Lucky Posted December 11, 2007 Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 WELCOME TO THE SONGFACTOR'S CHOICE: HOLIDAY SPECIAL! * ALL MEMBERS OF SONGFACTS ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO PARTICIPATE * Please join us, and share your knowledge and your love of the thing that keeps SONGFACTS the community we all know and love. MUSIC ! The basic guidelines are simple.... * The Songfactors' Music of Choice will be decided by your nominations and votes. For each edition we'll ask that you nominate 1 OR 2 selections that meet the guidelines for that edition. * With each nomination, we'll ask that you give us a review, a few thoughts or just a description of how your selection makes you feel. No one is being graded on their writing here. What we want is for you to share your knowledge and feelings about the music you love. * Each edition will run 3 to 4 weeks. At the end of that time, we'll ask you to vote. You know how that works! These lists will number 5, so we'll ask that you compile your list of 5 choices for the final Songfactor's Music of Choice. We will tally them, just like The Songfactors' Choice Top Ten, 1 through 5. At the close of voting, we will have our Songfactors' Music of Choice. * Be as creative with this as you'd like. We want to encourage an exchange of thoughts, so this will be a place to learn about and enjoy the nominations, as well as the final choices. The guidelines will change with each edition. ....So, Welcome To..... The Songfactors' Choice: HOLIDAY SPECIAL ! ! ! ! ! **** 'Tis the Season, so the guidelines for this Special Edition are dictated by that fact. What we are looking for is the best use of a song (either original, or traditional) in a Holiday themed Special. That can include TV Specials, Theatrically Released Movies, Holiday Concerts, or a variation of any of those. We were all once children, many of us have children, even grandchildren. When has a song touched your heart, brought home the true meaning of Christmas, or simply made you smile? We'd like to know! PLEASE, GIVE US YOUR NOMINATIONS NOW! ........NOTE: THIS SPECIAL EDITION WILL RUN FROM THIS MOMENT UNTIL CHRISTMAS EVE (of course!)......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawna Posted December 11, 2007 Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 Let me be the first to nominate You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch ! This video is not from the original cartoon - at least not the sequence that's in the cartoon. "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" is my favorite of all Christmas specials. I remember it being such a huge deal every year when it came on, we'd make a whole night out of it when I was a kid. Mom would pop popcorn and we'd all watch it as a family... it wasn't available in stores in those days. The song sums the Grinch up very well, it's humorous, it's classic, and is perhaps one of the most memorable parts of the cartoon... although the whole thing is brilliant! It makes me smile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLizard Posted December 11, 2007 Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 I had trouble picking one song from my favorite Christmas movie, because it's a musical, but I went with this one, because it's the probably the best strictly Christmas-related song in the movie. Gotta love the Muppets. It Feels Like Christmas For those of you who haven't seen this movie, I recommend it. It's a surprisingly faithful adaptation of the Dickens story, but with all the great Muppets humor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenacious_Peaches Posted December 11, 2007 Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Judy Garland from the almighty Wikipedia "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a Christmas song written for the MGM Musical, Meet Me In St. Louis. It was written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane [during an interview with Hugh Martin on NPR on 12/21/06, he said Ralph Blane encouraged him to continue to write the song, but really did not have anything more to do with writing it] and made famous by Judy Garland in the 1944 film "Meet Me in St. Louis". The movie chronicles the change in seasons and times of St. Louis including the Christmas season. In the famous scene, Garland sings the tearful tune to child star Margaret O'Brien. The melancholy tune and lyrics were originally even more somber but were adapted by the song writers to the current version at Garland's request. Garland and future husband, director Vincente Minnelli, felt some of the lyrics were too negative for a Christmas song. Hugh Martin initially balked at changing the words. He credits Meet Me in St. Louis actor Tom Drake, who was a friend, for convincing him that Garland was right. "Meet Me in St. Louis" proved to be a huge hit, but there was only a modest market for Christmas pop music at the time. Then, in 1957, Frank Sinatra came to Martin with a request for yet another pick-me-up. He called to ask if I would rewrite the 'muddle through somehow' line, says the songwriter. He said, 'The name of my album is A Jolly Christmas. Do you think you could jolly up that line for me?' Martin made several cheerier alterations, shifting the happiness into the present tense, and changing the muddle through line to "Hang a shining star upon the highest bough." The peppier Sinatra version turned the song into a Christmas perennial; it has since been recorded thousands of times. It's been a little confusing, says Martin, because half the people sing one line and half sing the other. It's probably more off-balance than that. A considerable portion of the 500-plus recordings that are up on iTunes use the Sinatra lyrics[citation needed]. Even Garland herself eventually did. But I still kind of like 'muddle through somehow,' myself, Martin admits. It's just so kind of...down-to-earth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky Posted December 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 Oh Peachy! Isn't that lovely?? I'm such a sap over Christmas... