Whether you are decorating, Black Friday shopping, or recovering from a food coma, let this holiday mix get you in the spirit for whatever your day brings. We both chose a lot of these songs, so look for dual-editor comments- notated, as always by (C) & (L), accordingly. So, grab the eggnog and light a fire! Let’s get this Crimmus started!
- White Christmas/ The Drifters: (?) Did I or did Leigh add this song to our playlist- Leigh is indicating that I did- regardless, what a great way to get this Christmas playlist started! (L) I put it on here… its kind of the perfect start to any Christmas mix.
- Jingle Bells/Al Green: (L) This is a STAPLE Christmas album in my house hold. Russell and I walk around all Christmas singing the opening, “bedootdootdootdadoot *byou” of this song.
- The Christmas Song/ Nat King Cole: (L) Classic Christmas staple. Kids from 1-92… gets me every time.
- Last Christmas/ Wham!: (L) Everyone has a few of those Christmas songs. The ones they don’t really enjoy… and every time you hear them you sort of roll your eyes and groan. Along with Wings’, “Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time”, this song used to be that song that I hated. Now my holiday season hasn’t official started until I’ve heard this.
- Baby It’s Cold Outside/ Tom Woppat and Antonia Bennett: (L) Out of all the covers of this kind of creepy song, this one is my favorite. Just has the right kind of swing.
- This Christmas/ Donny Hathaway: (C)- I just like this song. “This Christmas will be a very special Christmas for me.” Yeah. (L) Yeah, Russell and I love this one, too. Years ago, he insisted the Chris Brown version of this song was better… I wonder what he thinks now.
- Santa Claus Is Back In Town/ Elvis Presley: (C) The Elvis Christmas album is my favorite. “It’s Christmas time pretty Baby and the snow is falling on the ground… you gonna see me coming in a big black Cadillac!” I love this song. (L) This is my dads all-time-favorite-Christmas-song. Ever.
- Merry Christmas Baby/ Otis Redding: (L) Big O doing Crimmus RIGHT! (C): I LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE OTIS REDDING. I just had to take a break and dance to that one- twice.
- White Christmas/ Bing Crosby: (C) This version of this song reminds me of Christmas Days of my childhood. My grandmother always hosted the whole family and a bunch of friends for lunch, but before everybody got there- it was always just immediate family opening gifts and she always, always played Bing Crosby’s Christmas album.
- Gee Whiz, It’s Christmas/ Carla Thomas: (L) I Love this little Stax ditty. I mean, Gee Whiz! It’s Christmas!!
- Happy Xmas (War Is Over)/ John & Yoko and The Plastic Ono Band: (C) “And so. This is Christmas”
- Rocking Around The Christmas Tree/ Brenda Lee: (C) Well, hell yeah.
- Please Come Home For Christmas/ Aaron Neville: (C) This album was also in the rotation on my Christmas Day at my grandmother’s. Now, Bub sings in his best Aaron Neville voice to me! (L) I love that story, CA. It’s one of my favorites, too!
- Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!/Harry Connick, Jr.: (L) You know those holiday albums that get played over and over every year. This is one of ours. It’s pretty great.
- River/ Joni Mitchell: (L) This is one of those sad, lovely songs. But I can see the winter and the season in this song and it reminds me of Christmas feelz.
- Here Comes Santa Claus/Bob Dylan: (C) I have been a Bobby Zimmerman fan for a long time now and I was completely unaware that he had done a Christmas album until I sat down to work on this playlist. This song, in particular, off his Christmas album makes me love him all the more! He is not all serious- this is proof that he has a very playful side.
- The Christmas Waltz/ Frank Sinatra: (L) This lovely song of mine (in three quarter time) is something I find myself humming all season.
- Back Door Santa/ Clarence Carter: (C) “They call me the backdoor Santa- I make my runs about the break of day…” Ha! Get it Clarence! (L) Wouldn’t ole Santa be in trouble if their ain’t no chimney in the house?
- Blue Christmas/ Elvis Presley: (C) Yes. When Baby Bub thinks back on his Christmas memories one day- he will most certainly think of this song. Yes. This is the one I listen to the most.
- Jingle Bell Rock/ Bobby Helms: (C) Classic
- Ave Maria/ Schubert, Ester Rethy: (L) There are a few Christmas songs that make me cry, no fail. This is one of them.
- All I Want For Christmas Is You/ Mariah Carey: (L)- This is one of my mom’s favorite Christmas songs! I wish I had written. Can you imagine how crazy the residuals must be!
- Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth/ Bing Crosby & David Bowie: (L) This is one of the most crazy pairings ever… and I love it.
- Merry Christmas, Darling/ Carpenters: (L)- I defy you to tell me that this song isn’t charming.
- Santa Baby/ Eartha Kitt: (L) Boom. Ba-doom. Ba-doom. Ba-doombiaty.
- It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas/ Michael Buble:(C) I love me some Michael Buble Christmas-
- O Come, All Ye Faithful/ The Mormon Tabernacle Choir: (L) This is the other song that makes me instantly cry. When they get to that, “Oh come let us adore Him…” bit, that’s it. Total waterworks.
- Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer/ Bing Crosby: (C) Classic- I can’t wait for the day when Baby Bub can sing this with me!
- O Holy Night/ Etta James: (C) I found Etta’s Christmas album a couple years ago and it has become a staple in my Christmas rotation. Baby Bub will also think of this one day when he thinks of Christmas. She does a fantastic job with song. “Fall on your knees and hear the Angel’s voices- oh night divine when Christ was born”
- Merry Christmas From The Family/ Robert Earl Keane: (L) This is another family Christmas favorite.
- I’ll Be Home For Christmas/ Frank Sinatra: (C) one more that was always in my grandmother’s Christmas rotation
- Every Day will be like a Holiday/ William Bell: (C) Leigh added this one, but goh- it’s good.
- What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve/ Rufus Wainwright: (L) “And just in case I stand a little chance… here comes the jackpot question in advance… What are you doing New Years… New Years Eve…”
