Year-round Yuletide oddities
Bobby Darin adds to his streak o’ hits here reaching no. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, no. 15 on the US R&B Chart, and no. 8 in the UK Singles Chart. Not bad for retreading a Jack Lawrence 1946 love song. Baby!
Joel Kopischke searched “Beneath the Tree” for presents. So should we all.
The first of Elvis’s hits topped Billboard‘s Top 100 chart for seven weeks… Cashbox‘s pop singles chart for six weeks… No. 1 on the Country and Western chart for seventeen weeks… reached No. 3 on the R&B chart… his first million-seller… reached the top 5 of Country and Western, pop, and Rhythm ‘n’ Blues charts simultaneously… eventually be certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America… inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame… in 2004 Rolling Stone magazine named it one of the ‘500 Greatest Songs of All Time’… also included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s ‘500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.’
Those chameleons of ApologetiX has transformed the lyrics but not the smooth soul for “Cut-Rate Hotel.” I think they mean manger.
Okay, douglove needs a little holiday break….
For the next couple months i will share the sincerest form of flattening, copying someone else’s tune. But inserting a Christmas song to it! Totally. Some people are spot on this paro-deus form of musicality. Bob Rivers is the Obi Wan of it all. ApologetiX will be featured again and again as masterful Christian cover-makers. Robert Lund (from FuMP) fills in FM stations with his latest jiggery pokery. My man here Joel Kopischke has a cottage industry in performing little shows THAT time of year. As do The ’60s Invasion. Many amateurs post their talents. Other big deal ‘tubers (like KeyofAwesome) bring studio quality to the fun.
So, we’ll wend our way through the decades, stealing stats from Wikipedia to clue you in to the monster hits that are the targets here. (None of the originals will be linked; they aren’t Xmas. So there.)
Let’s get going.
Dean Martin’s signature number tumbled out of his Martin-Lewis pic ‘The Caddy’ and was nominated for an Academy award. It hit number 2 as a single later and has followed him like the smell of cheese since (many enjoy that smell).
Gentile Joel Kopischke reminds of of other holidays with “That’s a Menorah.” Sing a long! Now just the Jews!
Key of Awesome is so cool they get a mention with “12 Days of Miley.” It’s not funny. It’s mean. If you can’t stand her, here.
Venetian Princess gets fanny funny with “A Miley Cyrus Christmas.” It’s only a silly minute.
The “Miley Christmas/Parody of ‘The Christmas Song'” from our friends at FuMP: Robert Lund and Spaff.com. It replays over the credits if you don’t get it the first minute and a half.
The Ergs! have their own memoriam, “(We’re Gonna Have a) DEVO Christmas.” Surely you remember the ’80s that much?
Albums by less than Christian artists ironically covering Xmas are 1$ a dozen. It’s them playing bourgeoise. (Ha!) Many do that. (For $$$) Which makes it hard to find guitartists willing to put the musical stamp of some one greater on their own little holiday project. But, Youtube is endless…
So here’s “What If… Metallica Played Christmas Songs!” cobbled together by Creble Star with no little talent.
vito106 has posted some foolishness that sparked a wee bit o’ controversy. “Back Door Santa” has no provenance, but it has some melty fun to it.
Mark Pitta has an exercise in imitation that pits Doors music to J Bells so let’s call it “Jim Morrison Jingle Bells Imitation.”
Since it’s fun i have to share Mr. Mojo’s “Lost Doors Christmas Song?” It’s out and out parody, but nom nom nom.
Masterful comic actor you’ve seen in something somewhere Mario Cantone has the bit we’re looking for. “Jim Morrison Christmas Special” makes merry with melody. The jokes don’t always land, but the effort is consciousness raising.
Duh.
Granted most E-impersonators’d rather cover ‘Blue,’ a few have tried on the swivel hips for Xmas songs he never sung.
Steve King and Planetdance Elves attempt to raise the geriatric with “Mistletoe and Wine.” Not a standard yule number, but it smells like Vegas. A-huh.
Many other auteurs have brand new songs that swing and sway like rockabilly, which attracts a certain sneer, and well, Elvis just comes natch’ally. (Most of these have been categorized before; most of these bear repeats.)
Johnny Earle’s “Mistletoe Rock” does indeed rock. It sounds almost accidentally Elvis.
Dennis Kolb casually channels Mr. Graceland with “Christmas Stockin‘.” It’s a 6 on the e-meter.
Dave Rudolf conjures the Pelvis with “Fruitcakes for Christmas” with a sly arrogance. What’s that smell?
Shakin’ Stevens has a worthy heir to the Tupelo Tornado. though it share more genes with Ricky Nelson. “Rockin’ Little Christmas” deserves air time.
Kerr Donnelly Band really mush mouths it with “Rockin’ into Christmas.” Give them an audience with the King.
Professional impersonator Ryan Perry has delivered on our promise: an original Elvis Christmas song in his style to honor his legacy. It’s okay. “Merry Christmas, My Love.”
Mojochronic has posted a medley of carols done funky electronic (as a sequel?): “Yuletide Zeppelin II.”
Oh, yeah, this mashup master also has a “Yuletide Zeppelin” from a previous year. Found it through Peter the Elf. (It’s better.)
Rooster Slayer noodles on his guitar with “Fa La La Floyd Christmas Song.” Mesmerizing, if a bit show offy.
Moneyshot Cosmonauts (od FuMP fame) melt it in a minute with “The North Side of the Pole, Part 4: Red and Green.” Top o’ the charts, baby! (Don’t forget “Parts 5 and 6“–cool, cool, cool.) (These are parodies, gang, but I couldn’t reisist, hee hee hee.)