTRA 3:10 03 God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen Traditional English carol, believed to date from the 18th century BILLY VAUGH AND HIS ORCHESTRA 1:44 04 Deck The Hall With Boughs Of Holly (Based on a Welsh winter carol ‘Nos Galan’, dating from the 16th century) Welsh Traditional, arr. Percy Faith PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA 2:49 05 Snowman’s Land Vogel ZACK LAURENCE, piano, with KEN JONES AND HIS ORCHESTRA 2:03 06 Snowy Mountains Joyce Cochrane SYMPHONIA ORCHESTRA Conducted by LUDO PHILIPP 2:53 07 Good Christian Men, Rejoice (An old English carol, believed to date back to the 14th century) Traditional, arr. Percy Faith PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA 2:21 08 Good King Wenceslas (Tempus Adest Floridum) (Music based on 13th Century Spring Carol ‘Tempus Adest Floridum’; Words John Mason Neale) Traditional, arr Percy Faith PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA 3:03 09 Snow Ride Eric Winstone Unidentified Orchestra 2:28 10 Santo Natale (Merry Christmas) Al Hoffman, Dick Manning, Belle Nardone STANLEY BLACK AND HIS ORCHESTRA 3:06 11 Hark The Herald Angels Sing Charles Wesley, Felix Mendelssohn, adapted William H. Cummings, arr. Percy Faith PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA 2:58 12 Angels We Have Heard On High (Believed to have French origins in the 18th century) Traditional arr. Percy Faith PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA 2:53 13 Away In A Manger (Widely known as 'Luther’s Cradle Hymn'. There are many different musical settings for this carol, and this one is the best-known in the United States) Traditional arr. Percy Faith PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA 2:18 14 Gesù Bambino (The Infant Jesus, composed in 1917) Pietro Yon, arr. Percy Faith PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA 3:02 15 I Wonder As I Wander (A simple American folk song, popular at Christmas in the United States) John Jacob Niles, arr. Percy Faith PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA 3:49 16 Holiday On Ice Len Stevens Unidentified Orchestra 2:28 17 Once More It’s Christmas George Melachrino THE MELACHRINO ORCHESTRA Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO 2:24 18 Alpine Sleigh Ride Roger Senicourt, real name Frank Chacksfield FRANK CHACKSFIELD AND HIS ORCHESTRA 2:53 19 It Came Upon The Midnight Clear (An American carol from the 19th century) Edmund Sears, Richard Storrs Willis, arr. Percy Faith PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA 2:43 20 O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles) Attributed to various composers from the 17th century onwards, especially John Francis Wade, but could have originated as early as the 13th century. arr. Percy Faith PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA 4:05 21 Sleigh Ride Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart BOSTON 'POPS' ORCHESTRA Conducted by ARTHUR FIEDLER 2:40 22 O Holy Night (Cantique de Noël) Adolphe Adam, arr. Percy Faith PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA 3:44 23 The Skaters’ Waltz Émile Waldteufel FRANK CHACKSFIELD AND HIS ORCHESTRA 3:42 24 Mrs. Santa Claus Jack Fulton, Lois Steele THE MELACHRINO ORCHESTRA Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO 2:32 25 By The Fireside Ray Noble, Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly STANLEY BLACK AND HIS ORCHESTRA 2:58 26 The Holly And The Ivy; Here We Go A-Caroling Traditional English carols, arr. Percy Faith PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA 2:10 27 The First Noel (The First Nowell) (Believed to be based on an English carol, possibly Cornish, from the 18th century) Traditional, arr. William Hill-Bowen THE MELACHRINO ORCHESTRA Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO 2:58