Monthly Archives: December 2017

25 Days Of Christmas Music: Day 25

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Merry Christmas, Vixens!!!  Buon Natale to my fellow Italians!!!  Welcome back to the countdown.

joy-to-the-world-lightbox

 

(Original source unknown)

Let me begin by thanking all of you for your support not only over this last month, but throughout the year.  Having the chance to do what I love is a blessing in more ways than one.  This outlet centers me and keeps me focused on what is important when the ballast of every day living threatens to take over more often than it should.  I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday & a Happy (& Blessed) New Year.

I will leave you with the final song of the Christmas music countdown along with a bonus song to begin 2018 as I take a break to recharge my batteries and relax for the last week of the year.

For the final Christmas song, I chose one by a singer who defines the Christmas season with his classic version of “The Christmas Song“.  With today’s pick, he sings a song celebrating the arrival of earth’s King.  In par with yesterday’s song, this tune celebrates the religious holiday as it is based on two Bible passages:  Genesis 3:17-18 and Psalm 98, 96:11-12.

nat king cole

Nat King Cole (original source unknown)

Nat King Cole:  “Joy To The World“

For the new year, my hope and wish is the same every year.  Maybe one day, peace will be a reality.  Here’s to 2018!!!

kenny-loggins-richard-marx

Richard Marx (L) & Kenny Loggins (R) (original source unknown)

Richard Marx & Kenny Loggins:  “Let There Be Peace On Earth”

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing some things that I love with you   🙂

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy listening!!!

peace

(original source unknown)

25 Days Of Christmas Music: Day 24

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Hello, Vixens!!!  Merry Christmas Eve!!!  Welcome back to the countdown.

o-holy-night-390x250

 (Original source unknown)

Today’s song dates back to 1847 and combined the words of French poet Placide Cappeau and the music of Adolphe Adam.  The more familiar singing edition came to life in 1855 courtesy of Unitarian Minister John Sullivan Dwight.

In whatever language this song is sung, the message is clear:  to rejoice over the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ.  No matter how many signs we see at stores that read “Jesus is the reason for the season”, it may be easy to forget that Christmas is a religious holiday for those who believe in him.  We all know how commercial this holiday has always been (even Charlie Brown commented on that in 1965) and how it is arriving earlier and earlier in stores and the media each year.  But the little Catholic school girl I used to be 100 years ago cannot choose any other song for Christmas Eve than the one which celebrates the greatest gift God gave us.

These are my top three favorite versions of this song:

aretha-franklin al-green-pic[1]Mahalia Jackson 
                                                                                             (Original sources unknown)                                        

Aretha Franklin:  “O Holy Night”

Al Green:   “O Holy Night”

Mahalia Jackson:  “O Holy Night”

And for the sarcastic adult that I have become, I cannot resist including this irreverent version every year because it makes me laugh until I cry.

Eric Cartman:  “O Holy Night”

south-park

 (Original source unknown)

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing some things that I love with you   🙂

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Songs: Day 23

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Hello, Vixens!!!  Welcome back to the countdown.

christmas-2

(Original source unknown)

The original version of today’s song hit #1 on the charts in 1949, but the TV special based on the song was not released until 1964.  It has been recorded over a dozen times and three of them are on my list of favorites.  Both the song & the special are holiday staples for anyone who grew up with the tradition of watching it every year.

rudolph

(Original source unknown)

Gene Autry:  “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer”  (1949)

Ella Fitzgerald:  “Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1960)

Burl Ives:  “Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer” (1964)

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing some things that I love with you   🙂

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy listening!!!

 

 

 

 

 

25 Days Of Christmas Music: Day 22

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Hello, Vixens!!!  Welcome back to the countdown.

silver-bells

(Original source unknown)

Today’s song is from 1950 and like others included in the countdown, it was featured in a movie (“The Lemon Drop Kid”).  As pretty as the melody is, the lyrics are what I like most about this song.  It paints such a descriptive picture of how the holiday looks and feels from the point of view of a city street as opposed to the coziness of home.  Seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary.  Perhaps that is what is meant by “the magic of the season”.

