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Need help: Unusual Christmas Music

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I need to find some Christmas/holiday music ASAP for a TV spot... something not too 'Christian' (yeah, I know, talk about a catch 22) but something cool, weird, or unusual.

Like, if Devo did 'Jingle Bells', that sort of thing.

Hellllp!

Bing Crosby - Mele Kalikimaka

Mark Mothersbaugh's - Joyeux Mutato, you can hear can few samples on Amazon or what about that "Christmastime is here" Peanuts song?

[ Edited by: DawnTiki on 2003-09-16 12:18 ]

Check out these CDs:

Brian Setzer Orchestra - Boogie Woogie Christmas

Squirrel Nut Zippers - Christmas Caravan

Various Artist - A Really Swell Christmas

A Really Swell Christmas has the following liner notes: "A REALLY SWELL CHRISTMAS is... Well golly gee, it's the best Christmas Ever! After extensive tape research and a little too much eggnog, Legacy has rescued these shoulda-been classics from undeserved obscurity, just in time to help you spread holiday cheer and confusion. Marvel at the swingin' grooves of some of entertainment's greatest hipsters interpreting Christmas classics in ways that have to be heard to be believed! A collection of true kitschy holiday greatness."

Oh, and don't overlook old vinyl: Rosemary Clooney singing Suzy Snowflake, or Gene Autrey performing He'll Be Coming Down the Chimney.

Search for old Christmas vinyl at thrift stores.... I have a huge collection of old Christmas albums, forgotten gems abound!

:tiki:

I dearly love the Ultra Lounge Christmas albums, "Christmas Cocktails" One and Two:

Dig the smarm! The vibes! That Hammond B3!! Very peppy, cheerful and mid-century. I think both albums are equally good. It's as if they planned them both at the same time, as opposed to putting one out with all the best songs, then doing a second as an afterthought.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000002UFL/qid=1063738297/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/002-3629002-0529646

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000002TLS/qid=1063738297/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-3629002-0529646?v=glance&s=music

[ Edited by: floratina on 2003-09-16 13:57 ]

Esquivel's Christmas Album is pretty great.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000048EZ/qid=1063739665/sr=1-7/ref=sr_1_7/103-4628184-0088644?v=glance&s=music

"It's A Cool Cool Christmas" is also worth a listen.

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=CASS80309161520&sql=Amzjqoa8aqijn

I think I have an mp3 of the Flaming Lips doing "White Christmas" around here somewhere... send me an email if you want it.

T

Keep the ideas coming! You are all very helpful!

(Unlike my client, who decided at the pre-production meeting that she hated Jose Feliciano. Therefore, back to the drawing board, with 2 days to go until the shoot. )

Arrrgh!

See if you can find the original song "Merry Christmas After All" from the "Olive the other Reindeer" soundtrack.

The song is performed by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and is real swingy!!!

T

We tried to get the Peanuts song last year - they won't sell it.

Damn people with principles!

A

Seasonal Favorites - more info

Blue Hawaiians "Christmas on Big Island" - more info

I also like the Bomboras version of Little Drummer Boy, and El Vez's Brown Christmas album.

-Randy

The Vandals have a good Christmas album, Oi to the World!

[ Edited by: johnnievelour on 2003-09-17 03:07 ]

T

Although not at all "DEVO-ish" One of my fav Christmas CDs is Leon Redbone's Christmas Island

Probably more anti-DEVO

T

I hope this isn't too late. I have a large collection of X-mas music, and here are some of the "weirder" songs.

The Chipmunks - Here Comes Santa Claus
The Smithereens - Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
Royal Crown Revue - Hey Santa
Zebrahead - Deck The Halls(I Hate Xmas)
Henry Rollins - Twas The Night Before Xmas
Everclear - Santa Baby
Meredith Brooks - Rudolph The Red Nsed Reindeer
The Ramones - Merry Xmas (I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight)
Bob & Doug McKenzie - 12 Days Of Xams
Coldplay - Have Yourself A Merry Little Xmas
Weird Al - Christmas At Ground Zero
Combustible Edison - Sleigh Ride
Beck - The Little Drum Machine Boy
The Spice Girls - Christmas Wrapping
The entire Xmas With The Rat Pack CD
The entiore Squirrel Nut Zippers - Christmas Caravan CD
The entire Cristmas With The Brady Bunch CD
The entire Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen Xmas CD

Good Luck

I agree with Randy's suggestion of The Blue Hawaiians-Christmas On Big Island.....Jingle Jangle is lots of fun

Mele Kalikimaka-Arthur Lyman
Christmas Wish-NRBQ
It's Christmas Time-The Boss Martians
Bob Atcher & The Dinning Sisters-Xmas Island
Shake Hands With Santa Claus-Louie Prima
Silent Night-Tom Waits
Jingle Bells Cha Cha Cha-Pearl Bailey
Hey Santa-Royal Crown Review
Jingle Bells-Brian Setzer Orchestra

And......From The Great White North.....A Christmas Cocktail-Jaymz Bee & The Royal Jelly Orchestra ......from the guy that wrote "Cocktail Parties For Dummies"....

