Music & makeovers! I swoon for chippy paint, a gorgeous patina and a fabulous song!!! I love great music (read: Bruce Springsteen & Otis Redding), white lilacs, walking in freshly fallen snow, the Golden Girls, road trips and the fall!!!
Hi, Vixens!!! How are all of you today? Ready for another great holiday song??? Then let’s get to it.
Soul music-whether in the form of Motown, R&B, Philly Soul, Gospel or some other variation-has been a favorite of mine forever. I love music that is consumed with so much emotion. It reminds me I am alive and hits my soul like a bolt of electricity, which is perhaps where the term “soul music” came from-music that touches the soul.
And while we are on the subject of Al Green, his version of “O Holy Night” sent shivers down my spine from the second I heard it. Done in his signature style, it oozes personality, charm, soul, R&B and every emotion it makes you feel. It is simply majestic!!!
I do not own the rights to anything, I am just sharing some of my favorite music with you.
Hello, Vixens!!! With 10 days to go until the big day, are you on track? Holding it all together? Covered in flour from all the cookies you are baking? Wherever you are on your road to Christmas, take a well deserved break with another holiday tune.
Source: mtv.com
Christmas songs have been covered by almost everyone who’s anyone for decades now if not longer, so for someone to take one and make it his or her own is a rare feat indeed. But when the cover version is by Ray Charles, a rare feat is an everyday occurrence.
Whether you like his interpretation because you are a fan of the Genius himself, or it reminds you of when Harry and Sally carried her Christmas tree home in the falling snow, or of James Caan’s softer side in “Elf”, this holiday classic is a treat for the whole family.
With the long holiday weekend to celebrate our nation’s independence upon us, I thought I would share the songs I listen to whenever I take a road trip. There is something about the open highway that is invigorating and inspiring to me. Seeing this beautiful country from different vantage points reminds me how lucky I am to call it home.
One of my favorite buildings in Waxhaw, NC.
Copyright 2011.
I celebrate that freedom with the musicians who have contributed to the soundtrack I live my life to. The songs I chose may not specifically mention or relate to the holiday at all, but they or the artists singing them remind me of home. This is my comfort music.
And given the current climate with the Supreme Court’s ruling and one state’s steps to see us all as equals under the same flag, this year’s observance of the 4th of July seems more important than ever.
The view from one of my favorite antiques barns in Jeffersonville, VT.
Copyright 2013.
So here is what I will be listening to this weekend:
10) “Feeling Stronger Every Day” by Chicago. A great American band named for their home city. And what a message for anyone who needs some encouragement.
9) “Proud Mary” by Creedence Clearwater Revival. America’s all American band born on the bayou by way of California.
8) “The Weight” by the Band. The late Levon Helm at his best.
7) “American Pie” by Don McClean. An unlikely anthem if ever there was one.
6) “Dancing in the Streets” by Martha and the Vandellas. Does it get more American than Motown-a/k/a Detroit-where Chevys were made? Remember the car maker’s old tag line? “Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet”. What a visual.
5) “Roadhouse Blues” by the Doors. The harmonica adds the perfect amount of Americana to this rocker.
4) “Me & Bobby McGee” by Kris Kristofferson. A song about falling in love while on the road with the “windshield wipers slappin’ time”. Jack Kerouac would have been so proud.
3) “This Land is Your Land” by Pete Seeger & Friends. Forget why they were there. Just focus on the moment when Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen and others stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to sing one of the greatest songs celebrating our country.
2) “Thunder Road” by Bruce Springsteen. New Jersey’s elite music master celebrates the best of this country (see #3) and the worst (“Born in the USA”). But no one does it with more passion, grace or heart than Freehold’s fortunate son.
1) “America the Beautiful” by Ray Charles. It’s Ray Charles singing. Enough written.
Before we get to the countdown, let’s take a moment to recognize a happy anniversary-and one of the most important events to occur in music history.
On February 9, 1964 the Beatles made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. They performed “All My Loving”, “Till There Was You”, “She Loves You” “I Saw Her Standing There” & “I Want To Hold Your Hand”.
Sunday nights, not to mention music itself, was never ever the same again.
For those of you lucky enough to have witnessed the performance the night it took place, you were part of history in the making plus you had a front row seat to the start of the British Invasion.
BONUS: Congratulations to George Harrison who was honored with a Lifetime Achievements Award for his work as a solo artist at the Grammy Awards last night.
My #6 pick in the countdown is “A Song For You” by Ray Charles written by Leon Russell.
I never thought I could choose from the genius that is Charles. After all, this is the man who took “America The Beautiful;” and made it seem as if it were written for only him.
Perhaps what made it easy to narrow down was the beautiful marriage of Charles’ voice with simplistic beauty of Russell’s lyrics:
“You taught me precious secrets Of a true love, withholding nothing You came out in front and I was hiding Now I’m so much better And if my words don’t come together Listen to the melody Cause my love is in there hiding
I love you in a place where there’s no space or time I love you for my life You’ re a friend of mine And when my life is over Remember when we were together We were alone and I was singing this song to you”
This song earned Charles the 12th Grammy Award of his illustrious career in the category for Best Male R & B Performance in 1994. There is nothing I can write about Ray Charles that has not already been written except that the world became a sadder place when we lost his voice in 2004. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of fame in 1986 by one of his closest friends, Quincy Jones. Here’s one of my favorite songs the two did together, with a little help from Chaka Khan.
