Tag Archives: Martina McBride

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!!!

Advertisement

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2018: Day 22

Posted in Christmas, Music by

Hi, Everybody!!!  Welcome back to the countdown.

I follow a lot of unbelievably talented & creative women on Instagram, and since their pictures are so beautiful, I wanted to share a few with you.

Screenshot_20181218-174651_01

Courtesy of Amanda @rosierosechic. 

This pretty picture is from Amanda @rosierosechic.   Her style is feminine without being too girly, creative, thrifted, elegant and neutral with the softest pops of color.  And the way she decorated her young daughter’s room is so beautiful I would not mind having a space like that for myself.  You can see that room and the rest of her lovely home on her IG page.  Thank you, Amanda, for letting me use your picture!!!

Now back to the countdown.

Today’s song was originally recorded by Bing Crosby & Carol Richards in 1950 and was featured in the 1951 movie “The Lemon Drop Kid” where it was sung by Bob Hope & Marilyn Maxwell.  It was written by movie composers Jay Livingston (music) and Ray Evans (lyrics).  Like many other Christmas songs originally sung by Crosby, it has become a holiday staple covered by everyone from Perry Como, Elvis Presley, The Supremes, Martina McBride and Michael Buble, to name a few.  But my favorite version is by the man born Dino Paul Crocetti.

Dean Dino

Dean Martin:  “Silver Bells” (1966).

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 2018: Day 7

Posted in Christmas, Music by

Hi, Everybody!!!  Welcome back to the countdown.

day 7

Found on Pinterest/House Beautiful Magazine’s page.

Today’s song was written by Gene Redd & blues singer Charles Brown in 1960.  Brown recorded the original version the same year and it has since been covered by the likes of the Eagles, Willie Nelson, Martina McBride and Kelly Clarkson, to name a few.  The original is my favorite followed very closely by the 1993 version by a soul and R&B powerhouse who began as a solo performer in the 1960’s, then joined a group with his brothers in the 1970’s before hitting the top of the charts with a couple of duets with Linda Ronstadt in 1989 & 1990, including the #1 Billboard Adult Contemporary smash “Don’t Know Much”.

charles brown              aaron

Charles Brown (circa 1960’s)                                Aaron Neville (circa 1990’s)

Aaron Neville:  “Please Come Home For Christmas” (1993).

Charles Brown:  “Please Come Home For Christmas” (1960).

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: Day 22

Posted in Christmas, Music by

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!!!

Christmas Song Countdown #20

Posted in Christmas, Music by

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

robin

Courtesy:  Country Living Magazine

Today’s pick was one of my mother’s favorite Christmas carols.  If I close my eyes tight enough I can practically see myself as a young girl standing next to her in church singing this song with her.

The version I chose is by a singer who has one of the most beautiful-and most powerful-voices I have ever heard.  She is tied with Reba McEntire for the most nominations (17) in any vocalist category from the Country Music Association .  While she has a lengthy repertoire of original music (including my favorite “A Broken Wing“), she has also covered such classics as Van Morrison’s “Wild Night“, Otis Redding’s “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” and Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through The Night“.

kris-kristofferson

Kris Kristofferson (Original source unknown)

 

WE INTERRUPT THIS BLOG POST FOR A MOMENT TO SWOON OVER KRIS KRISTOFFERSON

Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon!!! .

(Thank you.  I needed that).

I like that despite the strength of her voice, she does not over-sing every single note of every song she sings.  She adds the punch when needed but sings softly as well.  Her performance of this song is a perfect example of her impeccable balance.

Martina McBride:  O Come All Ye Faithful.

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!!!

country-living

Courtesy:  Country Living Magazine