For someone who loves words as much as I do, there is no way I can listen to this tune and not marvel at how well the words not only tell the story, but show it as well.  And I am able to see it just as clearly in all four versions of this song I love the most:  swing/big band, country, soul & acoustic.

tony bennett     martina

                      Tony Bennett (R) & Martina McBride (L) (Original source unknown)

Wilson Pickett     she and him

                                   Wilson Pickett (R) and She & Him (L) (Original source unknown)

Tony Bennett & the Count Basie Orchestra:  “Silver Bells”

Martina McBride:  “Silver Bells”

Wilson Pickett:  “Silver Bells”

She & Him:  “Silver Bells“

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing some things that I love with you   🙂

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Songs: Day 21

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Hello, Vixens!!!  Welcome back to the countdown.

durango-co-christmas

(Original source unknown)

My love for Motown is immense.  I have adored it since I was a kid, thanks to my parents.  They bought one of those K-Tel compilations which consisted of four albums of the Motor City’s greatest hits and the rest is history.

So many great songs and singers came out of that era, and to this day four of them are still on my list of favorite voices of all time:  Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, David Ruffin (lead singer of the Temptations) & Levi Stubbs (lead singer of the Four Tops.

Despite the fact that Motown gave us some of the greatest music ever made, so many of the holiday music recorded by those artists is hardly ever heard during the Christmas season.  With radio stations starting earlier and earlier every year to play holiday songs, I do not know how this era of music gets overlooked.  I listen to these four Christmas songs year round, and maybe after hearing them you will understand why.

marvin gaye     Temptations

Marvin Gaye (R) – The Temptations (L) (original sources unknown)

Stevie Wonderthe-four-tops-abdul-duke-fakir-levi-everett

Stevie Wonder (R) – The Four Tops (L) (original sources unknown)

Marvin Gaye:  “I Want To Come Home For Christmas“

Stevie Wonder:  “What Christmas Means to Me“

The Four Tops:  “Away In A Manger“

The Temptations:  “Silent Night”

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing some things that I love with you   🙂

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music: Day 20

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Hello, Vixens!!!  Welcome back to the countdown.

snowmen-3

(Original source unknown)

This may be repetitive for those who follow me. but it is the truth:  I love Bruce Springsteen.  He is one of my heroes, my favorite singer/songwriter and one of the most decent people to ever come out of the music industry.  He taught me so many of life’s lessons, never tried to sugarcoat what was bad, has integrity beyond measure, is loyal and remembers his roots.

Sure he is not perfect, but from what I have seen from people in this life, he is pretty damn close.  I am thankful every day that I not only found him, but I understood him as well.  When I watched him on “Storytellers”, he said his album “Born To Run” was his invitation to his fans to come along for the ride.  Well, I accepted that offer and it has been one of the best parts of my life.

While other rock musicians are lending their music to big box stores for commercials, he continues to honor his legacy by playing his three hour plus concerts and finding new ways to bring his music to his audience.  Publishing his biography and giving us a glimpse into his mind when he was writing his songs is one example, and performing his Broadway show is another.

I saw that show tonight and, of course, the man did not disappoint.  He was his funny, charming, reflective and rocking self.  He talked about his life, his childhood, his family and his career.  In between his monologues, he played some of his music, including a song from an album he released about six years ago.  And it summed up our vicarious relationship perfectly, figuratively speaking:

“Darlin’ if you’re weary lay your head upon my chest
We’ll take what we can carry and we’ll leave the rest
Big wheels roll through the fields where sunlight streams
Meet me in a land of hope and dreams.”

Thanks, Bossman, for the land of hope and dreams.  And for the ride.  And the music.  I will never be able to thank you enough for all of it.

bruce-merrychristmasbaby

Courtesy of Eric Meola

Bruce Springsteen:  “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town”

Bruce Springsteen:  “Merry Christmas, Baby”

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing some things that I love with you  🙂

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music: Day 19

Posted in Christmas, Music by

Hello, Vixens!!!  Welcome back to the countdown.

truck-with-wreath

(Original source unknown)

For most of the countdown, I have had trouble choosing only one song each day because I feel like there are so many great versions of so many holiday classics, I just want to share as many as I can with you.  And while this song is no exception in the amount of great renditions it has, for me there is only one.  Why?  Because that one is by Ray Charles Robinson.

