Another week to go this Christmas season and we all have our favorites as well.as the certain songs that make you want to to destroy your radio or listening device.
I'm not here to talk about the proverbial songs you hate, but I'm just curious about one song that has for the most part been re-imagined since it's humble beginning and I want to know if others agree with me.
The traditional "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" song was nice little ditty of a Christmas Tune with a nice melody...
...Until artists like The Pointer Sisters and Bruce Springsteen changed up the chorus a bit (repeating "Santa Claus....to town" multiple times) making it sound like it came off a Broadway show.
To me, the post-80s version sung by the Pointers and The Boss, among others, has never been as good as the original versions of the song. Doesn't help that the modern version seems to be the one they overkill on stations that play Christmas tunes.
Does anyone else agree or disagree? It's like someone who has to personalize their version of our National Anthem at a sporting event -- they sing the lyrics, but they have to change or hang onto certain notes longer or shorter than the "traditional version".
So, this thread is just about the one song? Strange thread title for that.
Any version's fine with me.
Quote from: thenetwork on December 17, 2024, 09:59:43 PMThe traditional "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" song was nice little ditty of a Christmas Tune with a nice melody...
...Until artists like The Pointer Sisters and Bruce Springsteen changed up the chorus a bit (repeating "Santa Claus....to town" multiple times) making it sound like it came off a Broadway show.
To me, the post-80s version sung by the Pointers and The Boss, among others, has never been as good as the original versions of the song. Doesn't help that the modern version seems to be the one they overkill on stations that play Christmas tunes.
Blame the Jackson 5 for starting this trend in the early 70s.
Also, The Christmas Song was another charmingly simple song with a straightforward plot ("Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose...") and a heartfelt greeting at the end, but then someone got the bright idea of repeating said greeting several more times ("Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas to you"), and it lost any sentimental value that the original version once had. As with Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, the stations that play the newer arrangement tend to overkill it compared to how Nat King Cole performed it. Just say it once and get it over with.
Eight hours of my wife forcing me to listen to Christmas music going/returning from Solvang has me burnt out.
Johnny Cash once said, "It's not cool to kill on Christmas. But if you must, make it the guy who sings "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer". Thanks, and Have a happy holiday..."
https://youtu.be/9ZmQq2TJH7g?feature=shared
My sentiments exactly.
Existing thread
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=32492.0
My worst 'holiday' earworm is 'Wonderful Christmastime' by Paul McCartney.
:banghead:
Mike
Quote from: thenetwork on December 17, 2024, 09:59:43 PMThe traditional "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" song was nice little ditty of a Christmas Tune with a nice melody...
I'm not sure nice is the right word for the song, when you look at the sinister words and ignore the merry tune.
It's full of threats about this creeper: "you better watch out!" "he sees you when you're sleeping"
You've even got to disguise negative emotions (fear, anger, sadness) towards the mean moralist - it's not 'no need' to cry or pout, but 'you better'. Threats again, rather than joy is coming.
It's also not 'be good, or don't get presents / get a lump of coal', but 'be good - for goodness sake!' the singer is imploring you to be good, or else something horrible will happen. Is this song about Santa, or about his Germanic mirrors like Krampus or Belsnickel that give punishments to the naughty as he gives gifts to the nice?
And if Santa really knows who's naughty or nice, why didn't he know Rudolph was being bullied?
Bruce Springsteen sounds like he's on the toilet straining in his version.
Fitting for a guy who gave us "cut loose like a deuce" in an early song of his.
Quote from: mgk920 on December 18, 2024, 10:34:18 AMMy worst 'holiday' earworm is 'Wonderful Christmastime' by Paul McCartney.
:banghead:
Mike
I heard that song come on in a TJ Maxx and I immediately had to flee the store
Of all the versions of Santa Claus Is Coming To Town... I think my favorite one is the one by YouTuber jschlatt.
Simply having a two-derful...
Quote from: mgk920 on December 18, 2024, 10:34:18 AMMy worst 'holiday' earworm is 'Wonderful Christmastime' by Paul McCartney.
:banghead:
Mike
I've heard a worse version of it. In 2000 there was a Christmas album from the casts of NBC shows. Walmart, where I worked at the time, had recently wallpapered the store I was in with giant overhanging CRT TVs all over the place running endless ads for whatever. The ad for that release was a bunch of them from The West Wing singing the McCartney song and they somehow made it worse.
Somehow I found it to re-trigger the bad memories, and my bad memories can now be all of yours.
There are a couple of Tiktok versions of "Sleigh Ride" (one just repeats the first 8 beats over and over again; the other has chipmunk vocals) that have rocketed to the top
The Drifters' version of White Christmas ruins the song for me.
