Category Archives: Holidays

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2019: Day 11

Posted in Christmas, Holidays, Music by

Welcome back to the countdown!!!

Enjoy this sweet vintage image of an angel holding a small Christmas tree.  Heavenly!!!

day 10A.jpg

Found on Pinterest (original source unknown).  

Yesterday, we celebrated the King of Soul,  Today, we hail the Queen.

While we may never be able to agree on the greatest male voice of all time, there is only one woman who qualifies as the top female choice.  She sang everything from gospel to R&B, soul to pop, mainstream and rock to opera.  She appeared on TV and not just in music awards specials.  Who can forget Murphy Brown’s reaction when she finally met her idol?  She also sang in movies (“The Blues Brothers” and its sequel) and won every honor and award in existence during her 50 plus years as a singer.

She became a cultural icon along the way as well.  Not too many singers have had the opportunity to perform at a presidential inauguration, but this woman did.  She sang “My Country Tis Of Thee” for Barack Obama in January 2009.  Towards the end of her performance, as she sang the words “let freedom ring”, the camera cut away from her and went to an American flag waving in the wind.  It was a beautiful moment for our country, and just one of dozens this woman gave us.  How we have survived the last 16 months without her is a complete mystery to me, and a heartbreaking one at that.

SONY DSC

                                                                      Aretha Franklin, Jones Beach, NY July 2011.

Aretha Franklin: “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” (based on a 1739 Christmas carol with various writers including Charles Wesley and George Whitefield).

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, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2019: Day 10

Posted in Christmas, Holidays, Music by

Welcome back to the countdown!!!

I think today’s vintage Christmas card image has to be the most adorable one so far, don’t you agree???!!!

Day 10

Found on Pinterest (original source unknown.

The singer we celebrate today, the King of Soul, recorded two Christmas songs before he died 52 years ago today at the age of 26.  The first one was yesterday’s pick (Day 9) and his version is undoubtedly the most soulful one ever made.  It is the highlight of the soundtrack from the movie “Love Actually” which, if you have not seen yet, stop what you are doing and WATCH IT NOW!!!  Bonus:  the very handsome & charming Liam Neeson is in it and will just melt your heart!!!

The second dates back to 1947 and is just another example of how this immensely talented singer could sing anything and make it his own.  And since he left us with only these two holiday songs, and since he is probably the greatest male soul singer who ever graced this earth, I feel I must share both with you or I would not be doing my job as your music connoisseur  🙂

Otis.jpgOtis Redding circa mid 1960’s (original source unknown).    

Otis Redding:  “Merry Christmas Baby” (1967, written by Johnny Moore and Lou Baxter in 1947)

Otis Redding:  “White Christmas” (1967, written by Irving Berlin in 1942)

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, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2019: Day 9

Posted in Christmas, Holidays, Music by

Welcome back to the countdown!!!

Here’s another gorgeous vintage Christmas image from Pinterest.  What was life before Pinterest?!?!   🙂

day 9

Original source unknown.  

Irving Berlin could not have possibly known how many people would go on to record one of his most famous songs.  He wrote several and lived to be 101 years old, but I still think he could not even imagine how many versions of this Christmas classic would be out there one day.  And there are new ones being recorded each year.  Berlin wrote it imagining Christmas in his home state & city of New York as opposed to the west coast state of California he was working in.

When it was first released in 1942, service men & women facing their first Christmas away due to their tours in World War II saw it as a dream of home.  For the rest of us, it invokes cherished memories of the Christmases we knew as children or before life happened to us.  The version of this song I like best is by a fellow Italian, a fellow native New Yorker and painter who has been singing for 70 years.  Not a bad gig.

Tony Bennett

Anthony Dominick Benedetto a/k/a Tony Bennett:  “White Christmas” (1968, written by Irving Berlin in 1942).

And for a great female take on this classic, here is one of my favorites:

Martina White Christmas.jpg

Martina McBride:  “White Christmas” (1998, written by Irving Berlin in 1942).

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, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2019: Day 8

Posted in Christmas, Holidays, Music by

Welcome back to the countdown!!!

I found another gorgeous vintage image on Pinterest, and the fact that it is in black & white makes me love it even more.

day 8

Found on Pinterest & TuckDB Postcards (original source unknown).  

I miss this man so much, and it has been that way for 39 years.  I wonder what he would be doing now if he were still here.  Would he still be touring like his old band mate, Paul?  Or would he be thinking about a global “Peace & Love” moment every year on his birthday like his other band mate, Ringo?  Or would he be retired living the life of a house husband like he did in the mid 1970’s?  My guess is a combination of all three.  But he would be here.  And that would have made all the difference.  Incredibly big sigh.