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonJonSurfer Posted December 11, 2007 Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 Linus and Lucy by Vince Guaraldi was first used in "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and although not specifically a Christmas song, it is often associated with the holiday season because of this cartoon. The song went on to become the signature theme of Peanuts cartoons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Posted December 11, 2007 Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 I like "Have A Holly Jolly Christmas", sung by Burl Ives and featured in the Rankin & Bass Christmas classic "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer". I grew up watching all the Rankin & Bass classics. They also were an event in my house every year in the days before video and DVD. My daughter Samantha just sat through "Rudolph" for the first time when they showed it on TV last week, and I hope it will become traditional watching every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweet Jane 61 Posted December 11, 2007 Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 "Silver and Gold" by Burl Ives from the Christmas classic Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Jenny we grew up watching the same holiday classics. And when I would hear "Silver and Gold" even as a kid I felt so sentimental about the holidays. I have it on VHS and wa have watched it a couple of times already, never tire of this movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky Posted December 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2007 I was going to nominate this one, but RonJon got there first... Linus and Lucy by Vince Guaraldi was first used in "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and although not specifically a Christmas song, it is often associated with the holiday season because of this cartoon. The song went on to become the signature theme of Peanuts cartoons. Linus and Lucy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky Posted December 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2007 I like "Have A Holly Jolly Christmas", sung by Burl Ives and featured in the Rankin & Bass Christmas classic "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer". I grew up watching all the Rankin & Bass classics. They also were an event in my house every year in the days before video and DVD. My daughter Samantha just sat through "Rudolph" for the first time when they showed it on TV last week, and I hope it will become traditional watching every year. Jenny, I grew up watching these (didn't we all?), and I still love them! I'll still stop my channel surfing to watch this! Have A Holly Jolly Christmas Enjoy!! And from the same Christmas Classic: "Silver and Gold" by Burl Ives from the Christmas classic Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Jenny we grew up watching the same holiday classics. And when I would hear "Silver and Gold" even as a kid I felt so sentimental about the holidays. I have it on VHS and wa have watched it a couple of times already, never tire of this movie. Silver and Gold Burl Ives is destined to be forever be associated with these songs, isn't he? This show in particular brings memories to mind, of my childhood, and of my own children, when they were small. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky Posted December 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2007 " White Christmas ", written by Irving Berlin in 1940, is hands down, my favorite Christmas song. "White Christmas" is my favorite Christmas movie. The song has an interesting history, and was hugely popular during WWII when it was first released. I don't think the real importance of that ever really dawned on me. wiki I love every version of this song, including the one released by the Drifters. Irving Berlin called it the best song he'd ever written. The best song ever written. Although this isn't the origianl soundtrack album, this is the album that most of us remember the song from .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesboy Posted December 13, 2007 Report Share Posted December 13, 2007 For those of us that grew up in the '50s --> '70s... Bing Crosby's 1977 tv special produced one of the most unusual Christmas songs when David Bowie did a duet with Bing. They combined The Little Drummer Boy (Bing) and Peace On Earth (Bowie) which turned out rather well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesboy Posted December 13, 2007 Report Share Posted December 13, 2007 For Christmas week on The Nat King Cole Show during the 1956-57 tv season, Nat sang 5 Christmas songs... one of which was The Christmas Song which he had first recorded in 1946 and then '53. His 1961 stereo version is the one we hear all the time on the radio during the Christmas season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted December 13, 2007 Report Share Posted December 13, 2007 I have no idea about what I could suggest... I don´t like Christmas stories and anyways, I can´t think of a Christmas related movie and song... There´s only one song I love and it´s "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)" by John Lennon... but it´s very sad because he was killed short before Christmas... