My Favorite Christmas Carols, on the Record Player
Christmas carols played on the record player put me in the holiday spirit.
Christmastimes of my childhood brought sounds of Bing Crosby crooning carols from the record player in our living room. We had a few Christmas records my parents would spin in the days leading up to Christmas, and now, as an adult I've got my own record player and stash of holiday vinyl.
There's something about hearing Robert Goulet's "Do You Hear What I Hear," or Johnny Mathis' "I'll Be Home For Christmas," that gets me in the Dec. 25 spirit. It was a little jarring to hear holiday music before Thanksgiving in some stores (is it me, or do the Christmas carols start earlier and earlier every year?), but nothing sets the holiday mood more than the songs of the season.
I don't know what it is, but I love the rich sounds of songs played on the record player. There's the crackle of the record as a song is about to begin, and a realness you can't hear in songs polished by record producers. Christmas carols on the record player always transport me back to the magical December days of my early childhood.
It's Dec. 1, and about time to dust off my Perry Como record and A Very Merry Christmas, Vol. 3, album. What songs do you love listening to during the holiday season, and just as important, how do you listen to them? Leave a holly, jolly comment below.
Chris Helms
4:28 pm on Thursday, December 1, 2011
For me it was putting on the LP with "Blue Christmas" at my mom's house that always signaled Christmas had really started.
Brooklyn Lowery
4:41 pm on Thursday, December 1, 2011
Growing up, we listened to the Aaron Neville Christmas album while decorating the tree every year. I still love that Christmas CD. That said, my favorite Christmas song is "O Holy Night." And every Christmas, I listen to this version at least once. http://www.fredmckinnon.com/media/OHolyNight.mp3
Brooklyn Lowery
4:48 pm on Thursday, December 1, 2011
I probably should clarify that link ... it's hilarious. And totally worth 3 minutes of your time. I laugh every ... single ... time.
Robert Fucci
8:06 pm on Thursday, December 1, 2011
Bing's White Christmas or Nat King Cole's The Christmas Song ... classics that never go out of style.
Patti McGlynn
2:40 pm on Friday, December 2, 2011
Or, Johnny Mathis singing The Christmas Song. It stops me in my tracks every time!
Maura
10:39 pm on Thursday, December 1, 2011
We had an album that you must have gotten when you filled up the gastank..Firestone presents... It had Bing Crosby, Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams, Burl Ives, Nat King Cole and the most fabulous Mahalia Jackson!
Kirsten Vandijk
6:54 am on Friday, December 2, 2011
John Denver's "AspenGlow" and "Christmas for Cowboys" gets me wanting hot mulled cider in front of the fire. But when he sings "What Child is This?" the earth stops rotating and listens. And then there are the Chipmunks......
Abby Jordan
4:06 pm on Friday, December 2, 2011
I love any song by John Denver - and agree, his Christmas carols are so beautiful!
Karla Vallance
9:20 am on Friday, December 2, 2011
It wasn't childhood, but I will never forget hearing Kelly Hogan sing 'O, Holy Night' in "Appalachian Christmas" in Atlanta in the 1990s. Haunts me to this day — so piercingly beautiful.
Elizabeth S. Leaver
5:41 pm on Friday, December 2, 2011
I don't think I've heard Kelly Hogan's but Josh Groban's version has the same effect on me--stops me in my tracks every time.
Melanie Graham
10:11 am on Friday, December 2, 2011
OK so this is going to totally going to reveal a secret nerd side of my life, but...when I was in college, my friend & fellow DJ would always get a kick out of pulling out the Star Wars Christmas vinyl to play on our radio shows. Every time we'd pull it out of the stacks we'd move the needle to "Sleigh Ride" featuring R2-D2 and C-3PO. It still gives me a good laugh, especially R2-D2's solo midway through. That's right...a solo.
For reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXJgx55Dutc
...and let the teasing begin.
Grahame Turner
5:56 pm on Saturday, December 3, 2011
Teasing? That's awesome. Almost enough to make me like Christmas songs. I admit, I don't much enjoy Christmas music.
Ryan Grannan-Doll
10:43 am on Friday, December 2, 2011
I have all of you beat, my favorite is Santa Claus is Coming to town, the Bruce Springsteen version. Nothing like the later Clarence Clemons belting out, ho, ho, ho.
Check out this great video of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSgEDKjmT5o
Maura
12:38 pm on Friday, December 2, 2011
Ryan, you are so right.
Stephanie
6:09 pm on Friday, December 2, 2011
My mother always put on the same record, it's the same one she grew up listening to, Mitch Miller and the gang the holiday album. I've never met anyone else who listened to that album, but it's my favorite. I always liked the song must be Santa.
Pam Roberts
9:54 am on Saturday, December 3, 2011
My father, an old country doctor, didn't have a lot of spare time for day-to-day family stuff. However, trimming the Christmas tree was sacrosanct. The memories of him robustly banging out Christmas song after Christmas song on the piano while the rest of us laded on the decorations is set forever in my mind.
Greg Kee
5:55 pm on Saturday, December 3, 2011
Boston Pops "Sleigh Ride". The version recorded with Arthur Fiedler, not the more recent arrangement.
Susan Sturman
11:51 am on Thursday, December 8, 2011
Anybody grow up with The Little Drummer Boy? I now have all my holiday albums, with music ranging over about 7 centuries, on my mp3 player and set to Play all: Random. I can listen for two days straight without hearing a song twice. Perfect for baking....
Kirsten Vandijk
1:29 pm on Thursday, December 8, 2011
My husband sings that song in the shower...even in July
Pam Roberts
12:14 pm on Thursday, December 8, 2011
Oooh, another Christmas CD junkie! My new favorite is "Songs of Joy & Peace" by YoYo Ma & Friends, especially song #9.
Brooklyn Lowery
1:30 pm on Thursday, December 8, 2011
Had a weak moment at Starbucks yesterday and bought "A Very She and Him Christmas." Definitely don't regret this impulse buy. So fun!
Karla Vallance
1:45 pm on Thursday, December 8, 2011
Is She & Him Zooey Deschanel?
Grahame Turner
1:47 pm on Thursday, December 8, 2011
Yep. That's Zooey. She's a really talented singer.
Brooklyn Lowery
1:55 pm on Thursday, December 8, 2011
Yep, Zooey and M. Ward. Such a fun CD. They do a rendition of "Baby It's Cold Outside" where they mix up who sings the traditional male/female parts ... Zooey is the one doing the convincing in their version.
Wendy Schapiro
11:10 am on Friday, December 9, 2011
Since it's "Patch Writers' Confessions Week," I will confess to my HUGE "girl crush" on Zooey Deschanel. And though I am Jewish, I am now totally going to run to iTunes and download "A Very She and Him" Christmas- thanks for the tip, Brooklyn!
Pam Roberts
12:45 pm on Friday, December 9, 2011
For the movie "Elf", Zooey and Leon Redbone performed a duet of "Baby It's Cold Outside" that is fabulous. (Leon never sounded sexier!) It's available on iTunes.
Wendy Schapiro
1:15 pm on Friday, December 9, 2011
Okay, if we can include parody songs, this is - to me- the perfect Christmas song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsvY8PbhZi0