Royal Guardsmen - "Snoopy's Christmas" (Vs The Red Baron) I knew most of this, but: Although fictitious, the song is set against the backdrop of a legitimate historical event. During World War I, in 1914, "The Christmas Truce" was initiated not by German and British commanders, but by the soldiers themselves....The song even has the initiator correct as it was generally the German soldiers who called over to the British and initiated the truce and, in the song, it is the Red Baron—a German WWI hero—who extends the hand of Christmas friendship to Snoopy.
Johnny Mathis - "When A Child Is Born (Soleado)" My favorite version of my favorite Christmas song. The English language lyrics were written by Fred Jay ... They do not make specific mention of Christmas but the importance they attach to looking forward to the birth of one particular child somewhere, anywhere, suggests a reference to the birth of Jesus Christ, and the citing of "a tiny star" that "lights up way up high" may allude to the Star of Bethlehem. I think this not being specifically a "Christmas" song, but rather a song that can be interpreted to refer to the hopes we have at the birth of any child that the world will become a better place because of them is what draws me to it. Interesting tidbit: When released as a single, the B-Side was "Every Time You Touch Me (I Get High)", EDIT: We're about to head out to the in-laws; I hope you guys have a great Christmas, Holiday Season, whatever. And if you don't celebrated anything, at least overeat so you'll be fat like the rest of us.
Because W is a double letter anyway, here's Blur with "The Wassailing Song" (wassailing being a version of caroling, going house-to-house with a bowl of some spirit and offering drinks in exchange for gifts):
I'll jump in and add another.....a local band; unfortunately they're not together anymore... The Dempsey's - "8 At The Bar Boogie" The clip starts in the middle of the song; still... The guitarist is Brad Birkedahl; Joe Flick on bass; and Ron Perrone Jr on drums. A favorite moment from one of their shows is during a 4th of July festival an older guy looking like an Elvis impersonator walks past the stage, and one of the Dempsey's looks at him and says, "Hey, look! It's Buddy Holly! EDIT: Ok. Maybe that's a location joke; you had to be there. EDIT II: Looking at this clip again, parts of it look like they may have been sped up a bit; still, you get the idea.
If we're still doing numbers: In honor of Springsteen's Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ release 45 years ago, today: "Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?"
Ok. Let's start this round with a little style, a little class, a little Mr C. "And I Love You So" - Perry Como
But Not Tonight -- Depeche Mode I have a strange relationship to this song. It is my favorite song that I cannot remember that I love. On any given day, if you were to ask me to list my 20 favorite songs, this would be absent. And every five or six years I "rediscover" this song and I'm always amazed that I've forgotten it. Last week it popped up on my Pandora channel. I just listened to it three times making this post. This song got me over my breakup with my penultimate girlfriend. I must have listened to this song 250 times that week. And I owned it on vinyl, so it was the old-fashioned go to the turntable, lift the tonearm, and reset on the right groove. I did wear out this album. Literally.
God, Fear, Money- Me'shell Ndegeocello Live at the Roxy, 11/11 & 11/13/01 Not sure if I've posted this one before
"Jenny Ondioline" - Stereo Lab Originally from Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements (1993)