Mix Tape Friday: Merry Christmas, Baby!
I love Christmas. Tinseling tinsel, twinkling lights, brightly colored balls, Santas everywhere. The decorations and the feeling of the season make me so very happy in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Nightmares of scary monsters are replaced with visions of sugar plums dancing through my head. Yep, I’m a seasonal dork.
So of course I love Christmas music — even the Singing Dogs barking “Jingle Bells,” even that song by Alvin & The Chipmunks. I’ve never cataloged all the albums, CDs (one or two 8 tracks), and MP3s, but I have more than a thousand seasonal tunes within easy reach. And you lucky kids get to reap the bennies of my obsession. I have such a massive collection, I may do several mix tape posts in the days leading to Christmas.
Since my bandwidth tends to get eaten up quickly, we’re going to try something different. I’ve uploaded just Santa’s bag o’ zipped file; no individual track links on this post. If you need just one or two songs to complete your fabulous Christmas mix and don’t feel like downloading the zipped file, drop me an e-mail.
Today we’re rawkin’ out — Santa style. Some classics you’ve heard on your local station for years, some not-so-classics that should be played in place of Bob Seger’s “Little Drumer Boy” (gawd, I hate “Little Drummer Boy”). Some of these are local groups off early-1990s Flagpole Christmas albums, so give ‘em a listen. The late Deacon Lunchbox kicks off the set.
Deacon Lunchbox : Introduction
R.E.M. : Christmas Griping
Hüsker Dü : We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Keith Richards : Run Rudolph Run
Darlene Love : Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Bruce Springsteen : Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
The Ramones : Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)
Young Fresh Fellows : O Little Town of Bethlehem
Pearl Jam : Someday at Christmas
Yo La Tengo : It’s Christmas Time
The Flaming Lips : White Christmas
Oasis : Merry Xmas Everybody
The Beatles : Christmas Time Is Here Again
Graham Parker + Nona Hendryx : Soul Christmas
Clarence Carter : Back Door Santa
The Sonics : Don’t Believe in Christmas
OK Go : Father Christmas
Kelly Hogan : Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
Robert Earl Keen : Merry Christmas from the Family
Dread Zeppelin : All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth
Simple Plan : My Christmas List
The Waitresses : Christmas Wrapping
Billy Squier : Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You
The Woggles : Santa Claus
Pee-Wee Herman : Christmas Medley
Run-DMC : Christmas in Hollis
R.E.M. : Parade of the Wooden Soldiers
Radiohead : Winter Wonderland
Squeeze : Christmas Day
Sufjan Stevens : Hey Guys! It’s Christmas Time!
Band Aid : Do They Know It’s Christmas?
King Missile : Jesus Was Way Cool
Keith Richards’ cover of Chuck Berry’s “Run Rudolph Run” is the best, in my opinion. I like Dave Edmunds, too, but I’m a Keef girl.
There is one song I’ve been trying to find for years (lost my CD in a breakup a decade and a half ago): The Coolies’ “Feliz Navidad.” If you have it, would you share it?
What are your favorite Christmas tracks? Maybe they’ll make an appearance in coming days. Don’t worry — Sinatra and Dino, Andy Williams and Johnny Mathis are hitting the Cup next week.
* * * * * *
There is one song I’ve been trying to find for years (lost my CD in a breakup a decade and a half ago): The Coolies’ “Feliz Navidad.” If you have it, would you share it?
What are your favorite Christmas tracks? Maybe they’ll make an appearance in coming days. Don’t worry — Sinatra and Dino, Andy Williams and Johnny Mathis are hitting the Cup next week.
* * * * * *
Labels: Christmas, Christmas tunes, holidays, I’m back, mix tape, MP3 links are for sampling only and are disabled after two weeks
posted by Cup @ 12:02 AM
30 comments
30 Comments:
From Santas everywhere, hope your stocking gets filled with everything you've dreamed of. best wishes to you and all your beloveds
I've included you in my Holiday Mix Roundup at:
http://gyozamonsta.wordpress.com
Merry Christmas!
Glad to hear that MyDataBus is treating you right once again. Since I received the message that you exceeded your quota for public file downloads today, I'll try downloading the file another time.
We share a couple of favorites in common (like The Waitresses and Run DMC). Those two tunes, along with 11 others, are included in my Thursday Thirteen for this week. I've also included links to download the tracks as well.
