Auld Lang Syne, Guy Lombardo
See NPR story. Go to links at bottom for some great versions.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
All That Jazz/Three on Theme
December 30, 1927, The Jazz Singer, first successful feature film with sound debuts in Seattle (Blue Mouse Theatre). It has quite a soundtrack including:
Waiting for the Robert E. Lee (although not sung by Jolson in the film)
_________________________________________________________________________In 1980 The Jazz Singer with Neil Diamond was released. It had a best selling soundtrack including:
1927 or 1980? Diamond or Jolson?
_________________________________________________________________________
To stay on a theme
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Post Christmas Tunes 26-December-2010
Twelve Days After Christmas
I like this version. The dichotomy of a classically trained opera singer and a classic parody is classic. Besides every other version is weak.
I like this version. The dichotomy of a classically trained opera singer and a classic parody is classic. Besides every other version is weak.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Christmas Advent Calendar 25-December (B)
Silent Night - Christmas 1915, Jerry Lynch, 1988
Although there are a variety of versions of this song, this is my favorite. It is written by Cormac MacConnell. It is based on an actual incident.
1915 on Christmas day
On the western front the guns all died away
And lying in the mud on bags of sand
We heard a German sing from no mans land
He had a tenor voice so pure and true
The words were strange but every note we knew
Soaring ore the living dead and dammed
The German sang of peace from no mans land
Oh silent night no cannons roar
A king is born of peace for evermore
Alls calm, alls bright all brothers hand in hand
In nineteen and fifteen in no mans land
They left there trenches and we left ours
Beneath tins hats the smiles bloomed like wild flowers
With photos, sigurates and boats of wine
We built a solders truce on the front line
There singer was a lad of twenty one
We begged another song before the dawn
And sitting in the mud and blood and fear
He sang again the song all longed to hear
Oh silent night no cannons roar
A king is born of peace for evermore
Alls calm, alls bright all brothers hand in hand
Midst gas and rusty wire in no mans land
And in the morning all the guns boomed in the rain
And we killed them and they killed us again
With binit, bomb, bullet gas and flame
And neither we nor them atall to blame
There was heavy fighting rite throughout the day
For one night's peace we bloody did pay
At night they charged we fought them hand to hand
And I killed the boy that sang in no mans land
Oh silent night no cannons roar
A king is born of peace for evermore
Alls calm, alls bright all brothers hand in hand
And that young solder sings
and the sound of peace still rings
Tho the captains and the kings build no mans land
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Christmas Advent Calendar 25-December (A)
Christmas Countdown, Frank Kelly, 1982
Day One
Dear Nuala,
Thank you very much for your lovely present of a partridge in a pear-tree. We’re getting the hang of feeding the partridge now, although it was difficult at first to win its confidence. It bit the mother rather badly on the hand but they’re good friends now and we’re keeping the pear-tree indoors in a bucket. Thank you again.
Yours affectionately,
Gobnait O’Lúnasa
Day Two
Dear Nuala,
I cannot tell you how surprised we were to hear from you so soon again and to receive your lovely present of two turtle doves. You really are too kind. At first the partridge was very jealous and suspicious of the doves and they had a terrible row the night the doves arrived. We had to send for the vet but the birds are okay again and the stitches are due to some out in a week or two. The vet’s bill was £8 but the mother is over her annoyance now and the doves and the partridge are watching the telly from the pear-tree as I write.
Yours ever,
Gobnait
Day Three
Dear Nuala,
We must be foremost in your thoughts. I had only posted my letter when the three French hens arrived. There was another sort-out between the hens and the doves, who sided with the partridge, and the vet had to be sent for again. The mother was raging because the bill was £16 this time but she has almost cooled down. However, the fact that the birds’ droppings keep falling down on her hair whilen she’s watching the telly, doesn’t help matters. Thanking you for your kindness.
I remain,
Your Gobnait
Day Four
Dear Nuala,
You mustn’t have received my last letter when you were sending us the four calling birds. There was pandemonium in the pear-tree again last night and the vet’s bill was £32. The mother is on sedation as I write. I know you meant no harm and remain your close friend.