Rather than focusing on the loss, I want to remember him and celebrate all that was gained from his incredible life.  And that is evident in his music.  He is still a staple on classic rock radio, but this time of year this song is everywhere.  Many artists have covered it, but nothing compares to the original.  Or to the man himself.  Happy Christmas, John Lennon.  I miss you.  But I’m not the only one.

Happy_Xmas_(War_is_Over)

Courtesy of Apple Records & Iain Macmillan. 

John Lennon & Yoko Ono with the Plastic Ono Band the Harlem Community Choir:  “Happy Christmas (War Is Over)” (1971, lyrics written by John Lennon & Yoko Ono in 1971).

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, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2019: Day 7

Posted in Christmas, Holidays, Music by

Welcome back to the countdown!!!

Greetings from another charming vintage Christmas card circa 1950’s.  Swoon!!!

day 7

Found on Pinterest (original soutce unknown).  

When you think of the best blue eyed soul singers this country has ever produced, today’s singer is either at or near the very top of the list, depending on who you ask.  That incredibly talented voice, his prowess on the keyboards, his collaborations with Steely Dan and his tenure with the Doobie Brothers is what this five time Grammy winner is best known for.  He is also a friend and frequent collaborator with the writers of today’s song.  It’s always a treat to find a “new” Christmas song, and this is an exceptional one.

Michael McDonald

Michael McDonald:  “On Christmas Morning” (2001, written by David Foster & Kenny Loggins, circa 1989).

kenny loggins

For an added bonus, listen to Kenny Loggins’ own version of this song recorded for his “December” album released in 1998.

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, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2019: Day 6

Posted in Christmas, Holidays, Music by

Welcome back to the countdown!!!

charlie brown with the tree

Courtesy of Lee Mendelson Film Productions / MGN 

Today we celebrate not just one song, but several from what is arguably the best Christmas special ever made.  Last night this holiday favorite aired for the 54th year in a row and yes, I was front and center.  It leaves me all warm and cuddly inside while hitting all the points of the season:  good will towards men, non-commercialism, listening to special holiday music with people you care about, choosing to decorate (and celebrate, for that matter) in a way that makes you happy, even if that way is not the conventional approach, knowing that anything is beautiful with a little love and the core religious aspect of what Christmas is all about.  Plus it stars some of my best friends in the universe, the Peanuts.

Linus speech

Courtesy of Lee Mendelson Productions / MGN 

Based on the successful comic strip started in 1950, the animated holiday special was commissioned and sponsored by the Coca-Cola Company which obviously knew a good thing when they saw it.  It was the first TV appearance for the Peanuts characters and catapulted them and their creator from a mere phenomenon to super stardom.  Merchandise of all kinds was created and it was not just limited to toys.  Other items like cookie jars, home decor & accessories, watches, clothing, greeting cards, lunch boxes, Pez dispensers, banks, etc. were also marketed.  You name it, it is out there.  And today it is still a billion dollar industry that all began with this special from 1965.  Not to mention its incredible unforgettable grown-up soundtrack that critic Shawn M. Haney wrote ” “introduce[d] contemporary jazz to youngsters with grace, charm, and creativity.”  If this were the only Christmas album I could listen to for the rest of my life, I would be perfectly fine with that (but please don’t tell Bruce Springsteen!!!).

Peanuts Christmas

Other Peanuts TV specials followed, as did movies, including a 3-D one in 2015.  And the comic strip also continued for the next 35 years.  Sadly it came to an end in February 2000 when its glorious creator was forced to retire due to his failing health.  He died the day after the last strip was published.  His official cause of death was cancer.  Unofficially, I think it was due to a broken heart.  We all knew from the last words of that final strip how much it hurt to say goodbye to the characters he created who became our beloved friends.  His words were ones we could all identify with:

“Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy…..how can I ever forget them?”

Thanks to “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, none of us ever have to.  But how do we ever thank you, Charles M. Schulz, for the gift of our dear sweet cherished Peanuts?

Peanuts Album.jpg

“Christmas Is Coming” (1965, instrumental by The Vince Guaraldi Trio, written by Vince Guaraldi in 1965).

“Christmas Time Is Here” (1965, vocal version by choristers from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in San Rafael, California, written by Lee Mendelson & Vince Guaraldi in 1965).

“Christmas Time Is Here” (1965, instrumental version by The Vince Guaraldi Trio, written by Lee Mendelson & Vince Guaraldi in 1965).

“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (1965, vocal by choristers from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in San Rafael, California, based on a 1739 Christmas carol with various writers including Charles Wesley and George Whitefield).

“Linus and Lucy” (1965, instrumental by The Vince Guaraldi Trio, written by Vince Guaraldi in 1965).

“O Tannenbaum” (1965, instrumental by The Vince Guaraldi Trio, written by Vince Guaraldi in 1965).

“Skating” (1965, instrumental by The Vince Guaraldi Trio, written by Ernst Anschutz in 1824).