It might be worth to mention that now classic Christmas song featuring David Bowie and Bing Crosby.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCpXMy5GalI
The Monkees did a cover of The Christmas Song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05rUSARpr4g
Bryan Adams-Christmas Time-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amk7AiEI43I
"Driving Home for Christmas" by Chris Rea is a Christmas song who desserve to be more popular.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDt3u2Ev1cI
Sleigh Ride by the Ronettes is the only one that does it for me.
The other night, I watched the remake of Miracle on 34th Street (the one with Richard Attenborough and Mara Wilson in it), and I recognized one of the songs as basically a slowed-down version of It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas. Although Dionne Warwick is a fantastic singer, and I love everything she ever did, this is the one dud for her, although it's not her fault. Listen to the song, and you'll see that they took the far more superior Johnny Mathis recording and altered it to fit her range, which was a terrible move, and I'm not sure Mr. Mathis would've approved of it.
Quote from: JoePCool14 on December 19, 2024, 01:42:11 PMThe Drifters' version of White Christmas ruins the song for me.
That is a good cover to me; it takes a slow crooner classic and transforms it into a fun doo-wop tune. Certainly more creative than the aforementioned trend of speeding up Santa Claus is Coming to Town, which is already an upbeat swing tune.
The one Christmas song I enjoy is Carol of the Bells
Quote from: Stephane Dumas on December 19, 2024, 01:48:50 PMIt might be worth to mention that now classic Christmas song featuring David Bowie and Bing Crosby.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCpXMy5GalI
The Monkees did a cover of The Christmas Song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05rUSARpr4g
Bryan Adams-Christmas Time-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amk7AiEI43I
"Driving Home for Christmas" by Chris Rea is a Christmas song who desserve to be more popular.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDt3u2Ev1cI
As far as the Bowie/Bing version of Little Drummer Boy goes, thank goodness there isn't a half dozen of so copycats that have transformed the traditional song like they did making it the new *definitive* version of the song.
You know how to piss off Mariah Carey? Have Taylor Swift remake All I Want For Christmas Is You note-for-note, and see how quickly Mariah's holiday self-proclaimed "Queen Of Christmas" moniker goes down in flames as her version's popularity vanishes into thin air!!!
I was stuck in the dentist chair the other day when "Feliz Navidad" came over the radio. I wanted to grab a sharp implement and stab myself.
What little Christmas music I listen to on my own is instrumental.
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas (their first Christmas album and their best, IMO) and the Vince Guaraldi Trio's original recording of the soundtrack for
A Charlie Brown Christmas are at the top of my list. I liked the '80s-era Windham Hill new age compilation
A Winter's Solstice and I'm sorry that I misplaced the CD years ago.
Quote from: PColumbus73 on December 19, 2024, 09:13:37 PMThe one Christmas song I enjoy is Carol of the Bells
There's the mashup of "Carol of the Bells" with "The Imperial March" from
The Empire Strikes Back:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66M8NwkRmew
Quote from: wanderer2575 on December 19, 2024, 10:21:50 PMI was stuck in the dentist chair the other day when "Feliz Navidad" came over the radio. I wanted to grab a sharp implement and stab myself.
Hey, that was only 3 minutes. Try waiting for someone in a waiting room for 30+ minutes while their TV is playing Mariah Carey's FULL Christmas Concert! Happened to me yesterday!
Quote from: mgk920 on December 18, 2024, 10:34:18 AMMy worst 'holiday' earworm is 'Wonderful Christmastime' by Paul McCartney.
:banghead:
Mike
"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" is no better.
The only Christmas song that enrages me is "The Christmas Shoes," which, thankfully, I haven't heard in a few years now. I find its message totally repulsive (e.g., God caring about what shoes one wears, with capitalism coming to the rescue).
What I get particularly tired of is the endless repetition of the so-called "Christmas music" you hear at the stores, on TV commercials, etc., and 95% of that music isn't really "Christmas"-related at all with a very few exceptions (the aforementioned Mariah Carey song is one such exception, for instance). The insipid "Jingle Bell Rock," for example, is not only horribly overplayed and a lousy song (it's by no means a "rock" song), it also has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas. I get it, retailers are afraid to play Christmas hymns, even when recorded by popular musicians, for fear that they'll offend someone, so they play what one of my grade-school teachers once called "winter songs" that people associate with Christmas.
I suppose all that is one reason why my wife and I enjoyed it when I played one of Neil Diamond's Christmas albums last weekend—he actually sings the hymns (and more than one verse, no less) instead of focusing on the pop-culture "standards." He does some of those as well, of course, but he also does some more obscure ones.