That's fantastic Beth. Thank you for the lovely present.
Ho Ho Ho, thanks for the tunes.
couldn't do the download this AM, but will try again later. I think I am starting to get the hang of this.
Great mix - These songs shall be played as I drink nog with the reindeer and elfs.
Thanks for the tunes, and have a great holiday!
I love the BandAid song, and I can't wait to hear the Lips' version of White Christmas!
You're just too popular. That's the problem.
I'm gonna be doing a Christmas Sonic Sunday soon...I knew you would beat me to it! Ah, Squeeze "Christmas Day." Yay!
My all-time fave Christmas song is the Billy Squier one. It's insanely good. I posted the video last year, but who knows if it's been taken down from YouTube by now.
Ya hafta get up pretty early in the mornin' to download from the Cup anymore. I was just thinking I needed the Run DMC tune as an MP3. I have it on cassette - it was on the "A Very Special Christmas" album. It's not Christmas until Moxie has yelled "It's Christmas time in Hollis Queens! Mom's cookin' chicken and collard greens! Rice and stuffing, macaroni and cheese! Santa puts gifts under Christmas trees!" Nothing gets people in the holiday spirit more than hearing an overweight white woman rap. HOLLA!
I will agree with David Letterman - the Darlene Love song is the best Xmas song around.
The fact that you have the Young Fresh Fellows on here makes me want to drive to atlanta and kiss you! Gas is expensive, though. Still, thanks. And merry Christmas!
Yay for you being back, and also for the Ramones, Waitresses, Husker Du, and Run-DMC tunes. I still laugh every time I hear "an ill reindeer."
I'm a big fan of Kurtis Blow's "Christmas Rappin'" (featuring the worst rhyme in hip hop history, "For parents, there were presents, too/a new TV and a stere-oo"), the Pogues' "Fairytale of New York," and Fear's "F* Christmas."
Yay!! You're back. I can't get Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmas Time" out of my head. I like that song ^_^
So glad to have you back gracing the blogosphere with your style and grace.
To me, Christmas will always and forever be Fairytale of New York.
Although naturally I am intrigued to see Radiohead doing Winter Wonderland on your list. Where do you find these gems?
I'm a Jew so I can ask this question guilt free. Dwelling in guilt as much as I do, this is a most liberating thing. Have I couched it enough?!
At the laundrette the other night, my sister and I heard a vinty Christmas song about santa. He's a Spanish kid and the song is half english and half spanish. Spill.
I didn't know you loved Christmas so much. That's so sweet!
Fine list, as always. I have always held a soft spot for "2000 Miles" by the Pretenders.
Great songs! I'm working on my Christmas post now. It's going to be much smaller, as I have some bandwidth limitations...
And I'm happy to say that you didn't include ALL of the songs I'm going to be posting...
(Brace yourself for NKOTB's Funky Funky Xmas...)
I've never liked The Little Drummer Boy either but I heard a version the other day that I didn't recognize and actually didn't mind! If only I knew who it was!
Anything from Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas is on my list and I also love the Eurythmics version of Winter Wonderland.
Thank you for the great tracks! I'll have to stay up late one night and get them downloaded.
My all time favorite Christmas songs are The Christmas by Shoes, and Merry Christmas Will Do, by Material Issue.
Merry Christmas back to ya. I saw Billy Idol's holiday album the other day and got the chills ;)
Run Run Rudolph!
That's "This Christmas" not The Christmas
Beth - glaring ommission?
John Lennon - Happy Xmas (War is Over).
Thank you, thank you.
I'm fully on that Christmas roller coaster ride now...and your wonderful songs help make it a funner ride.
Glad you are back Beth! My favorite holiday tunes are Christmas Wrapping by the Waitresses, Fairytale of New York, and All I want for Christmas is you (the Love Actually version by Olivia Olsen) Oh, and I like the song Father Christmas by The Kinks too :O)
OMG, I love the Pearl Jam one! Also, the Ok Go version of Father Christmas is pretty cool too! Thanks!
Oooh! How about a re-up? Merry Christmas!
Great list.
By the way, I got here looking for Material Issue's Merry Christmas Will Do. (I see Mellow and Barb have stopped here in the past - what a small world.)
Love the Waitress's - so addictive. Ha.
Any chance of reposting these this Xmas??
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