T

Oh yes, I have met Jaymez Bee... funny guy.

It is not too late for more ideas... my songs keep getting rejected by the client faster than I can come up with them so keep it coming!

So far I have had one song accepted - by the Ronettes. (Sleigh Ride). Jing a linga ling jingle ling!

I

As somebody who owns over 300 Christmas vinyl Christmas LPs, I will state that the coolest Christmas LP ever is....

The Three Suns: A Ding Dong Dandy Christmas.
I've heard one person describe this LP by saying "If Dr. Seuss had an ice skating rink with a jukebox, every selection would be from this album.
http://www.tothcorp.com/threesuns/LSera/dingdong.html

Other two really good ones are:
Ferrante and Teicher: Adventures in Carols
This is from the duos early experiemental period in the late 50's, when they plucked, strummed, and used avant-garde methods to create some real cool winter tunes.

Lenny Dee: Happy Holi-Dee
from the guy with the carzy organ stylings

All three of the above LPs are from the late 50's - right about the time that Martin Denny was recording 'Quiet Village' All of them would definitely qualify as being Devo-esque.

Vern

T

Nothing weird or unusual, but I grew up with these and still like them.

The Herb Alpert Christmas Album (1968) - "Winter Wonderland" is a favorite on this.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000002G9N/qid=1063835517/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/104-9561909-7763158?v=glance&s=music&n=507846

The Andy Williams Christmas Album (1963) - the track "Happy Holidays/The Holiday Season" really swings.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000024RX/qid=1063835634/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/104-9561909-7763158

How about Elvis' "Santa Claus is Back in Town" or "Blue Christmas"?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000002W8O/qid=1063836045/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/104-9561909-7763158

The Ronettes are a good choice, as are any of the tracks on the Phil Spector Christmas Album (1963):

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000003BD7/ref=pd_sim_music_1/104-9561909-7763158?v=glance&s=music

Booker T and the MGs' Christmas Album (1966) is on my turntable every year.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000034CL/qid%3D1063836262/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/104-9561909-7763158

There are some good songs on the Rhythm and Blues Christmas volumes (one and four are the best ones):

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/artist/glance/-/36039/ref=m_art_dp/104-9561909-7763158

Finally, anything on Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas is good:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000046YM/qid=1063836798/sr=5-2/ref=cm_lm_asin/104-9561909-7763158?v=glance

Ikitnrev, I really dig "The Three Suns - A Ding Dong Dandy Christmas"! A must-have for every holiday music collection.
If it hasn't, it should be re-released as a CD. I burned my vinyl copy to CD, otherwise I would have worn out the album by now!

J

2 ideas...

Bob Atcher and the Dinning Sisters - Christmas Island

Fat Daddy - Christmas Song
A song recorded in the late 50's by local radio DJ Paul "Fat Daddy" Johnson. It has been a local holiday favorite ever since and was only available on the super rare original 45 until a few years ago when it was finally put out as a CD single. A must hear holiday classic!

Goes a little like this...

I'm Fat Daddy (la la la la la)
I'm Santa Claus (wooah wo yeah)
I'm Fat Daddy
The Reindeer's boss
All the kids love me
simply because...
they know Fat Daddy
is really Santa Claus...

And so on and so forth.........

I too have about 300 Christmas lps and all of them are strange or swingin'. I produce a tape each year for friends and people I don't like.

While I doubt you'll be able to find my Japanese version of "Santa Claus is Coming To Town" or Topo Gigio singing "What Child Is This?" in Spanish, you may be able to find:

"Jolly Old St. Nicholas" by Maurice Chevalier

"Marshmallow World" by Dean Martin (he sounds wonderfully drunk).

Anything off the Ventures Christmas album - probably the best Christmas album of all time. "Sleigh Ride" is particulary good.

"Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" - The Partridge Family

"Deck The Halls" by the Mexicali Brass
"What Child Is This?" by the Border Brass

"Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto" - James Brown.

"The Christmas Waltz" by Frank Sinatra (my favorite nostalgic Christmas song)

"Home For The Holidays" - Lorne Greene

"From All of Us to All of You" - Jiminy Cricket

"Up On The Housetop" - The Jackson Five

"Mamacita, Donde Esta Santa Claus" - by Charo

"Winter Wonderland" - Alfred Apaka

"Christmas Island" - The Lennon Sisters

"What Will Santa Claus Say? (When He Finds Everybody Swingin'" – Louis Prima & His New Orleans Gang

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Mambo" – Billy May

"Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" – Sonny Parker

Sabu

T

Can't find Fat Daddy on Amazon (to hear a clip) but it sounds funny!

Now the client has asked me to explore 'non christmas music' because they want to 'zig when they zag'. I love it when clients try to talk 'hip' !

My patience is being severely tried.

I thank you all for ooooodles of help. Hopefully you had fun in the process too!

Los Straitjackets just put out a Christmas album last year. It's all instrumental surf style music. It's pretty cool stuff.

T

We have a winner:
Blue Xmas by Leon Redbone. Not funny in itself, but funny when you see it with picture.

Thank you all for your help!

And now I have lots of great ideas to make a personal Christmas CD for myself!!!

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