Colin McEnroe Show: Rocking Around The Holidays

Something about a Canadian, eh?

Unlike Sting, one can listen to this song while depressed with no ill side-effects:

Gordon Lightfoot's "Song for a Winter's Night", as sung by Sarah Mclaughlin.

Must be all the practice the Canadians have with snow, cold and winter.

Those Canadians, eh?

Gordon Lightfoot wrote it, and Sarah McLaughlin sang it wonderfully: "Song for a Winter's Night".

Must be all the practice with cold, snow and darkness, and unlike the Sting winter album, this recording isn't dangerous to listen to if one is depressed.

PS So many new comments for a year-old show. People really like this subject!

Christmas Tunes

A couple of gems on the "Snow Angels" CD that Hear Music was giving away about 15 years ago...

Dave's True Story's take on Winter Wonderland and The Holly and the Ivy by Jonatha Brooke

The Roches....

Pretty much anything on their Christmas album ("We Three Kings" is the title) is worth the price of admission to me. Tuck and Patti have have an old holiday album that is sweet. A lot of the Windham Hill "Winter Solstice" albums are worth a listen.

Erin "The Bells of Dublin" is also a faith, especially "The Rebel Jesus" by Jackson Browne - "We guard our gold with locks and guns, and we guard our fine possessions. And once a year when Christmas comes, we give to our relations.....I bid you pleasure and I bid you cheer, from a heathen and a pagan, on the side of the rebel Jesus"

And Deborah's husband: Father Christmas by the Kinks is usually good to crank it up to 11 and open the windows, cold be damned!

More good Christmas songs!

Shamelessly nicked from a friend of mine who loves Christmas music:

The Pretenders: "2000 Miles"
Robert Earl Keene: "Merry Christmas from the Family"

The second one: A tad off-color, but honest every inch.

E-mail from Anonymous

I was not able to get though today, two songs to note Billy Joel She's right on time Springsteen Pilgrim in temple of love Great show as always

E-mail from Michelle

Re: "Home By Another Way" - This song was a *great* recommendation! It is a lovely song even if you don’t like James Taylor (I’m sorry but I happen to really like him…) You should check it out – it fits very much with your alternative/melancholy “have yourself a merry little Christmas” leanings…

E-mail from Mike

I remember a black and white movie, The Misfits maybe, where a jukebox played "Jingle Bells" sung by one or more female singers with heavy southern accents. Decades later, my wife and I still break out laughing when one of us starts to sing "jangle bails, jangle bails, jangle all the way!".

E-mail from Peter

My favorite Christmas song;

Jorgi Jorgenson: I Just Go Nuts At Christmas

E-mail from Christine

I didn’t know this was a rebroadcast, so I was trying to find the number to call in. Oh well…

I would like to add that although I’m not big on Christmas music, I absolutely love ‘John Denver and the Muppets, A Christmas Together’. Yeah, I know it sounds corny, but there’s something about this music that really gets me in the Christmas spirit. There’s some really upbeat songs – Little St Nick (ala Beach Boys) and others. And don’t miss number 11 – medley…brings tears to my eyes (not sure why!)

E-mail from Anonymous

ELP Father Christmas

E-mail from Tara

The only Christmas songs that don’t make me cringe are as follows:

Happy Xmas (War is Over) – John Lennon

River – Joni Mitchell

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – U2

Christmas All Over Again – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Christmas in Hollis – Run DMC

E-mail from Paul

Mambo Santa Claus by Big John Grover

E-mail from Gayle

Here's a great, fun song: "Soca Santa". The whole family boogies around the house to it.

A youtube version:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7_HCjjxtAo

Enjoy! A must-have for your playlist!
Happy Holidays!

E-mail from Danny

I discovered this song a couple of years ago, and it's a new Christmas favorite to me.

It's marked 'explicit' on iTunes it think because he says 'Baby Jesus, born to rock' before the solo.

E-mail from Erin

Since we were young children the tradition in our home was that you were not allowed downstairs Christmas morning until you heard "The Bells of Dublin" album by the Chieftans start to play. The magic of the day doesn't start until you hear the bells. The album mixes traditional Celtic music and eclectic artists. The best song is "St. Stephens Day" with Elvis Costello.

This album plays on through the morning. Even now grown and married the most exciting time of the year is hearing the bells and commencing a day of great tradition.

E-mail from Martha

Talk about guilty pleasures ... Christmas Wrapping by the Waitresses practically describes the last Christmas I had when I was single! I never get tired of hearing it ...

E-mail from Julie

"The Waitresses: Christmas Wrapping"

E-mail from Deborah

My husband, who is driving, is waiting for you to include "Father Christmas" by the Kinks.

E-mail from Adam

Fairytale of new York is beyond amazing.. But how about ,, must be Santa,, by Dylan from his Christmas album last year,, that's good too

Christmas tunes

While it may be true that the Eagles have not been "cool" or "hip" or whatever the current term for progressive cultural acceptability might be, and have not been since Donald Fagan wrote "turn up the Eagles - the neighbors are listening", Don Henley's cover of "Please Come Home for Christmas, is my all time favorite. Perfectly arranged, perfectly phrased 8 bar blues tune, with the perfect bridge and the perfectly placed 3 note coda at the end of the piece, this Eagles tune takes an obscure 50's Sun Records style seasonal popout and gives it everlasting life. Henley has a range that is the rock tenor ideal, and no one can do it better.