Because you've put this abomination of a song in my head...
Quote from: Rothman on December 20, 2024, 07:18:56 AMGod caring about what shoes one wears
a little boy wanting to give his dying mum some nice shoes so she'll smile, and will look beautiful when she dies and meets Jesus, which might be tonight.
There's no comment about whether Jesus cares about the shoes. And even for the boy it's a secondary consideration after his mother's smile.
Quotewith capitalism coming to the rescue).
capitalism is the bad guy in the song - the boy's pennies aren't enough and the shopkeep isn't going to give him a kindness. Charity, and our singer, are to the rescue!
The song is terrible because it tastes like diabetes, is insanely twee, and is a massive bit of self-aggrandizing. Be thankful that you can't remember it accurately.
I now need to bleach my brain so I forget that horror again (thankfully it's not crossed the Atlantic)
Quote from: english si on December 20, 2024, 08:35:55 AMBecause you've put this abomination of a song in my head...
Quote from: Rothman on December 20, 2024, 07:18:56 AMGod caring about what shoes one wears
a little boy wanting to give his dying mum some nice shoes so she'll smile, and will look beautiful when she dies and meets Jesus, which might be tonight.
There's no comment about whether Jesus cares about the shoes. And even for the boy it's a secondary consideration after his mother's smile.
Quotewith capitalism coming to the rescue).
capitalism is the bad guy in the song - the boy's pennies aren't enough and the shopkeep isn't going to give him a kindness. Charity, and our singer, are to the rescue!
The song is terrible because it tastes like diabetes, is insanely twee, and is a massive bit of self-aggrandizing. Be thankful that you can't remember it accurately.
I now need to bleach my brain so I forget that horror again (thankfully it's not crossed the Atlantic)
Heh. Song's not called "The Christmas Smile." I mean, a mother on her death bed, needing shoes from her son so she's happy or even approves of him...
But, you go ahead and get those shoes or whatever for whoever on Christmas...
And, by all means, watch the Rob Lowe movie
Quote from: english si on December 20, 2024, 08:35:55 AMBecause you've put this abomination of a song in my head...
Quote from: Rothman on December 20, 2024, 07:18:56 AMGod caring about what shoes one wears
a little boy wanting to give his dying mum some nice shoes so she'll smile, and will look beautiful when she dies and meets Jesus, which might be tonight.
There's no comment about whether Jesus cares about the shoes. And even for the boy it's a secondary consideration after his mother's smile.
Quotewith capitalism coming to the rescue).
capitalism is the bad guy in the song - the boy's pennies aren't enough and the shopkeep isn't going to give him a kindness. Charity, and our singer, are to the rescue!
The song is terrible because it tastes like diabetes, is insanely twee, and is a massive bit of self-aggrandizing. Be thankful that you can't remember it accurately.
I now need to bleach my brain so I forget that horror again (thankfully it's not crossed the Atlantic)
It's emotionally manipulative in a way I don't like, in a similar vein to 'Alyssa Lies' and 'Concrete Angel'. It just feels like the singer is deliberately trying to twist the knife to get an emotional reaction. It's like
what can I, the songwriter, do to make the audience cry... poor kid, mom dying of cancer.
Quote from: Rothman on December 20, 2024, 08:41:21 AMSong's not called "The Christmas Smile."
because it is about the singer lauding his charity in buying the shoes for the boy, not the boy, woman, or even the shoes!
QuoteI mean, a mother on her death bed, needing shoes from her son so she's happy or even approves of him...
citation needed on these. The mother has zero need for the shoes. The boy doesn't say she even wants them, only that they are her size and she'd like them.
QuoteAnd, by all means, watch the Rob Lowe movie
As I basically implied in my earlier post, I'd really really not do anything to remember this song's existence..
Quote from: PColumbus73 on December 20, 2024, 08:45:55 AMIt's emotionally manipulative in a way I don't like, in a similar vein to 'Alyssa Lies' and 'Concrete Angel'. It just feels like the singer is deliberately trying to twist the knife to get an emotional reaction. It's like what can I, the songwriter, do to make the audience cry... poor kid, mom dying of cancer.
absolutely, plus the "hey look, I bought the shoes for the boy, aren't I great!"
Some of the few (holiday) things (not necessarily songs) that I truly enjoy are
- 'Oh Holy Night' as sung by the Kings College (UK) choir
- the CBS News live coverage of the 1968 Christmas Eve Genesis reading by the Apollo 8 crew
- a rebroadcast of 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' (and the other mid 1960s era TV specials)
- the 'Norelco Santa' TV ad
- the NFL promo TV ad depicting snowy weather game scenes to the accompaniment of Andy Williams singing 'It's the Most Wonderful Time Of the Year'.
