🎄 Holidays! Favorite "Non-Christmas" Christmas Music

[Dave]

Since iSomething Festive! is all I have that's seasonal at the moment, here are some artists that I think sound ESPECIALLY "Christmas-y", this time of year, anyway:

1. Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66/'77

2. Simon & Garfunkel

3. Jimmie Rodgers

4. The Sandpipers

Dave :bigsanta:

...I can think of more, anyone else? :santa:

 

[Harry]

Since iSomething Festive! is all I have that's seasonal at the moment, here are some artists that I think sound ESPECIALLY "Christmas-y", this time of year, anyway:

1. Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66/'77

2. Sandpipers

3. Jimmie Rodgers

4. The Sandpipers

Dave :bigsanta:

...I can think of more, anyone else? :santa:

Sandpipers listed twice in a list of 4?

I actually started a similar thread in another Forum, so I'll repeat it here - it seems like a good place.

We've all heard of many Christmas songs that really have nothing specifically to do with Christmas: "My Favorite Things", "Jingle Bells", "Sleigh Ride", etc. But how many of the reverse case are there? That is, songs that actually mention Christmas, but are not Christmas songs at all. Carpenters have one: "Those Good Old Dreams" mention "...like a child's eyes on a Christmas night..."

Any more?

Harry
...packing for the trip home, online...

 

[Dave]

Since iSomething Festive! is all I have that's seasonal at the moment, here are some artists that I think sound ESPECIALLY "Christmas-y", this time of year, anyway:

1. Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66/'77

2. Sandpipers

3. Jimmie Rodgers

4. The Sandpipers

Dave :bigsanta:

...I can think of more, anyone else? :santa:

Sandpipers listed twice in a list of 4?

I actually started a similar thread in another Forum, so I'll repeat it here - it seems like a good place.

We've all heard of many Christmas songs that really have nothing specifically to do with Christmas: "My Favorite Things", "Jingle Bells", "Sleigh Ride", etc. But how many of the reverse case are there? That is, songs that actually mention Christmas, but are not Christmas songs at all. Carpenters have one: "Those Good Old Dreams" mention "...like a child's eyes on a Christmas night..."

Any more?

Harry
...packing for the trip home, online...

Er, Um...#2 was supposed to be SIMON & GARFUNKEL!!

Thanks for catching that one! "Scarborough Fair", whether by Art & Paul, Andy Williams, Don Costa, Sergio Mendes, The Alan Copland Singers or CLAUDINE always sounds good while watching my aluminum tree with my "twirly lamp" in front of it change colors. :santa:

No, they may not be Christmas Songs, but ones that remind us of it in some sort of way, by having such a "whimsical" quality to it. And ones that mention it, as well.

Dave

...and a Safe Trip Home, too, Harry! :bigsanta:

 

[jimac51]

While reading this bio of Laura Nyro that I mentioned in another recent thread,I'm reminded of her "Christmas in My Soul" from CHRISTMAS AND THE BEADS OF SWEAT. While invoking images of the season,Laura questions the fufillment of the promise of love that is behind the Christmas story. It is a dark,pessimistic view of the world and not a selection to be played to the general public(though I have heard it on college stations during the season). I like the song but I'm not recommending it for most. Its noted in the book that Columbia and Laura's producer tried to talk her out of titling the album with the word "Christmas" and,sure enough,after its release over 30 years ago,uninformed stores and unknowing distibutors still place this on their Christmas lists. Mac

 

[daveK]

I have lots of favorite "non-Christmas" Christmas songs, including Simon & Garfunkel's "A Hazy Shade Of Winter" (I also like the Bangles version), U2's "New Year's Day", Pink Floyd's "When The Tigers Broke Free", Rod McKuen's version of "Winter In America", Glen Campbell & Russ Taff's "The Greatest Gift Of All", and anyone's version of "Moonlight In Vermont". :bigsanta:

 

[jimac51]

I heard Percy Faith's version of "We Need a Little Christmas" today on the radio and am reminded that the song really doesn't belong at Christmas at all. It is a song from the musical MAME(in turn based on the book,play and movie AUNTIE MAME) and,though I have never seen a production(and the Lucille Ball movie scares me)I believe the scenario for this song is a moment when everything is going wrong and it is just the opposite time of year for Christmas. Christmastime is one time of year when you don't "need a little Christmas". Mac

 

[Tim Neely]

Another artist who makes me think of Christmas is Dan Fogelberg.

Not only because of "Same Old Lang Syne" (which has been relegated to Christmas airplay even though, when it was first popular, it peaked on the charts in late February), but he uses a lot of winter imagery (the LP cover to Nether Lands comes to mind immediately), and it sure seems as if many of his biggest hits ("Longer," "Leader of the Band") were hits at or just after Christmastime.

Also, the Dream Academy's song "Life in a Northern Town" will forever be associated with the holiday season for me, as that's when I first heard it, traveling across country to go home for the holiday. Not to mention the lines "In the winter 1963/I thought that the world would freeze/With John F. Kennedy and the Beatles."

 

[TulitaPepsi]

Music from the 1930s and 1940s always reminds me of Christmas, for some reason.

Another good NON-Xmas song is "It Happened In Sun Valley" by Glenn Miller & the Modernaires.

 

[Dave]

Think I have to throw in one of my other favorites, Gabor Szabo.
I listen to him all year round, but some of his albums sound right especially for this time of year, too. And what about Claudine? And Chris Montez? Stuff you like to hear as you watch the blinking and twinkling Christmas lights and displays--still up in MARCH!!!!!

Dave :bigsanta:

 

[Dave]

While reading this bio of Laura Nyro that I mentioned in another recent thread,I'm reminded of her "Christmas in My Soul" from CHRISTMAS AND THE BEADS OF SWEAT. While invoking images of the season,Laura questions the fufillment of the promise of love that is behind the Christmas story. It is a dark,pessimistic view of the world and not a selection to be played to the general public(though I have heard it on college stations during the season). I like the song but I'm not recommending it for most. Its noted in the book that Columbia and Laura's producer tried to talk her out of titling the album with the word "Christmas" and,sure enough,after its release over 30 years ago,uninformed stores and unknowing distibutors still place this on their Christmas lists. Mac

Ah, Laura Nyro!! Her music sounds good in Autumn! Or when we're likely to get a GREEN Christmas...like now, when it's unseasonably WARM outside! I once thought SEASON OF LIGHTS was a Christmas LP, but it was actually a Live CONCERT album.

Andy Williams made a few Christmas albums, but somehow ANYTIME is the time to hear HIS stuff!

Dave