Dec. 16, 2011
As we get deeper into the holiday festivities, we bring your our (and your) official WGBH News Off-the-Beaten-Path Holiday Playlist. Here are a few highlights we discussed on the air:
Jeanne in Dallas: "Local references (Boston). The message is sad but probably real for some people."
Daisy in Boston: "Just listen. You'll get it."
WGBH News' Cristina Quinn: "'He was roly, he was poly and I said holy moly, you got a lot of whiskers on your chinny-chin-chin' — need I say more?"
Sadaf: "I discovered this song one winter when both my best friend Sahil and I were going through some very difficult times. I played it over and over and somehow found light in the darkness."
A thematic twofer. Donna in Boston: "It's really funny and a nice little ditty."
... and Dan in Boston: "Because it's about Christmas! In prison!"
"Cousin Kate" in Newton:
And finally, our host picks. Edgar Herwick: "A gem of a holiday tune buried deep in a non-holiday record."
Bob Seay gets two because he needs a lot of festive music to wake up so early in the morning.
Bob: "I love this song!"
Thanks to everyone who gave us musical inspiration. Don't forget to check out the very full playlist on Grooveshark:
More Arts & Drama
PERFORMING ARTS
Broadway or Bust
MUSIC
Austin City Limits
WORLD MUSIC
Sound Tracks
NEW ENGLAND
WGBH Music
BRITISH DRAMA
Call the Midwife
NEWS
Local Arts Coverage
WGBH ARTS
Open Studio with Jared Bowen
DRAMA
Masterpiece
Topics
Bruce commented on 12.20.11
Is it too late to add one? Jon Dichter (in Philadelphia) sent this to his friends:
This song, The Wondrous Season of Light, was inspired by 14-year-old young man with cerebral palsy. He was sitting next to me while I was tuning a piano on the last night of Chanukah, 2010. This song is the result of our wonderful encounter. Enjoy, Jon Dichter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT74ksOvkvw&feature=share
Dan commented on 12.17.11
My off the beaten track Xmas tracks: Some of the songs from my two Xmas compilations (one built around Ringo Starr’s classic ‘I Want to Be Santa Claus album & the other loosely built around the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special soundtrack). I left out some of the more well known songs on my compilations from the list below)
Xmas Rock:
Winter Wonderland - Ringo Starr (from Ringo’s great Xmas album)
Merry Xmas Everybody - Slade (biggest Xmas song ever in Europe)
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer - Ringo Starr
Punk Rock Xmas - The Ramones (hey ho, let’s go)
Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me - Elvis Presley (ok, this guy is pretty famous)
You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch - Rockapella
Xmas Dance, the - Ringo Starr (Ringo’s bext Xmas song)
Please Come Home for Xmas - Eagles, the
Huge on the Luge - Moxy Fruvous (uh oh, Canadians. Scary…)
Santa Claus is Back in Town - Elvis Presley
White Xmas - Ringo Starr (a Carribean-flavored song of course)
Rockin' Around the Xmas Tree - The Fab Four (off the famous tribute band’s Xmas cds)
Times Are a Changin', the - Blackmore's Night (version of the Dylan song, sounds like the holidays)
Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Slade (from rock’s greatest vocalist Noddy Holder)
Blue Xmas - Ringo Starr
Another Xmas Song - Jethro Tull (what? another Xmas song?)
Space Xmas - Shonen Knife (from those cute Japanese punkers)
Imagine - John Lennon (ok, you may have heard John’s classic song for peace)
Dear Santa - Ringo Starr
Xmas Classics:
Xmas Time is Coming - Cathedrals, the
I'll be Home for Xmas - Leon Redbone
Mid Winter's Night - Blackmore's Night
Let It Snow - The Fab Four (what the Beatles would have sounded like)
T'was the Night Before Xmas - The Brothers Four (from folk’s greatest vocal quartet)
Jingle Bells - Rocky Mountain Boys (only 24 seconds long!)
Praetorius - Blackmore's Night (Richie Blackmore at work)
Sleigh Ride - Brian Setzer (the guy who followed Robert Gordon in modern rockabilly)
I Want a Hippopotamus for Xmas - Gayla Peevey (sure, you try spelling hippopotamus)
Most Wonderful Day of the Year, the - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer soundtrack
Frosty the Snowman - The Fab Four
Deck the Halls - The King's Singers
Winter Basse Dance - Blackmore's Night
Jingle Bells - Brian Setzer
Holly Jolly Xmas - Burl Ives
Xmas Carol - Nerissa & Katryna Nields
Silver and Gold - Burl Ives (where’s King Moonrazor when we need him?)
Xmas Eve - Ringo Starr
Music Box, the - Trans-Siberian Orchestra (not like their usual bombastic stuff)
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer - Burl Ives (I still say Fireball was the best reindeer)
We Wish You a Merry Xmas - The King's Singers
Hey Santa! - Brian Setzer (songs with liquor in them good)
Deck the Halls - Jingle Cats (who can resist meowing cats? Well, only a 22 second version)
Jingle Jingle Jingle - Burl Ives (Ives had a classic voice)
Fayre Thee Well - Blackmore's Night
Dan
pss:39