From the Vinyl Gym: Christmas Blasts From The Past

There’s quite an array of popular Christmas songs and albums from decades gone by. Some are beautiful, while others are festive and fun – others are downright silly! But that’s OK, it’s Christmas!

Looking for Oldies holiday albums? The Brian Setzer Orchestra gives us a Boogie Woogie Christmas – sure to rock you out! Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass Christmas Album is pure festive merriment! Chris Isaak’s Everybody Knows It’s Christmas is gutsy, bluesy rock. And last year, the iconic Cher released Christmas featuring holiday classics, plus some others that are sure to please just about anyone for holiday music!

Christmas songs have been huge hits over the years for many artists and groups. In 1934, Bing Crosby made Please Come Home For Christmas a major hit. The song was written from the perspective of a soldier serving away from home during World War 2. Over the years, the song had tons of covers, but in 1978, The Eagles’ version peaked at #18 on the U.S. Billboard Top 100 – the first Christmas song to reach the Top 20 since Roy Orbison’s Pretty Paper in 1963. The Eagles re-released it in 1995 and in this version, changed the words: Bells will be ringing the “glad, glad news…” to “sad, sad news” (being alone at Christmas.)

Legendary Pearl Bailey kept her Christmas song simple: she belted out (in bluesy swagger) that all she wanted for Christmas was A Five Pound Bag of Money!

In the 50’s, Elvis decides he “is” Santa as he croons that he ain’t got no reindeer, no sack on his back – but you’ll see him coming in a big, black Cadillac! With his Santa Claus is Back in Town, Elvis became the hippest Santa ever!

And what single gal wouldn’t appreciate Eartha Kitt’s 1953 Santa Baby? Clearly this woman had a serious Santa wish list! She wanted Santa to give her a “ring” – but not on the phone, plus a yacht, a convertible, a deed to a platinum mine, etc.!

Brenda Lee’s 1960 hit, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, was a rockin’ hit once again in 2023 and still rockin’ today!

Fast forward to 1977. David Bowie and Bing Crosby recorded the duet: Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy. The tracks were recorded on Sept. 11, 1977 for Bing’s TV show. Sadly, on Oct. 14 (nearly 5 weeks later), Bing passed away. One of the most popular and beautiful Christmas duets of all time.

On the truly tacky side, Root Boy Slim added a whole new meaning to the “blue light special” with Xmas at K-Mart! And just when you thought it couldn’t get much worse, Elmo and Patsy informed us that Grandma got run over by a freakin’ reindeer!

In 1977, before the Fountains of Wayne realized that Stacy’s Mom got it going on, their Christmas request was: I Want an Alien for Christmas!

The 80’s found the Weather Girls making an unusual North Pole request with their: Dear Santa (bring me a man for Christmas).

And there’s so many more! We made our list and checked it twice – some are classics, others are lost and forgotten gems:

A Five Pound Bag of Money – Pearl Bailey (yr. unknown)

Here Comes Santa Claus (right down Santa Claus Lane) – Gene Autry (’47) Inspired by the Hollywood Santa Claus Lane Parade.

Zat You Santa Claus – Louie Armstrong (’53) A really swinging song from yesteryear.

Santa Baby – Eartha Kitt (with a wish list every gal wants!) (’53)

Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms (’57)

Santa Claus is Back In Town – Elvis (’57)

Run Rudolph Run – Chuck Berry (‘58)

Baby It’s Cold Outside – Dean Martin (’59)

Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee (recorded in ’58, but didn’t become a monster hit until ’60 and now a hit once again)

Santa Claus is Coming to Town – The 4 Seasons (’62)

Little Saint Nick – The Beach Boys (‘63)

Pretty Paper – Roy Orbison (’63)

Snoopy vs. the Red Baron – The Royal Guardsmen (’66)

Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto – James Brown (‘68)

Merry Christmas Darling – The Carpenters (hit Billboard in ’70, then again in ’71 and ’73)

Happy Xmas (the war is over) – John and Yoko and the Plastic Ono Band with Harlem Community Choir (’72)

Christmas at Liberace’s (’76) – Liberace (pressed on a vinyl 45)

Christmas At K-Mart – Root Boy Slim and the Rootettes (so bad it’s good!)

Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer – Elmos and Patsy (’79) (a truly twisted holiday tale)

Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy – David Bowie and Bing Crosby (’77)

I Want An Alien For Christmas – Fountains of Wayne (‘77)

Father Christmas – The Kinks (‘77)

Driving Home for Christmas – Chris Rea (‘88) (a lost Christmas song)

Please Come Home for Christmas – The Eagles (’78 and re-released in ’95 with word changes)

The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be late) – (60’s) Watch the hilarious updated version on YouTube

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – John Denver and the Muppets (70’s)

Jingle Bell Rock – covered by Hall and Oates (’83)

Dear Santa (bring me a man for Christmas) – The Weather Girls (’83)

Christmas is the Time to Say I Love You – Billy Squier (’83)

Last Christmas – Wham (‘84)

Christmas Time – Bryan Adams (’85)

The Christmas Song – Billy Crystal (’85)

It’s Christmas – Ronnie Milsap (’86)

Medley: Blue Christmas/I Love You X 3 – Timbuk 3 (’87)

Old Time Christmas – Randy Travis (’89)

All I Want For Christmas – Mariah Carey (‘94)

Kentucky Homemade Christmas – Kenny Rogers (2000)

Underneath the Tree – Kelly Clarkson (2013)

Santa Tell Me – Ariana Grande (2014)

Christmas Tree Farm – Taylor Swift (2019)

Take an oldies sleigh ride with the hits above – you won’t be dashing through the snow, you’ll be rockin’ through it! And if you watch some of these on YouTube, you will literally be “laughing all the way!”

 

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