British Expatriate Network

What are your favorite and least favorite songs that come on around christmas? Are you sick of listening to christmas radio stations yet?

I'm already done with the radio - I'll listen to what I want when I want to thanks. Part of the reason for that is the extremely limited to a few versions of the same songs. The other reason is that it's a Clear Channel radio station - so they are desperate to convince people that christmas is under attack from secularists. (shame the whole culture war doesn't really exist) Which also means none of the good songs get on the station. So no "Fairytale in New York" for example.

Two songs that make me want to punch a baby are the Christmas Shoes song, and Bruce Springsteen's drunken singalong. Just horrible. And I really don't like these new versions of classics sung by Mariah Carey, Britney Spears or Xtina. Hearing the Jackson 5 sing "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" sounds more like another Wacko scandal to me - horrible song. I do really like Harry Connick Jr's christmas songs, and Sufjan Stevens 3 EP's are wonderful. The Kinks "father christmas" is good - christmas and class warfare! - and I can't get enough of John Coltrane's "Favorite Things" even if it isn't about christmas at all. But my all time favorite songs are the really old songs that no one listens to anymore. Songs like Mae West's "Put The Loot in the Boot Santa," and Hank Thompson's "I'd Like An Elephant For Christmas" have that old-time quality of singalongs - not about shifting as many singles as possible.

My personal favourites are the older ones sung by Dean Martin, Bing, Nat King Cole etc. My favourite song would have to be 'It's a marshmallow world'. I also really like a song called 'Christmas in Kilarny' which my old boss used to play in the office every year. I don't really get bored of these ones.

I like my 'Now Christmas' CD with all the old Slade/Wizzard/Band Aid stuff but I get bored of that quicker.

My least favourite song would have to be 'Jingle Bells' by the Singing Dogs (or something like that). Basically it's dogs barking to the tune of Jingle Bells. My Dad thinks it's hilarious roll

One of my favourite Christams songs is the song from the animated version of Raymond Briggs' The Snowman" (1982 version, sung by Aled Jones). Some of you might know this one as "I'm Walking in the Air".

I love it because I happen to know the young man who sings it.

The songs I hate are usually the covers brought out by non-musical morons who think they can better a good thing.

[quote="Celticana @ Sun Dec 04, 2005 202 pm"]One of my favourite Christams songs is the song from the animated version of Raymond Briggs' The Snowman" (1982 version, sung by Aled Jones). Some of you might know this one as "I'm Walking in the Air".

I love it because I happen to know the young man who sings it.

quote]

omg Celticana, is it really that old? I can't believe that song was made in 1982. I remember it like it was just a couple of years ago, watching that cute looking young boy singing with the voice of an angel.

It is a great song and he did a wonderful job singing it, too. Why, it might even bring a tear to my middle aged eye if I heard it again. cry

See Rod Stewart happened to have brought one out as well roll When is he going to stop, with all the volumes of American songbooks?

Hey, leave Rod alone. He has a new baby to support, he needs the money :mrgreen: :wink:


(and he still makes me go all gooey when I hear his voice :lol: )

The cute young boy with the voice of an angel back then still has the voice of an angel now. Doesn't look bad either. :wink:

http://www.aledjones.co.uk/aled.html

I have an mp3 of it but it's 4.something MBs otherwise i'd offer to mail it.

My fav's are

Greg Lake - I believe in Father Christmas
Wizzard - I wish it could be Christmas Everyday
Slade - Here it is merry christmas

oldies but goodies, I drive my wife mad every year when I get the chrissie album out and start watching A Muppet Christmas Carol every weekend from November.

I like a mixture of the older tunes as mentioned above like Nat King Cole, Dean Martin and etc.. and some of the 70's and 80's Christmas songs like Slade, Gregg Lake, The Snowmen, John Lennon, Roy Wood and etc....

There's been Christmas songs blasting on the Christmas music stations since before Thanksgiving, and to be honest I find it difficult to listen to it. Instead of listening to the songs and feeling christmassy and upbeat it just makes me depressed and extremely homesick so I don't really listen to them anymore. sad

He still makes me think of when I bought my dad a Black & Decker sander for Christmas :wink:

What voice, the croaky one? :mrgreen:

Yeah, I know that feeling too. :sadder:

/world's tiniest violin in background

The Pogues "Fairy Tale of New York"

You scum bag, you maggot
You cheap lousy faggot
Merry Christmas your arse
I pray God its our last.


Quality

last year i was intrduced to the orignal, grandma got run over by a reindeer, don't know who it's by but i like it lol

I was just going to post that one!!! I heard it for the first time a few weeks ago on John's No. 1 Christmas CD... I cracked up at that one! :lol:

But for real, I like the one from "The Snowman" and "Step into Christmas" by Elton John.