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, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2019: Day 5

Posted in Christmas, Holidays, Music by

Welcome back to the countdown!!!

More music and vintage Christmas card goodness to share with you today.  I think candles are very peaceful to look at, even when they are in a picture.

day 5

Found on Pinterest (original source unknown).

Today’s song was written by a man many only saw as a comedian, but he was so much more.  He was a writer, an actor, a radio personality, a musician and a composer.  A year after he wrote today’s song he co-created and became the first host of  “The Tonight Show” in 1954.  Hard to think about American culture without late night television.

It would be even harder to imagine our world without the artist who performed the tune we celebrate today.  A New Orleans native, he practically invented the sound we now associate with that part of the country:  a blend of jazz, creole, the blues and anything else that might sweeten the pot.  He mastered the trumpet & coronet before he began singing as well.  His distinctive  rough, gravely voice was the complete antithesis of what was popular in a generation of crooners.  But his innovate vocal scat technique not only influenced them but taught them more about the power of their own voices.  And if there is one song in existence that almost everyone would agree is a masterpiece, it is probably this man’s  version of “What A Wonderful World“.

Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong:  “Cool Yule” (1953, written by Steve Allen in 1953).

And for a fun female celestial take on this song,  listen to the one by The Divine Miss M.

Bette

Bette Midler:  “Cool Yule” (2006, written by Steve Allen in 1954).

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, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2019: Day 4

Posted in Christmas, Holidays, Music by

Welcome back to the countdown!!!

Here is another 1950’s Christmas card image.   So adorable!!!

day 4

Found on Pinterest (original source unknown).

Today’s singer is known as The Queen of Christian Pop.  The first time I saw her she was performing her hit “Angels” on the Grammy awards barefoot.  I was intrigued.  Her mainstream break through came in 1986 when her duet with Chicago’s Peter Cetera, “The Next Time I Fall“, hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.  Her 1991 album “Heart In Motion” produced another number one song, “Baby, Baby“, along with several other hits.  Her take on today’s tune is much different than the full choir & orchestral versions usually associated with this piece.  And I have always loved those as they remind me of hearing it in church when I was a little girl.  But this singer’s version with only a minimal arrangement peppered with a light touch of traditional back-up accompaniment allows her beautiful clear soft voice to stand out in all its beauty.  Thanks to her less is more approach, I think this is one of the best versions of this song I have ever heard.

Amy Grant

Amy Grant:  “O Come All Ye Faithful” (1992, written by various authors with the earliest verse dating back to 1744).

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, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2019: Day 3

Posted in Christmas, Holidays, Music by

Welcome back to the countdown!!!

Here’s another classic 1950’s Christmas card image I found on Pinterest.  So charming & festive!!!

day 3

Found on Pinterest by way of  Zazzle.ca (original source unknown).

Today’s song is by an American band formed in 1967 that went on to become one of the best selling groups of all time.  Known for their ballads, their rock songs and everything in between, their music is a combination of jazz, R&B, pop and classical.  All this and a horn section, too.  What more could a band need?  Oh, right, great songwriters and incredibly talented vocalists.  Check and check.

They released a Christmas album in 1998 (produced by E Street Band member Roy Bittan) which was reissued in 2003 with six extra songs including this classic.  For some people, there will never be a better version than Gene Autry’s or the one from the TV special as sung by Burl Ives,.  But I think today’s pick is a really good one.  Let’s call it the grown-up version of a childhood favorite.

Chicago

Chicago:  “Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer” (2003, written by Johnny Marks in 1939).

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, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2019: Day 2

Posted in Christmas, Holidays, Music by

Welcome back to the countdown!!!

I love vintage Christmas card images.  I found this one online and could not resist sharing it with you.  Outdoor Christmas trees covered in snow are magical to me.

day 2

Original source unknown.  

Today’s song was written in 1962 and became a hit the following year for Bing Crosby.  His version is a traditional  take on this tune and holds up well, but the song was never really a favorite of mine.  Maybe that’s why despite the dozens of versions that have been introduced to the world in the past 56 years I never really took notice.  Then I heard this group’s soulful cover and all that changed.

The lead singer has one of the best voices to come out of Motown, where she and her group first found success.  She began singing in church at age four and by age 7 she won her first award on a TV amateur hour.  Her unbelievably powerful vocal range gave their recordings equal doses of grace and grit which were framed by the luscious harmonies of her back-up group.  And their dance moves and choreography only added to the experience of watching them perform.  They had many hits of their own but their take on songs like “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” and “The Way We Were” made them as popular as the originals.  And just what would the landscape of music (or life, for that matter) look like without that “Midnight Train To Georgia“???

gladys and the pips.jpg

Gladys Knight & the Pips:  “Do You Hear What I Hear?” (1975, written by Noel Regney & Gloria Shayne in 1962).

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, happy listening!!!