Gobnauit
Day Five
Nuala,
Your generosity knows no bounds. Five gold rings ! When the parcel arrived I was scared stiff that it might be more birds, because the smell in the living-room is atrocious. However, I don’t want to seem ungrateful for the beautiful rings.
Your affectionate friend,
Gobnait
Day Six
Nuala,
What are you trying to do to us ? It isn’t that we don’t appreciate your generosity but the six geese have not alone nearly murdered the calling birds but they laid their eggs on top of the vet’s head from the pear-tree and his bill was £68 in cash ! My mother is munching 60 grains of Valium a day and talking to herself in a most alarming way. You must keep your feelings for me in check.
Gobnait
Day Seven
Nuala,
We are not amused by your little joke. Seven swans-a-swimming is a most romantic idea but not in the bath of a private house. We cannot use the bathroom now because they’ve gone completely savage and rush the door every time we try to enter. If things go on this way, the mother and I will smell as bad as the living-room carpet. Please lay off. It is not fair.
Gobnait
Day Eight
Nuala,
Who the hell do you think gave you the right to send eight, hefty maids-a-milking here, to eat us out of house and home ? Their cattle are all over the front lawn and have trampled the hell out of the mother’s rose-beds. The swans invaded the living-room in a sneak attack and the ensuing battle between them and the calling birds, turtle doves, French hens and partridge make the Battle of the Somme seem like Wanderly Wagon. The mother is on a bottle of whiskey a day, as well as the sixty grains of Valium. I’m very annoyed with you.
Gobnait
Day Nine
Listen you louser !
There’s enough pandemonium in this place night and day without nine drummers drumming, while the eight flaming maids-a-milking are beating my poor, old alcoholic mother out of her own kitchen and gobbling everything in sight. I’m warning you, you’re making an enemy of me.
Gobnait
Day Ten
Listen manure-face,
I hope you’ll be haunted by the strains of ten pipers piping which you sent to torment us last night. They were aided in their evil work by those maniac drummers and it wasn’t a pleasant sight to look out the window and see eight hefty maids-a-milking pogo-ing around with the ensuing punk-rock uproar. My mother has just finished her third bottle of whiskey, on top of a hundred and twenty four grains of Valium. You’ll get yours !
Gobnait O’Lúnasa
Day Eleven
You have scandalised my mother, you dirty Jezebel,
It was bad enough to have eight maids-a-milking dancing to punk music on the front lawn but they’ve now been joined by your friends ~ the eleven Lords-a-leaping and the antics of the whole lot of them would leave the most decadent days of the Roman Empire looking like “Outlook”. I’ll get you yet, you ould bag !
Day Twelve
Listen slurry head,
You have ruined our lives. The twelve maidens dancing turned up last night and beat the living daylights out of the eight maids-a-milking, ‘cos they found them carrying on with the eleven Lords-a-leaping. Meanwhile, the swans got out of the living-room, where they’d been hiding since the big battle, and savaged hell out of the Lords and all the Maids. There were eight ambulances here last night, and the local Civil Defence as well. The mother is in a home for the bewildered and I’m sitting here, up to my neck in birds’ droppings, empty whiskey and Valium bottles, birds’ blood and feathers, while the flaming cows eat the leaves off the pear-tree. I’m a broken man.
Gobnait O’Lúnasa
Friday, December 24, 2010
Christmas Advent Calendar 24-December
Once Upon A Christmas Song, Geraldine McQueen, 2007
In 2008 Peter Kay created, wrote, produced, directed, and starred in a parody of talent competition reality shows called:
Britain's Got the Pop Factor... and Possibly a New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice
The winner of the program was Geraldine McQueen who sang Winner's Song a perfect parody of the songs written for these types of programs.