Mike
Quote from: mgk920 on December 20, 2024, 12:18:42 PMSome of the few (holiday) things (not necessarily songs) that I truly enjoy are
... Andy Williams singing 'It's the Most Wonderful Time Of the Year'.
Mike
Ellen Degeneres' show really ruined that song for me -- using it for all those holiday giveaways with the dancing giraffe and other characters.
Quote from: thenetwork on December 17, 2024, 09:59:43 PMAnother week to go this Christmas season and we all have our favorites as well.as the certain songs that make you want to to destroy your radio or listening device.
I'm not here to talk about the proverbial songs you hate, but I'm just curious about one song that has for the most part been re-imagined since it's humble beginning and I want to know if others agree with me.
The traditional "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" song was nice little ditty of a Christmas Tune with a nice melody...
...Until artists like The Pointer Sisters and Bruce Springsteen changed up the chorus a bit (repeating "Santa Claus....to town" multiple times) making it sound like it came off a Broadway show.
To me, the post-80s version sung by the Pointers and The Boss, among others, has never been as good as the original versions of the song. Doesn't help that the modern version seems to be the one they overkill on stations that play Christmas tunes.
Does anyone else agree or disagree? It's like someone who has to personalize their version of our National Anthem at a sporting event -- they sing the lyrics, but they have to change or hang onto certain notes longer or shorter than the "traditional version".
It never was among my favorite Christmas songs but there is a great version done by Joe Spence if you have not heard it. Keeps it simple. Just him and the guitar. https://youtu.be/r_jRAJZ9_y0?si=g-3I2tZf8p6keTJm
Merry Christmas
Quote from: thenetwork on December 20, 2024, 02:09:29 PMQuote from: mgk920 on December 20, 2024, 12:18:42 PMSome of the few (holiday) things (not necessarily songs) that I truly enjoy are
... Andy Williams singing 'It's the Most Wonderful Time Of the Year'.
Mike
Ellen Degeneres' show really ruined that song for me -- using it for all those holiday giveaways with the dancing giraffe and other characters.
I think I've seen 15 minutes of her show in aggregate. Why were you watching...? :D
Quote from: Rothman on December 20, 2024, 03:01:08 PMQuote from: thenetwork on December 20, 2024, 02:09:29 PMQuote from: mgk920 on December 20, 2024, 12:18:42 PMSome of the few (holiday) things (not necessarily songs) that I truly enjoy are
... Andy Williams singing 'It's the Most Wonderful Time Of the Year'.
Mike
Ellen Degeneres' show really ruined that song for me -- using it for all those holiday giveaways with the dancing giraffe and other characters.
I think I've seen 15 minutes of her show in aggregate. Why were you watching...? :D
Don't forget the NFL's promo ad that featured that song.
Mike
I have a couple of "Christmas" songs saved on my phone among the 3000 or so songs. For me, these are worth having pop up anytime:
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan
Baby Please Come Home - U2
Christmas All Over - Tom Petty
And yes, Die Hard is a Christmas movie.
This is one Christmas song who won't be air on radio. "The night Santa went crazy" by Weird Al Yankovic with 2 videos done by fans.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Night_Santa_Went_Crazy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSs3FyeThM0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTGlUMvbhSw
And an older one still from Weird Al Yankovic, "Christmas at Ground Zero".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_at_Ground_Zero
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t039p6xqutU
Quote from: hobsini2 on December 20, 2024, 03:54:16 PMI have a couple of "Christmas" songs saved on my phone among the 3000 or so songs. For me, these are worth having pop up anytime:
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan
Baby Please Come Home - U2
Christmas All Over - Tom Petty
And yes, Die Hard is a Christmas movie.
Also 'Fairytale of New York', by the Pogues.
Mike
Quote from: 1995hoo on December 20, 2024, 08:26:26 AMThe insipid "Jingle Bell Rock," [...] (it's by no means a "rock" song)
It's an older example, sir, but it checks out....
Ironic how Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You is now one of the most overplayed, commercialized Christmas songs.