I fell in love with his version the first time I heard in the 1989 movie “When Harry Met Sally” and it has been one of my all time favorite Christmas songs ever since.  In my heart he made this song his own the same way he did with “America The Beautiful“.  There is a reason why he was called “The Genius”, and it is clear in every note of every song he ever played.

ray 2

(Original source unknown)

Ray Charles:  “Winter Wonderland”

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing some things that I love with you   🙂

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music: Day 18

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Hello, Vixens!!!  Welcome back to the countdown.

book-trees

Christmas trees made from stacks of books!!!  (Original source unknown)

Today’s Christmas song is a duet first introduced to the world in the 1949 movie, “Neptune’s Daughter”.  It starred Esther Williams, Ricardo Montalban (yes, Fantasy Island’s Mr. Rourke & Star Trek’s Khan), Betty Garrett (a/k/a Archie Bunker’s nemesis Irene Lorenzo, Laverne & Shirley’s landlady Edna Babish or Sarah a/k/a “Mrs. Caligula” on the Golden Girls Season 7 Episode 13 “Old Boyfriends”) and one of my favorite people in the world, Red Skelton.  The four leads sang the version from the movie as two duets and it was magic.

After that, it was re-recorded over a dozen of times, and these are my top four faves:

Another 1949 version by Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Jordan:  “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”  (Just perfect!).

Louis Armstrong and Velma Middleton – “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”  (This is from their nightclub act so the singing is peppered with jokes.  It was recorded in the early to mid 1950’s & it is fabulous!).

Elf

Leon & Buddy in “Elf” (courtesy of New Line Cinema)

From 2003 – Will Ferrell & Zoey Daschanel (from “Elf”):   “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”  (This is a really nice version from the movie, but for the film’s soundtrack she sings this with Leon Redbone.  In the movie he provides the voice of Leon The Snowman & as a bit of trivia, he sang the theme song to “Mr. Belverdere”).

From 2012 – Rufus Wainwright & Sharon Van Etten:  “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”  (This one has a nice easy piano bar kind of feel to it).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing some things that I love with you   🙂

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music: Day 17

Posted in Christmas, Music by

Hello, Vixens!!!  Welcome back to the countdown.

img_20161206_1525021

Of course the music world is made up of all types of voices:  good, bad, in-between, God awful and so on.  But I think only a few qualify as beautiful, and this man’s voice is at the top of that list.

Whether it is opera, contemporary, holiday, pop or any other type of music you can name, this man sings it with his own unique style and interpretation.  And the fact that he sings most of his songs in two languages-Italian & English-well, that is a swoon-worthy bonus.

I love so many of his duets-and he has done several with such diverse artists as Celine Dion, Reba McEntire, David Foster, Mary J. Blige, Sarah Brightman, Ed Sheeran, Luciano Pavarotti and others.  But it is when he sings his solos that I find myself most enthralled by his voice.

In 2009 he released “My Christmas” and it instantly became a permanent part of my holiday music collection.  These two songs are my favorites from that CD.

andrea-bocelli-cieco

(original source unknown)

Andrea Bocelli:  “Angels We Have Heard On High”

Andrea Bocelli:  “Adeste Fideles“

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing some things that I love with you   🙂

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music: Day 16

Posted in Christmas, Music by

Hello, Vixens!!!  Welcome back to the countdown.

christmas_village_streetview_640

(Original source unknown.)

Tall, dark, handsome & sexy are a few ways to describe this artist.  Unbelievably talented is another.  He paints, sculpts, writes, arranges, produces & performs great music for himself & other artists.  He also plays one mean trumpet.  He co-wrote “Wonderful World” which was initially made famous by Sam Cooke, sang one of my all time favorite Burt Bacharach songs ever (“This Guy’s In Love With You“) which hit #1 in 1968 and was the A of A&M Records which signed the The Carpenters in 1969.

This man had several hits in the 1960’s with his band, the Tijuana Brass (“A Taste Of Honey“, “Whipped Cream” and “Spanish Flea“, which is also known as “The Bachelor’s Theme” from The Dating Game).  On his own he hit #1 again in 1979 with “Rise” (also known to “General Hospital” fans as the song that was playing in Luke’s disco when he raped Laura) and #5 in 1987 with “Diamonds“, with one of his A&M singers, Janet Jackson, on vocals.

He has won all the awards, done all the shows and continues to make great music.  This year he treated us to two releases:  “Music Volume 1” came out in July with some really great new music as well as a lovely cover of the Beatles’ “Michelle” and an absolutely beautiful version of John Lennon’s “Imagine”

“A Christmas Wish” came out in the fall, and all of the songs are wonderful.  But I really like this one since it was originally recorded in 1970 by his old friends, The Carpenters.  I think it shows this man’s heart, loyalty and love of a good song.

kc1971alpert

Richard & Karen Carpenter with Herb Alpert circa 1971 (original source unknown)

Herb Alpert:  “Merry Christmas, Darling”

The Carpenters:  “Merry Christmas, Darling” (original 1970)

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing some things that I love with you   🙂

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy listening!!!