Music is such a special part of my life, and Christmas songs are no different. There have been so many great versions of almost every song, it was hard to narrow it down to just 20. But with 10 days to go before the big day, I thought I would share my list with all of you.
Each song includes a link to a YouTube video. I do not own the rights to anything, nor am I associated with any of the channels/videos that I chose. I just picked ones that showcased either the artists and/or the song enough to give you the best feel for the tune (in my humble opinion).
All opinions are my own.
What are some of your favorite Christmas songs? Tell me in the comments below.
Enjoy!!!
1) Merry Christmas Baby by Bruce Springsteen ( written by Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore).
It’s Bruce. To say this is perfect would only be redundant.
2) Christmas Time is Here by the Peanuts ( written by Lee Mendelson and Vince Guaraldi).
The Peanuts were my best friends when I was a kid, and today they are just as special to me. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is the main reason why. If all I did for the holiday season was watch this special, my Christmas would still be perfect.
3) White Christmas by Otis Redding (written by Irving Berlin).
Yes, I know all about the popularity of Bing Crosby’s version. However, in my humble opinion, Redding brings such a stunning soulful element to his version of this song I really cannot listen to any other one. And if it was good enough for the “Love Actually” soundtrack, it is good enough for me.
4) Winter Wonderland by Ray Charles (written by Felix Bernard).
Charles’ take on this is as unique and gorgeous as his version of “America The Beautiful”. Truly a holiday gem.
5) Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives (written by Johnny Marks).
Who does not want a singing snowman??? Burl Ives is one of the reasons why I still tune in to watch “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” even now.
6) Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Darlene Love (written by Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry).
Love has performed this song on Letterman’s show since 1993. You have to watch both the studio version and the live version to truly appreciate this song and Love’s voice.
7) Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (written by Charles Wesley).
Between the Peanuts characters singing it at the end of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and it being the song that celebrated George Bailey’s worth in “It’s A Wonderful Life”, it is impossible for me to hear any version of this song and not get verklempt. A multitude of singers have covered this song but Martina McBride, Neil Diamond & Frank Sinatra’s versions are among my favorites.
8) Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Judy Garland (written by Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane).
Tony Bennett called Garland the greatest singer he ever heard. I am in no position to argue with a man of his talent and taste.
9) Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley (written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson).
It’s ELVIS!!!
10) O Come All Ye Faithful by Nat King Cole (written by John Francis Wade).
Most people associate him with the most famous version of “The Christmas Song”, but it is this Christmas classic that I love the most of Cole’s holiday recordings.
11) The Christmas Song by Tony Bennett (written by Mel Torme & Robert Wells).
Tony Bennett is a legend. If you do not have any of his music in your collection, you are doing yourself a disservice.
12) It’s a Marshmallow World by Dean Martin (written in 1949 by Carl Sigman and Peter DeRose).
I think Frank Sinatra would even agree that Martin was probably the coolest member of the Rat Pack.
13) Celebrate Me Home by Kenny Loggins (written by Bob James and Kenny Loggins).
Not a cover of a Christmas classic, but a song of Loggins’ very own is now a holiday staple.
14) What Christmas Means To Me by Stevie Wonder (written by Anna Gordy Gaye (yes, Marvin Gaye’s first wife) & George Gordy).
Another original Christmas tune that has become a staple of the holiday. And who can forget Will Ferrell’s “Elf” jumping on the mattresses with his little brother while this song was playing?
15) Silver Bells by Rosemary Clooney & Bing Crosby (written by Jay Livingston & Ray Evans).
Before her nephew George was probably even born, Rosemary Clooney was Hollywood’s “it” girl. Anything she sang was perfection and pairing her voice with Bing Crosby’s turned a song into a spectacular event.
16) Happy Christmas (War is Over) by John Lennon (written by John Lennon & Yoko Ono).
From the man who told us “love is the answer”, peace was the gift he wanted for the world, and not just at Christmas.
17) The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams (written by Eddie Pola and George Wyle).
I’ll admit this song now reminds me of back to school shopping thanks to a fabulous campaign several years ago by Staples, but it is a holiday classic nonetheless.
18) The Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth by Bing Crosby & David Bowie (Drummer Boy written by Harry Simeone, Henry Onorati & Katherine Kennicott Davis, and the Peace on Earth music & lyrics written by Ian Fraser, Larry Grossman and Alan Kohan expressly for the recording by Crosby and Bowie).
In theory this was an odd pairing, but in principle their voices worked so well together it is hard to imagine this season without this song. But I still wonder what would have happened if Bowie had shown up at Crosby’s house dressed as Ziggy Stardust??? (LOL)
19) O Holy Night by Eric Cartman (written by Adolphe-Charles Adam).
South Park is one of my all time favorite shows, and this clip illustrates just one of the reasons why. Any reverence I had for this song is gone thanks to Trey Parker and Matt Stone, but I would not have it any other way!!!
20) Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer by Elmo and Patsy (written by Randy Brooks).
This brings back memories of me and my cousins signing this song to my grandmother, who I miss everyday, not just at Christmas. But this makes me feel a little closer to her.
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Lilacs & Rust 