CHRISTMAS MUSIC: Wreck The Halls 

Well, tis the season for radio stations to flip formats. From secular songs to sacred sounds. And every year these stations dust off the ol usual suspects from Bing Crosby’s, White Christmas to Mariah Carey’s, All I Want For Christmas Is You.

Over the years, I’ve collected Christmas songs. I do love me some of the traditional tunes from the likes of Tony Bennett and Julie London. I love some of the rockin’ chestnut roasters on an open fire like, Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney and Christmas Wrapping from The Waitresses. 

Awww, and let’s not forget some of the romantic tunes to cuddle up to such as Merry Christmas Darlin’ or I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm. In fact, I’ll be coming up with a list of some of my favorite romantic Christmas songs that you may want to add to your collection as you snuggle with your love one in from the fire. 

Once in a blue moon some of these all Christmas station might rock us with a Navidad novelty. Some are even Christmas comedy classics like, The Chipmunk Song, Nuttin’ For Christmas, I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, and of course! Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer. And if you grew up listening to Dr. Demento on your radio or bought any of his holiday compilation albums, you’ve heard some of the edger tunes like Cheech & Chong’s, Santa Claus and His Old Lady or Weird Al’s, Christmas at Ground Zero. But there are some great notable novelties I’ve collected that perhaps you haven’t heard that bare a listen on the Bose. Click the links to hear the songs.

BLUE CHRISTMAS -“Porky Pig”/Seymour Swine and the Squeelers

Long before songs went viral on social media, I had a co-worker introduce me to this song that had me laughing so hard. No just because the Porky Pig impression by Denny Brownlee was on target, but also because of the laughter that can be heard by the woman in the background. This gem was recorded back in 1985 when Brownlee was visiting John Boy and Billy on WZRR in Birmingham, Alabama. For legal reasons with Warner Brothers Studios, when it was released on vinyl, they couldn’t say it was Porky Pig singing the Elvis classic, Blue Christmas. So they used the name Seymour Swine and the Squeelers. Blue Christmas

CHRISTMAS WHEN YOU’RE DEAD -Sinatra’s Ghost

Here’s another from a radio morning show. I remember hearing this for the first time on the Kevin + Bean show on KROQ in Los Angeles, presented by Ralph Garman in the style of Frank Sinatra. It’s so good, I think of this as a comic classic Christmas song. Christmas When You're Dead

WINTER WONDERLAND/MISTY MOUNTAIN HOP -Fleming & John

This husband and wife duo have always been one of my favorite bands, long before they had that 1999 hit song, Ugly Girl. A popular alternative Christian band that even had their song, I’m Not Afraid used in an NBC promo for upcoming Halloween shows. Fleming & John cleverly recorded this song by doing the music of Led Zeppelin’s, Misty Mountain Hop, singing the lyrics of Winter Wonderland. “Has Robert Plant and Jimmy Page heard this song?” I asked this of Fleming & John while hanging out with them in Monterey, California. “Yes.” But again for legal reasons, they agreed that they would never release it as a single for sale. So it can only be heard online. WinterWonderland/ Misty Mountain Hop

I FARTED ON SANTA’S LAP -The Little Stinkers 

If you’ve got little ones running around the house the holiday season, they are not only gonna love this one…be aware…they are going to start singing this one about a kid who is worried her Christmas is gonna stink because she tooted on a department store Santa. Released in 2009 with a 7 year old Mary Beltrami front and center of a bunch of kids calling themselves the Little Stinkers. I wonder how Mary feels about this song, now that she's in her 20’s. I Farted on Santa's Lap 

PRESENT FACE -Garfunkel & Oates 

Most likely you’ve seen these two ladies on some of your favorite TV shows and movies. Not just singers, but also comedians and actresses. Riki Lindhome was on the series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the film, Million Dollar Baby. While you may have seen Kate Micucci on The Big Bang Theory as the shy love interest for Raj. Present Face

MR. HEAT MISER/MR. SNOW MISER -The Miser Brothers 

OK, so this has been a holiday classic since the release of the 1974 claymation Christmas special, The Year Without a Santa Claus. Mrs. Claus visits the Miser Brothers (Heat Miser and Snow Miser), with each one of them doing their own seasonal version of the same melody. But in recent years, the song(s) has been a cult classic, with a variety of artists and bands singing the tune. Most notably Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. But I’ve decided to post the original from our wonder years. Mr. Heat Miser/Mr. Snow Miser

12 PAINS OF CHRISTMAS -Bob Rivers 

How can I not add a Bob Rivers song to this list? Many who grew up in Seattle in the 1990’s listening to his morning show on rock radio stations KISW, KZOK, and later KJR. Laughing out loud during their brutal drive to work listening to Rivers and his twisted cast of characters, doing impressions of the celebrities and notable news makers. Taking the personalities to the next level with well written parody songs…leading to of course Christmas parodies. Often people outside the Seattle market thought these songs (that got played on other morning shows all across the country) were songs by Weird Al. That’s a high complement! But after multiple albums were released, the world got to know who Bob Rivers is. 12 Pains of Christmas

 

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