What do The Grateful Dead, Kelly Clarkson, and Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mahyem all have in common? They've all recorded the 18th song in my 25 Days of Christmas Songs - Run Run Rudolph. But the version I prefer is by today's birthday boy, Keith Richards, who turns 70 years old today. Crikey. Happy birthday, Keith. Keith's version is fantastic. It's gritty, it's rocking, and it's Keith Richards for crying out loud. It was released as a [...]
Sounds the bells I've finally caught up to the correct day in my 25 Days of Christmas. Day 17 is a very rare recording of Amy Winehouse singing I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. I think it's from the Q Awards in 2004. Side note: The Pet Shop Boys were award the Q Inspiration Award and The Red Hot Chili Peppers won the Best Act in the World Today at the 2004 Q Awards. Anyway, I'm a huge Amy Winehouse [...]
Oh how I love this song. Love For Christmas by The Gems is #16 in my 25 Days of Christmas Songs. The Gems was a Chicago-based group from the early 1960s and featured a very young Minnie Riperton. Minnie went on to have a number one hit with Lovin' You in 1974. The Gems were on the Chess Records label, started by a couple of Polish immigrant brothers with the last name of Chess. Go figure. Love For [...]
The second song on Request Sunday for The 25 Days of Christmas Songs (which brings me up to Day 14. One more day to make up) is Colorado Christmas from my friend Susan Marcianti Hill. The song was recorded by country music behemoth The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, who formed in 1966 in the home of country music - Long Beach, CA. Colorado Christmas, written by Steve Goodman - wait - a country band from Long Beach, CA recorded [...]
It's request Sunday for the 25 Days of Christmas Songs and first up is Put A Little Love In Your Heart from my friend Ray Wagner. Originally recorded by Jackie DeShannon in 1968, Put A Little Love In Your Heart was covered by Annie Lennox and Al Green (a couple of hack singers) for the 1988 holiday film SCROOGED. It's a pretty great cover. Buy the song on iTunes here. Buy it at Amazon here. And if you're [...]
Rounding out the first dozen of 25 Days of Christmas Songs is The Christmas Song by the Danish band The Raveonettes. This is such a great song. I don't have much to say about this song other than it's lovely and should be on your playlist. Get it at iTunes here. Get it at Amazon right below.
Due to a snow storm, DeSales University had to cancel its final performance of The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge today. It's the second tie this week a performance was cancelled. It's such a bummer for the kids who worked so hard. Hopefully they'll be able to add some performances. For those of you who wanted to see the show but couldn't, I found a slideshow of the show on Youtube. It needs music, but I quibble. [...]
I love seeing pictures of productions of my shows. Nancy Brooks, director of Southeast Alabama Community Theatre's production of The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge, sent these pictures to me. Congratulations to all and thanks for doing my show. I particularly like this one. It looks like he's Cling or Clang from a live stage version of H.R. Puf n Stuf. I kid, I kid. All Photos Courtesy of Matt Ray Photography
Let's face it, Christmas is a time for bittersweet songs. For every kiss stolen under the mistletoe, there's grief from the memory of family and friends no longer with us. Christmas in the Room, the #10 song in my 25 Days of Christmas Songs, captures the bittersweetness of the holidays and life. But the song by Sufjan Stevens (He has a brother named Marzuki. What up with those names?) hits on what's really important: being together. No gifts. [...]
"It's all cold down along the beach, the wind's whipping down the boardwalk...Hey band! You guys know what time of year it is? Christmas time!" Thus begins Bruce Springsteen's iconic version of Santa Claus is Coming to Town, recorded on this day 38-years ago at C. W. Post College in Greenvale, NY. One of the earliest performances of the song by Springsteen was Dec 23, 1973 at Rova Farms Function Center in beautiful Jackson, NJ. Midway through the song a brawl [...]
