Favorite Christmas Songs

[alohabear]

Well folks....It's the time of the year where all the Christmas and Holiday songs are being played on radios and stores all around. What song puts you in the seasonal mood?

I love "Merry Christmas Darling " by the Carpenters
and " The Chanukah Song by Adam Sandler

[1stwahine]

Re: Favorite Christmas Song

"I'll Be Home For Christmas" & "The Christmas Song"
....sung by me!

Auntie Lynn

[mel]

Re: Favorite Christmas Song

My current top 10 most played Christmas songs on my iPod and iTunes are:

1. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - U2
2. When Southern Bells Ring - The Judy Bats
3. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
4. A Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives
5. Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms
6. Happy Xmas (War is Over) - John Lennon
7. The Christmas Song - Weezer
8. Little Saint Nick - The Beach Boys
9. Merry Christmas Darling - The Carpenters
10. Winter Wonderland - Eurythmics

[Moto]

Re: Favorite Christmas Song

Lucky Lucks 12 days of Christmas, Merry Christmas Darling by the Carpenters, The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole and White Christmas by Bing Crosby.

[Albert]

Re: Favorite Christmas Song

I go for the classic recordings ... Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" and "Adeste Fidelus", Judy Garland's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", the Robert Shaw Chorale's "Angels We Have Heard on High".

Alas, at Ala Moana Centre, the only place I'm hearing seasonal music right now, this year's loop is pretty awful. I wish they'd waited a little longer to begin it (started the Sunday before Thanksgiving). A month of Christmas music is enough, two weeks would be even better.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Favorite Christmas Song

Alas, at Ala Moana Centre, the only place I'm hearing seasonal music right now, this year's loop is pretty awful. I wish they'd waited a little longer to begin it (started the Sunday before Thanksgiving). A month of Christmas music is enough, two weeks would be even better.

Just wondering (since I assemble the music programming that they normally use) - is it a constant, 100% holiday-song program, or a 50/50 mix of holiday and regular Hawaiian music? And is it all Island holiday songs, or the classics you hear anywhere?

I ask because I never know which programs they use during the holidays --- I created an all Island holiday songs program a couple years back, plus I know we did a 50/50 mix for them recently --- but they may be using something else from our catalogue (either all classic holiday songs, or all contemporary artists doing holiday stuff.) Generelly, customers don't start the holiday programming until Black Friday, but if they want to do it earlier, we don't stop them.

[LikaNui]

Re: Favorite Christmas Song

Generelly, customers don't start the holiday programming until Black Friday, but if they want to do it earlier, we don't stop them.

But if we asked you real nice, could you stop them?
Please?

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Favorite Christmas Song

But if we asked you real nice, could you stop them?
Please?

Only in dreams, amigo, only in dreams.

I asked our Hawai`i rep about their programming. Turns out they started using the mix of 50% Hawaiian holiday/50% regular Hawaiian way back on November 11 - and we had to rush that program together for them to have it that early. Then on Black Friday, they switched to 100% holiday - I'm guessing it's the four-hour loop I put together two years ago, of all Island artists. But I did pass on Albert's comment to the local rep, just so they knew what someone thought about it running so early.

Believe me - it's a lot better program than the one they had for several years prior; when I heard that the first year I was programming Hawaiian music, I wanted to go into hiding...it was created by someone who had no knowledge of Hawaiian music or artists. Or taste, in general.

[Albert]

Re: Favorite Christmas Song

So far as I've been able to tell, Ala Moana's loop is all local recordings, including a really awful "I'll Be Home for Christmas". I try to rush through the place and get to the upstairs end by Sears where, mercifully, the music doesn't reach.

It's odd that none of Pure Heart's Christmas recordings are included, unless I've just missed it.

[It's also odd that Foodland has abandoned its former local music loop, replaced it with "golden oldies" from the late 60s/early 70s.]

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Favorite Christmas Song

So far as I've been able to tell, Ala Moana's loop is all local recordings, including a really awful "I'll Be Home for Christmas".

That would be either Na Leo, Honolulu Boy Choir or Native Blend's versions. But they were only in the 50% holiday program; the 100% loop running now doesn't use that song at all.

It's odd that none of Pure Heart's Christmas recordings are included, unless I've just missed it.

You've missed them (probably while trying to escape the afore-mentioned song) - there's five songs from their "2.5" album in the program.

Honestly, I do appreciate the feedback on the program, negative or positive. It's tough to create holiday programs sometimes; even tougher when you're working in a limited genre. You gotta find enough material to feed the beast - we can't use ANY songs with religious content in the lyrics (it offends too many people, and they WILL complain) - so that takes out all those familiar carols we grew up with.

Okay, so maybe there are circumstances where this gig is slightly less fun...

[tutusue]

Re: Favorite Christmas Song

What Child is This - Baldwin & Douthit
Silent Night - Bebe & Cece Winans
Personent Hodie (Sing Aloud on This Day) - Bob James
The Christmas Song - Mel Torme
Bye Bye Thou Little Tiny Child - Kingston Trio
O Holy Night - Willy K
Silver Bells - Perry Como
White Christmas - Bing Crosby
Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt
We Three Kings Of Orient Are - Deborah Henson Conant

It just wouldn't be Christmas, tho', without listening to:
I Bought You a Plastic Star for Your Aluminum Tree - Michael Franks

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Favorite Christmas Song

Personent Hodie (Sing Aloud on This Day) - Bob James

Ooh, nice choice!

It just wouldn't be Christmas, tho', without listening to:
I Bought You a Plastic Star for Your Aluminum Tree - Michael Franks

Amen! You know he did an entire holiday CD, yeah? "Watching The Snow" came out in Japan, then later in the US. But that's still the best song on it.

You mentioned Miles Davis' "Blue Xmas" on another thread - featuring Bob "Schoolhouse Rock" Dorough's wonderful singing; love his unique sound!

[hidenori]

Re: Favorite Christmas Song

I'm new to HT and live on the mainland (North Carolina). Grew up on Oahu in Wahiawa (folks still live there). Been looking for a good place to make my first post on HT. Favorite Christmas songs? Suggestions:

Mary, Did You Know (Kenny Rogers & Winona)
O Holy Night (Josh Grobin)

How 'bout these?

[tutusue]

Re: Favorite Christmas Song

Ooh, nice choice!

Amen! You know he did an entire holiday CD, yeah? "Watching The Snow" came out in Japan, then later in the US. But that's still the best song on it.

I wasn't aware of that CD. Was it released in the US? I found the song on iTunes. It's on the Warner Bros. Jazz Christmas Party CD. I love Michael Franks' lyrics, esp. 'Popsicle Toes'!

You mentioned Miles Davis' "Blue Xmas" on another thread - featuring Bob "Schoolhouse Rock" Dorough's wonderful singing; love his unique sound!

Me too! And, as you know, he pronounces Xmas as 'ex-mas'! I'd also like to hear Bobby McFerrin do that song...just for the heck of it!

[Menehune Man]

Re: Favorite Christmas Song

John Lennon's - So this is Christmas