CHRISTMAS 2020: Santa's Pandemic.

The BTS joke is evergreen. May as well embrace it.

Or don't, it's even funnier that way.

 

Reminder...you're messing up somebody's Christmas music thread with OT crapping.
Did your pot not see that kettle sitting there...?

 

Yeah, it's becoming this decade's 'how do you like your pizza sliced' thread

 

Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack every year !

 

Finding interesting albums has made the whole Christmas music thing more fun. I don’t have a ton, just enough to play one every day through the season and have a nice mix of different sounds.

 

Want something a little different, but not too outside "accessible"? Try Appalachian Christmas by Mark O'Connor, and some of Nashville's best:


And, the ensuing tour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsyK3xhVmDU

 

Of course, if you need something more up-to-date, Lowell George's daughter Inara, and super-producer Greg Kurstin's just-released Put Up The Lights...

 

And, for those who can't stop sippin' that Charlie Brown Christmas punch...here's a different flavor, from New Grass Revival banjoist Bela Fleck:

 

And for the Classical fan, whose daughter just danced The Nutcracker, lookit what Brian (Stray Cats) Setzer did with it (SPOILER ALERT: big band, baby!):

OH! for a 5.1 mix of this...!

 

How about some love for Mitch Miller: Mitch Miller and The Gang Christmas CD

 

I'll see your boys, and raise you with some nice ladies from Belgium, who specialize in choral treatments of modern rock songs...and did a tremendous holiday album just eight years ago.
Scala and Kolocny Brothers:

That's right...Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan!

Coldplay:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeKEdZtfUhI

Sarah McLachlan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqWjekiztoU

 

My personal favorite, Jethro Tull - A Christmas Song.

 

As much as I love holiday music from the Golden Age of Christmas (1950s-1960's), I do like to keep myself open to some brand new releases that capture some of the magic and timelessness of that era. I just ordered the Target edition of Tori Kelly's new Christmas album, and I think she has a tremendous voice. Now, I know not everybody considers Hallelujah to actually be a Christmas song, but she really knocks it out of the park with this version, which was actually recorded a few years ago for the Sing movie soundtrack. The rest of the album seems a bit more contemporary sounding, but this beauty is layered in some awesome strings and piano.

 

I just ordered this from Amazon for a great price . I first heard of the album here on the SH forums and really liked it when I checked it out on YouTube. Thanks for the reminder and it is cool to have someone who worked on it here on the forum. Merry Christmas to everyone!

 

It is such a thrill to get feedback like this on this forum. The John Klein twofer CD project was such a labor of love and it took me almost two years to get it cleared for reissue from Sony Music. I actually think Gordon Anderson (President Of Real Gone Music) had his doubts about this project, until he read my liner notes and realized what a historical and iconic album A Christmas Sound Spectacular was for RCA Victor's Living Stereo imprint in 1959. I remember his immediate reaction in an email to me when he read the final draft for my liner notes, "Now I get it, Steve!" Gordon is a great guy and when we sold out of the John Klein CD weeks before Christmas in 2018, he made sure we did another production run.

The inspiration for the John Klein album was my father, who was an influential PD for the Mighty 69o top 40 radio station in Southern California, and he was also a big promoter of Wolfman Jack in the late 1950's. I am sure he would be shocked, if he were still alive today, to find out that I got his very favorite Christmas album remastered and reissued on CD in 2018.

 

It's never to early for Christmas music! ; )

 

I feel like I should point out that this arrangement is just the Les Brown version from the 50s but with more guitar.

So it's pretty great.

Two selections from must-have Christmas albums.

 

And I just ordered a vinyl copy off of ebay, though I shudder to think how a copy that old is going to sound! Very few available in the Living Stereo format. Look forward to playing it.

 

I didn't realize Realgone Music released this recording, I have some of their Grateful Dead re-releases and enjoy them immensely. I'm sure your Dad is proud of what you have done and is smiling from above. I can relate to your feelings: my Father passed away 7 years ago and certain Christmas music brings back succinct memories of him. Whenever I hear Nat King Cole, Sinatra, or Mitch Miller Christmas songs I immediately think of my Father and can feel it in my heart. Thanks again for sharing your story and spreading the magic of music and memories.

 

Yes indeed, although Real Gone Music releases have covered a huge variety of music genres over the years, their holiday reissues have become perhaps their most well known and highly regarded releases. Everybody from Percy Faith, Mantovani, Johnny Mathis, Jim Reeves, Jack Jones, John Gary and Perry Como, just to name a few of their stellar releases. The fantastic thing about Real Gone Music is that they virtually always get a very fine remaster through the original label that owns the copyright. They also have made it a habit to insist on original front cover artwork, but they also add something in the booklet itself as well as several pages (usually a minimum of 1500 words) of brand new liner notes.

Holiday music in very nostalgic for me as well, and it puts me right back to great memories of my parents wrapping presents with the John Klein A Christmas Sound Spectacular or Johnny Mathis's Merry Christmas vinyls playing in the background. Who knew this little kid trying to peek at what his parents were wrapping would one day get one of their parents' favorite Christmas albums remastered and reissued on CD some 60 years later? It really does put a huge smile on my face.

 

Fixed yer typo.

 

New York Voices - Let it Snow on SACD in 5.1