Author: douglove1225

Sing a Song of Singing Songs: be cool

Let’s take a moment and find something not so wacky or weird. Are there songs about songs that be cool?

NiknJaps does exactly what i wanted: a pop experiment about the process of writing down the Xmas Sound. “My Christmas Song” comes in short, but sweet. Cool dat.

Finn McGinn & the Muddguards narrate the whole stage show (like in ‘Piano Man’) in unironic country (like that’s possible).”So Let’s Sing” celebrates best it can, given what’s given. So, that’s cool.

Glenn Trujillo and Rich Wenzel go deep into their alt-folk past for “This Christmas (Sing for Christmas).” It’s spiritually cool.

Kurt Elling settles your hash with piping hot jazz. “Sing a Christmas Carol” tootles around the canon, but rousts yon spirits brightly. Tell me that’s not cool.

Sing a Song of Singing Songs: for you

I’ve previously covered songs as gifts (you cheap bastard!) Now let’s cover gifts that are songs.

Reprise: Fairmont’s “This Song is Your Christmas Gift” rocks humility (It’s better than nothing!).

Reprise: Bill Craft et al’s “A Gift of Song” also plays it cool with bluegrass (This gift has no value!).

Reprise: Nugu Buyeng gets BLUE ALERT nasty to admit he has “No Christmas Present for You“–except this little old song he’s written.  Way to go, ya rapping Buddhist.

The Disney Channel’s Good Luck Charlie had a song about the singing: “Sing My Song for You.” As a TV number it’s short, but herein is the same number by characters Teddy & Spencer (played by Bridgit Mendler & Shane Harper), then by Sonny & Joe (Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas). It’s like a mirror looking into a mirror!

Let’s spell it out: can’t afford you! Michael Peace pieces together a clumsy excuse (including the children) with “We Wrote You this Song for Christmas.” He hopes it’s the bestest of all. (Spoiler alert: a stolen bracelet woulda been better.)

Sing a Song of Singing Songs: others

Who else gets a song dedicated for the holidays?

Well, i can’t pass up another Todd McHatton: “A Christmas Song for Harry Nilsson.” This must be the third time i’ve foisted it on you.

Bored housewives from Portland, The Fallen Angel Choir went political with “Sing a Song for Benjamin Linder” a victim on Nicaraguan Contras (and others). Whew.

A LOT lighter, Carolyn Mark offers a “Song for the Girl with Two of Everything.” For children of divorce get too much, don’t they?

 

Sing a Song of Singing Songs: the Bigger Guy

I know! We should sing to the birthday boy!

“Let’s Sing Praises to the King” sing The Sensational Nightingales. Pretty stuff.

The McKameys “Sing a Song About the Lamb” cleverly following the old sacrificial lamb to the old gods to the new lamb who is a Son of a God. Plodding ‘grass gospel.

Let’s get even more old Sunday school with a fine old album: American Folk Songs for Christmas, brought to you by Mike Seeger.

Included are tributes to The Jay-by “Sing Hallelujah” by Calum MacColl

and “Sing a Lamb” by Mike Seeger hisself.

Sing a Song of Singing Songs: the big guy

Do we sing a song loud and proud, or do we aim it?

gerdenshed claims to be singing a “Santa’s Song,” but it’s mostly about beer.

Rubettes (feat. Alan Williams) ask you to sing along to their “Santa’s Song.” It’s just ho ho ho over and over. Let’s practice.

Similarly The Oak Ridge Boys offer Santa singing “Santa’s Song“–just the hos, ma’am.

I’m partial to the nihilism of Culture in Memoriam’s “Santa’s Song” (Ding Dong, with murder in his eye). I’ve sung to this one before. (They’re Swedes, so winter=death, y’know.)

The Ames Brothers “Sing a Song of Santa Claus.” It’s really ‘Sing a Song of Sixpence’ so if you’re prone to nursery rhymes, this one over-orchestrates just for you.

Sing a Song of Singing Songs: cowboy style

‘They’ll be singing… Gonna be singing…” begins the song. We feel like we’re IN THE MUSIC. Whoa, Nelly.

“Christmas Carols by the Old Corral” was minor hit for Tex Ritter in 1945. Former Ritter back up Wesley Tuttle adds some aw-shucks yodeling to his concurrent version. Gene Autry flattened it for his Melodie Ranch broadcast of the same year. Nine years later Luke Simmons and His Blue Mountain Boys add some rock guitar but subtract with gramma’s electric organ.

Sing a Song of Singing Songs: awww

What do you do when the deserving go cold, the lambs are lost, the Christmas spirit doesn’t perform miracles? Well, you could sing. It might make you feel better.

The Dean Martin Show’s Las Vegas showgirls back-up formed a group called The Goldiggers (it was a sad time) and hit the racks with a ’69 Xmas album offering a version of giving: “I Sing Noel.” Man, those high notes.

Sandler and Young combine for their “I Sing Noel.” Hokey country gospel that invites you to come in out of the cold.

Sing a Song of Singing Songs: maybe

The classic 2003 Will Ferrell film “Elf” got crammed into a B’way musical 2010. It didn’t get better. But it gave us an okay song about Christmas singing “A Christmas Song” here star-powered by Jim Parsons and Kate Micucci from the 2014 TV special (quaintsy and quirky) as opposed to Sebastian Arcelus and Amy Spanger from the original cast recording below (more chorus, more from the diaphragm).

Sing a Song of Singing Songs: DON’T

Mob, the hard rocking band, protests with taste in “I Hate Christmas Songs.” I think it’s about you.

Touch My Rash get less specific and much more punk with “I Hate Christmas Songs and I Hate Everyone.” I got you some anger management for Christmas.

Todd Steed and the Christmas Suns sing (over the girls playing in front of the camera) a stern folk lesson “I Hate Christmas (Songs)!” Wait, there’s a happy ending (i guess).

My favorite Greensboro pranksters Piedmont Songbag have the bitching in the bag with “Stupid Christmas Songs,” a rambling country pop pisser about the futility of carols. (Love that Bing Crosby imprssion!)

Teresa Fischer belabors the burden of the professional singer told which tune to croon. “Please Don’t Make Me Sing a Christmas Ballad” is a roller coaster of a story with piano pounding, range stretching, and lyrical loopiness luring you to sing-along: don’t!