What's in my usual playlist:
-Jon Anderson's 3 Ships album
-Chris Squire's Swiss Choir album
-Greg Lake "I Believe in Father Christmas"
-"Christmas Time is Here" from Peanuts
-"Wonderful Christmastime" by Paul McCartney
-"Happy Xmas" by John Lennon
-"Merry Christmas" by Chieri Ito
Quote from: Rothman on December 20, 2024, 03:01:08 PMQuote from: thenetwork on December 20, 2024, 02:09:29 PMQuote from: mgk920 on December 20, 2024, 12:18:42 PMSome of the few (holiday) things (not necessarily songs) that I truly enjoy are
... Andy Williams singing 'It's the Most Wonderful Time Of the Year'.
Mike
Ellen Degeneres' show really ruined that song for me -- using it for all those holiday giveaways with the dancing giraffe and other characters.
I think I've seen 15 minutes of her show in aggregate. Why were you watching...? :D
Because it was the lead-in to the local evening news and it was always playing in the last segment & closing credits of her show during the holidays.
Quote from: thenetwork on December 20, 2024, 08:09:56 PMQuote from: Rothman on December 20, 2024, 03:01:08 PMQuote from: thenetwork on December 20, 2024, 02:09:29 PMQuote from: mgk920 on December 20, 2024, 12:18:42 PMSome of the few (holiday) things (not necessarily songs) that I truly enjoy are
... Andy Williams singing 'It's the Most Wonderful Time Of the Year'.
Mike
Ellen Degeneres' show really ruined that song for me -- using it for all those holiday giveaways with the dancing giraffe and other characters.
I think I've seen 15 minutes of her show in aggregate. Why were you watching...? :D
Because it was the lead-in to the local evening news and it was always playing in the last segment & closing credits of her show during the holidays.
Hm. Look up the 80-20 rule. :D
... is overkill.
I've soured on Christmas music as the years wore on. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Christmas, but the solid ear-worm music in stores is agitating. I'll bring my airpods in and play noise-canceling music.
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on December 19, 2024, 11:19:35 PM"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" is no better.
Well, it could be made better if we could digitally remove Yoko Ono's
vocals screeching.
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on December 19, 2024, 11:19:35 PMQuote from: mgk920 on December 18, 2024, 10:34:18 AMMy worst 'holiday' earworm is 'Wonderful Christmastime' by Paul McCartney.
:banghead:
Mike
"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" is no better.
From what I gather, the Beatles are the worst band ever at this sort of thing. But then again, they were already broken up when these two songs were first released, and Lennon was dead for two years before McCartney put out his own song.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan3561 on December 20, 2024, 07:41:39 PMWhat's in my usual playlist:
-Jon Anderson's 3 Ships album
-Chris Squire's Swiss Choir album
-Greg Lake "I Believe in Father Christmas"
Interesting, I'll have to check the first two out. I've heard the Greg Lake song. (Yule log, more like Yule Prog, amirite)
Quote from: Molandfreak on December 19, 2024, 04:05:04 PMQuote from: JoePCool14 on December 19, 2024, 01:42:11 PMThe Drifters' version of White Christmas ruins the song for me.
That is a good cover to me; it takes a slow crooner classic and transforms it into a fun doo-wop tune. Certainly more creative than the aforementioned trend of speeding up Santa Claus is Coming to Town, which is already an upbeat swing tune.
The nice thing about speeding up Santa Claus is Coming to Town is that theoretically it should be over faster.
I keep hearing this version of "Noel" where the only lyrics are the word "Noel" and everything else is instrumental. Took me a while to realize they weren't actually saying "Nowhere" though.
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 20, 2024, 11:32:41 PMI keep hearing this version of "Noel" where the only lyrics are the word "Noel" and everything else is instrumental. Took me a while to realize they weren't actually saying "Nowhere" though.
What's the difference between the regular alphabet and the Christmas alphabet? :-D
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on December 21, 2024, 06:10:37 PMQuote from: Scott5114 on December 20, 2024, 11:32:41 PMI keep hearing this version of "Noel" where the only lyrics are the word "Noel" and everything else is instrumental. Took me a while to realize they weren't actually saying "Nowhere" though.
What's the difference between the regular alphabet and the Christmas alphabet? :-D
The Christmas alphabet would only let you make right turns before arrow placards were added to signs. :awesomeface:
Quote from: TheHighwayMan3561 on December 20, 2024, 07:41:39 PMWhat's in my usual playlist:
-Jon Anderson's 3 Ships album
-Chris Squire's Swiss Choir album
I would say 'Yes', but you are missing Rick Wakeman*, who is something of a Christmas staple in my family, with my parents going to a Rick Wakeman Christmas gig every year (my Dad also goes to any Yes/not-Yes tour going).
And so, along with a compliation album from the year 2000 of Christmas pop songs, this is the CD they play at Christmas:
*myriad other members of Yes are also available, though only certain combinations can use that name.