Thursday, December 9, 2010

Songs 30 - 26

As I sat down to write this entry yesterday I got word that Urban Meyer had retired as head coach of Florida, and after searching for news on it and remembering just how much I didn't like Urban, I got sidetracked writing a post about him and other coaches I hate over at Maize n' Brew.  Unfortunately I never came back here.


No matter though.  The show must go on.

Song #30: Band Aid - Do They Know its Christmas



I'm going to be totally honest, watching this video again I am realizing it might be a little bit higher on the list than it should.

But then paying close attention to the video makes me realize just how many crappy 80's pop musicians got together to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia.  Look at this list of names:

Linda Ronstadt
Adam Clayton (U2)
Phil Collins (Genesis)
Bob Geldof (The Boomtown Rats)
Steve Norman (Spandau Ballet)
Chris Cross (Ultravox)
John Taylor (Duran Duran)
Paul Young
Tony Hadley
Glenn Gregory (Heaven 17)
Simon Le Bon (Duran Duran)
Simon Crowe
Marilyn
Keren Woodward (Bananarama)
Martin Kemp (Spandau Ballet)
Jody Watley (Shalamar)
Bono (U2)
Paul Weller (The Style Council, and previously The Jam)
James "J.T." Taylor (Kool & The Gang)
George Michael (Wham!)
Midge Ure (Ultravox)
Martyn Ware (Heaven 17)
John Keeble (Spandau Ballet)
Gary Kemp (Spandau Ballet)
Roger Taylor (Duran Duran)
Sara Dallin (Bananarama)
Siobhan Fahey (Bananarama)
Sting (The Police)
Pete Briquette (The Boomtown Rats)
Francis Rossi (Status Quo)
Robert 'Kool' Bell (Kool & the Gang)
Dennis Thomas (Kool & the Gang)
Andy Taylor (Duran Duran)
Jon Moss (Culture Club, former member of Adam and the Ants)
Rick Parfitt (Status Quo)
Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran)
Johnny Fingers (The Boomtown Rats)
David Bowie (who contributed via a recording that was mailed to Geldof and then dubbed onto the single)
Boy George (Culture Club)
Holly Johnson (Frankie Goes to Hollywood)
Paul McCartney (Wings and The Beatles, who contributed via a recording that was mailed to Geldof and then dubbed onto the single)
Stuart Adamson (Big Country)
Bruce Watson (Big Country)
Tony Butler (Big Country)
Mark Brzezicki (Big Country)


I have a few questions after reading that list.  Why does it seem like 1/4 of the performers were from either Duran Duran, Bananarama, Kool & the Gang, and Culture Club?  What the hell was Big Country?  What made McCartney and Bowie say, "screw it, I'll just mail in my vocal track on tape?"

The song isn't bad, and it is for a good cause, but I would have to say I am more blown away by the recent video of 80's TV and movie stars singing Let It Be while superimposed over a beach scene than I am with this video, and that is saying something.

Next year I'll read my list a little bit closer.

Song #29: Gene Autry - Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer



Now this is a Christmas song that takes me back.  If there was any song that got you excited about the holiday season when you were young, it was Gene Autry singing Rudolph.

The old country crooner has a significant place in Christmas music history.  Not only did he sing extremely popular versions of two influential Christmas hits--Rudolph and Frosty the Snowman--but he wrote and recorded another Christmas classic, Here Comes Santa Claus.  Autry recorded all three of these songs between 1948 and 1950, and they continue to be holiday favorites to this day.

Song #28: Otis Redding - Merry Christmas, Baby



This isn't the last time that Otis Redding or this song will appear on the list, which should give you a good indication of just how highly esteemed both are in my mind.

Redding has been one of my favorite recording artists for a few years now, ever since the Christmas that I received a four disc box set of his work as a gift.  When it comes to soul music you would have a hard time finding someone who did it better than Otis.  The man could alternate his voice between a booming, powerful yell, and a soft, sweet serenade, sometimes within the same song.  When you talk to people about musicians who died too young you will often hear the names Hendrix, Cobain, Morrison, and Joplin thrown around.  For my money, I don't think there was any loss more tragic, and more devastating to popular music that when Redding died in a plane crash at just 27 years old.  Months before he had finally broken into the mainstream with his blistering performance at the Monterey Pop festival, and he wasn't even alive long enough to witness the release of the biggest hit of his career, (Sitting On) The Dock of the Bay.  While Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison, and Cobain were all fueled in their music by drugs, booze, and in Cobain's case a distaste for mainstream music, Otis was driven by pure joy and soul, and when his plane went down on that cold December day, 43 years ago tomorrow, the world was robbed of perhaps one of the most promising young musicians it has ever known.

Redding's recording of Merry Christmas, Baby is him at his best, and as always the backing of Booker T & the M.G.'s is spot on.  This track is an absolute essential for any lover of Christmas or Soul music.

Song #27: The Eagles - Please Come Home for Christmas



When Pat and I first decided to put this list together, we discussed only using one version of each song.  That way we could find the best version of, say White Christmas or I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.  Ultimately that idea fell through.  While there is a large amount of overlap in recorded Christmas music, with many artists working from the same small bank of songs, there are a few songs which have been so well done by multiple artists that it was unfair to discount those versions in favor of mediocre original versions (think, Last Christmas).

This song is a perfect example.  I would venture to guess that a lot of people would consider this a top-20 caliber song.  I certainly did for many years.  The Eagles knocked this one out of the park.  The chimes in the beginning set the mood perfectly, and then the ballad slowly rolls in a swinging 6/8 time as Don Henley does some of the best emotive and heartfelt singing of his career.  The short guitar solo in the middle isn't flashy, but  perfectly fits the longing mood that hangs over the whole song.

Unfortunately the boys just can't hold up the the standard set by the artist higher on this list.  That doesn't mean they should be punished, however, as this song is worthy of any Christmas music countdown list you could think to write.

Song #26: Burl Ives - Holly Jolly Christmas



Here is another song that reminds me of my childhood.  Most remember Burl Ives best from his voicing of Sam the Snowman in the classic television special Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (which we will come back to later in the countdown, I can assure you).  The song was originally written for the special, and was much later released as a single, but it has still managed to become a Christmas music staple.  Ives, a folk singer and actor, was the perfect person to pull off such a happy song, and he made one helluva model for a stop-motion snowman as well.

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Check back later in the afternoon for today's movie entry.

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