Having the #1 Christmas Single in the UK is a big thing. Artists actively vie for it. From 2005 to 2007 X-Factor winners had taken the top spot. Peter Kay released this song to dethrone them. He didn't quite make it but out paced them most of the way.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Christmas Advent Calendar 22-December
A Song of Christmas, Lowen and Navarro, 2002
and from the same album: The Meaning of Christmas
You may not know who these guys are, but you know who these guys are. They wrote We Belong performed by Pat Benatar.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Christmas Advent Calendar 21-December
Christmas Card From A Hooker in Minneapolis, Tom Waits, 1978
Tom Waits is an American master, a real American idol. His story telling abilities mirror Charles Dickens in his choice of characters and the ability to bring them to life.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Christmas Advent Calendar 20-December
I Believe In Father Christmas, Greg Lake, 1974
I think this one is pretty well known but it is so good I have to share.
How about another twofer?
Father Christmas, The Kinks, 1977
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Christmas Advent Calendar 19-December
Christmas With Satan, James Chance, 2002
Stick it out. It's worth it???
And while we are at it, how about a bonus. One of the greatest Christmas singles of all time.
Christmas With The Devil, Spinal Tap, 1984
Stick it out. It's worth it???
And while we are at it, how about a bonus. One of the greatest Christmas singles of all time.
Christmas With The Devil, Spinal Tap, 1984
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Christmas Advent Calendar 17-December
Driving Home For Christmas, Chris Rea, 1988
Chris Rea is a genius guitarist and song writer but somehow he managed to write this..."car version of a carol".
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Christmas Advent Calendar 16-December
Santa Claus Is Going On A Diet, Del Moody
Del Moody is a friend in Utah, he recorded this song years ago. He says when it was transferred from cassette to digital his voice went up a few octaves and that he sounds like Mickey Mouse. He won a songwriting award in Nashville for this song. It should definitely have a wider audience.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Christmas Advent Calendar 15-December
Christmas Is A Comin', Lorne Greene,1965
This one is pretty well known. Lorne Greene had an excellent voice as both a narrator and singer. I love the good natured humor of this song.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Christmas Advent Calendar 14-December
This ain't no Blue Velvet, after people listen to this you will probably be Mr. Lonely.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Christmas Advent Calendar 13-December
David's Song, The Kelly Family, 1979
This is marginally a Christmas song. It is on a few of my Christmas compilations CDs so I count it. There is something about this song that I absolutely love, the voice of the boy (Paddy) the haunting gaelic folk sound, the total weirdness of the Kelly Family... kind of like a weirder Osmond family.
Just for fun here is a link to a video of this song.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Christmas Advent Calendar 11-December
Christmas Was Better in The 80's, The Futureheads, December 2010
I am actually posting a brand new tune today. It isn't officially released until 19-Dec-2010 in the UK. So I am the ghost of Christmas future. Cool! Fun song. Fun band. Listen and enjoy or you will wear chains of regret throughout eternity.
Futureheads
Friday, December 10, 2010
Christmas Advent Calendar 10-December
Jesus Is My Santa Claus, The Gorman Sisters, 1957
This is wrong on so many levels. I can't find out much about these sisters other than what is in Billboard Magazine that they were seven and thirteen at the time of the recording. From May 24, 1958 issue of Billboard.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Christmas Advent Calendar 8-December
Christmas Is Coming, Paul Hyde and The Payola$, 1983
These guys were my favorite band in High School. I drove down to Raspberry Records in West Valley just to get this single, even though I had the album. The guys at Raspberry Records though I was nuts.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Christmas Advent Calendar 7-December
Dee Bingelli introduced me to this song a few years ago. How could I have missed it! It reminds me of a Christmas Special called A Cosmic Christmas from 1977
Monday, December 6, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Christmas Advent Calendar 3-December
Stan Rogers was a Canadian Folk Singer. He died in 1983.
He sang another Christmas song called First Christmas that is very folky, serious, contemplative, socially conscious (meaning depressing)
Christmas Advent Calendar 1-December
I can't find any info on this record beyond the date. Commander Shea is a school in NYC.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
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