Holiday Music

[dhermann1]

A couple that I enjoy are:
"The Sinatra Christmas Album", which he did in the 70's and includes his kids, plus Bing Crosby,
"Christmas", by Rosemary Clooney, a lot of schmaltzy hokey 50's type stuff, but since I love Clooney, I love this album
"Christmas Carousel" by Peggy Lee
the aforementioned Ella Fitzgerald album,
plus I have a couple of unusual ones:
"Impression of the Seasons" by the Raleigh Ringers, probably the finest handbell ringing ensemble in the country, absolutely wonderful stuff!
"Crystal Carols" by Dean Shostak playing Benjamin Franklin's invention, the glass armonica. A wonderfully spooky, ethereal and elegant sound.

 

[Lensmaster]

The one I seem to have on most often during the holidays is Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas. I've got a holiday mix on iTunes starting with that and adding these songs & albums, among others:

• Ultralounge Christmas Cocktails 1, 2 & 3
• Polar Espress soundtrack - LOTS of classics on one album
• Glenn Miller Orchestra In the Christmas Mood 1, 2 & 3
• Manhattan Transfer Christmas album
• Kate Smith's It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas and of course White Christmas and Christmas Eve in My Hometown and Silver Bells
• Dean Martin's Baby It's Cold Outside
• Andrews Sisters Winter Wonderland
• Bing Crosby White Christmas
• Brian Setzer Orchestra Boogie Woogie Christmas and Dig That Crazy Christmas (In the Christmas Mood blaring right now as a matter of fact!)
• Bob Rivers Twisted Christmas just for the silliness factor (Teddy the Red-nose Senator, Walkin' Round in Womens Underwear, Chipmunks Roasting Over an Open Fire)
• Singing Dogs Jingle Bells (it's gotta be heard once and only once a year)
• OK, Miz Ella's doin' Jingle Bells now and my fingers are snapping along!
• Elmo & Patsy Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer (I threaten every year to do that as our lawn display with the Reindeer Landing Strip...)
• Perry Como There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays
• Sean Altman Hannukah for Monica
• Spike Jones Let's Sing a Song of Christmas (actually, a very nice choral mix with only a little of the usual Jones sound effects & such - everyone loves it and can't believe it's Spike Jones when we play it at parties)
• Andy Williams Do You Hear What I Hear and It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
• Barbra Streisand's Jingle Bells
• Frank Sinatra - everything EXCEPT Oh By Gosh, By Golly which I hate...
• Mame Broadway soundtrack We Need A Little Christmas Now
• Judy Garland Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
• You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch
• Brenda Lee Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
  
  

and many, many more...

I couldn't have compiled a better list myself.

 

[$ally]

I like your list Mike in Seattle. Pink, Leon is one of my fav performers.

These are some of my favorite versions of seasonal songs:

• Mele Kalikimaka – Andrews Sisters
• Happy Holiday – Bing Crosby
• Boogie Woogie Santa Claus – Patti Page
• Sleigh Ride – any old swing version with jingling bells, a horn horse-whinny, wood-block trotting, and a whip cracking
• Run, Run Rudolph – Chuck Berry
• Santa Claus is Back in Town – Elvis
• Up on the Housetop – Jim Rodgers
• Rock’n Round the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
• Feliz Navidad - Joe King Carrasco
• Trim Yo Tree – Mojo Nixon
• Merry Christmas (I don't wanna fight tonight) - Ramones
• Santa bring my baby back – Elvis

That doesn't include the hymns and carols which are at the top of my list.
Have a pleasant Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Winter Solstice, Vampyre's Longest Night, or whatever you celebrate (or don't celebrate) this time of year!

 

[pennyseranade]

Another obscure one is "Little Jack Frost Get Lost" Bing did it as well as Frankie Carle.

 

[Prairie Dog]

"Tis this season to re-kindle the inner child".

For all the baby boomers on this board, here's a vintage Christmas Video ~ circa 1960
http://youtube.com/watch?v=lzTG0fTLAlU

 

[imoldfashioned]

That's What I Want for Christmas by Nancy Wilson--I love this song and her interpretation of it is beautiful, you can listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWdFi94o_5c

 

[Dixon Cannon]

'Hey Santa!' Brian Setzer Orchestra.