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levis Posted December 13, 2007 Report Share Posted December 13, 2007 Soldier of Love - Pearl Jam (Christmas single, 1998) I think everyone must know this song (though perhaps not this version). Originally performed by Arthur Alexander in 1962, it was later covered by the Beatles as well as Marshall Crenshaw. Pearl Jam recorded this song and released it as a Christmas Single along with Last Kiss in 1998. Both songs were also included on "No Boundaries" - a compilation put together to benefit the Kosovo refugees. They were the only band to be represented twice on the album. Give it a listen... it's a nice, well-meaning little song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvish Posted December 13, 2007 Report Share Posted December 13, 2007 Well, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas isn't exactly a Christmas musical, but one of my favorite Christmas songs (that isn't exactly a Christmas song) is in it The title refers to poor Christmases of the past, when families splurged on rock candy treats for their children. Hard Candy Christmas is such a poignant song. My mom told me after my uncle passed away a decade ago that it made her think of my aunt, her sis-in-law and best friend. Last year, after the untimely passing of my dad, I couldn't help but remember her mentioning that. Mom finally understood Dad's sister's Hard Candy Christmas And now Aunt Charm is gone as well - another untimely death. This melancholy song is tied up with so many memories - very bittersweet for me. It reflects the sometimes sad reality of the holidays, much like the original version of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Laurie_ Posted December 14, 2007 Report Share Posted December 14, 2007 I was going to nominate this one, but RonJon got there first... Linus and Lucy I was going to nominate this one also!.....great choice Ron!.....One of my favorites! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farin Posted December 14, 2007 Report Share Posted December 14, 2007 Santa Claus is coming to Town ~ Bruce Springsteen maybe one of the most popular (rock) versions of this song, included in numerous Christmas Compilations over the years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuzikTyme Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 I'd like this as a nomination. This one always has a way of giving me that long-ago Christmas spirit . . . Happy Holiday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky Posted December 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 While this special wasn't a technically a "Christmas" Special, it is one of the more well known Rock Specials in history, and it did premier on December 3rd, 1968. The 1968 Elvis Comeback Special features what has become a rock & roll holiday classic, and one of the more classic performances of that song. The song was originally recorded for Elvis' 1957 Christmas Album, but this performance shows The King at his best... Blue Christmas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farin Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 Be quick to get in your nominations, voting will start tomorrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 OK, I´m nominating only one song, that´s all I can think of... "Happy Christmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 Soldier of Love - Pearl Jam (Christmas single, 1998) I think everyone must know this song (though perhaps not this version). Originally performed by Arthur Alexander in 1962, it was later covered by the Beatles as well as Marshall Crenshaw. I know the Beatles and Alexander versions... I love this song and now it´s my earworm... lay down your aaaarms and surrender to meeee... I´ll watch the video as soon the my spanish husband is done with the PC... :beady: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farin Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 I know the Beatles and Alexander versions... I love this song and now it´s my earworm... lay down your aaaarms and surrender to meeee... I´ll watch the video as soon the my spanish husband is done with the PC... :beady: I grin everytime I hear the "Cha Cha Cha" in that version Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levis Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 May I nominate an entire ballet? I don't know if it's allowed... The Nutcracker - Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky I might not know which ballet is which but they're all familiar to me... and I can't put up the entire thing so here's : Waltz Of The Flowers I'm a bit nervous about this one... it seems so out of place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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