Song #25: Bing Crosby - It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas
While the ground is still a sea of slowly dying grass and dry asphalt down here in Virgina, mother nature has taken the time to bless the midwest with the look of the holidays. Of course that means driving has now become perilous and old men across the region are exacerbating their heart conditions while hunched over a snow shovel in the driveway.
Regardless of how much a healthy heaping of snow inconveniences most of us around the holiday season, it still brings out a bit of sentimentality in all of us. So too does Crosby's It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas. There might not be a vocalist better suited for this song than Crosby with his distinctive baritone. The song begins with a quick nod to Jingle Bells before the orchestra brings the tempo down and Crosby works his way through the lyrics of songwriter Meredith Willson about some of the sights we most associate with the holiday season. The song closes with a nod to the greatest sight of all, being home to see your own front door decorated for the holiday season. For someone four states away from home, I can agree.
Song #24: Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Earlier in the countdown I wrote about U2's take on this Christmas classic written by Phil Spector. While the song lends itself well to straight rock and roll--something Bono excels at singing--there isn't another version out there that can compare with the original recording of Darlene Love singing over Phil Spector's wall of sound production.
Originally written for the Ronettes, lead singer Ronnie Spector wasn't able to sing the song with enough emotion so Love was called in to finish it. What came out of that session was a holiday classic that is often imitated yet never replicated. The song has since entrenched itself in popular culture as well. Martin Scorsese included it in his mob masterpiece Goodfellas, and David Letterman loves the song so much that he has had Darlene Love on his show to perform the song on the last recorded episode before Christmas since 1986. If it is good enough for Letterman, it's sure as hell good enough for me.
Accept no substitutes when it comes to Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).
Song #23: Perry Como - No Place Like Home for the Holidays
So good Como recorded it twice. This holiday classic was recorded with two different musical arrangements. One was slow and sentimental while the other was upbeat and backed by a big band. While they are both good, I am giving my nod to the faster version. Something about teh blasting horns and chorus of backup singers draws me in. On top of that, any song about travel around the holidays really has to be fast paced. Besides, "Gee the traffic is terrific" sounds much more sarcastic when sung by a choir.
Song #22: You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch
As I said a few entries ago, I did my best to keep crossover off of these lists. There are plenty of songs from Christmas specials and movies that could have easily made this list, but the intent has always been to keep the song countdown in the realm of Christmas music.
However, if there is one song that has grown out of it's roots as part of a Christmas special, it is the theme from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The song has been covered by multiple artists and has made it's way onto the radio. If any song from a Christmas special deserves to make this list, it is this one.
Song #21: Elvis Presley - Blue Christmas
This song is a popular Christmas staple of country music recording artists, and plenty have tried their hand at recording a version, but few are as capable as Elvis Presley of really owning the song. Presley may have been mostly flash and showmanship, but the man could sing the hell out of a sad song. Blue Christmas, a tale of unrequited love around the holidays, is the perfect holiday song for Presley's deep, achy vocals. A simple ballad sung by a man with a guitar, the song is an example of Elvis' ability to captivate an audience without his signature twists and shouts.
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