Christmas Eve Open Thread: Favorite Christmas Song Covers
Posted: December 24, 2010 Filed under: just because | Tags: Christmas, open thread 55 Comments
I don’t really celebrate Christmas as a religious feast anymore, but I do enjoy some of the secular aspects of the holiday. I sometimes like to listen to Christmas carols performed by various popular artists. I even like the religious ones when they are sung with style. I’ll share a few of my favorites with you, and if you like, you can embed more in the comments.
This is an open thread, so you can also continue talking about politics or anything else that is on your mind tonight.
First, one of the best ever: The Drifters singing “White Christmas.”
Next, the Temptations, singing “Silent Night.”
The incomparable Elvis singing “Blue Christmas” during his 1968 Comeback Special
The Moody Blues sing the Christian cover of “Greensleeves,” “What Child is This?”
Billie Holiday sings “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm”
Barbara Streisand with “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
Just one more from the King:
How about one from Ike and Tina?
There are so many great Christmas covers to pick from. Which ones do you like best?
peej
Carissa
bostonboomer
ecocatwoman
mablue2
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im1fViFXQ8M&feature=related
You and mom at home?
Yep, we’re leaving around noon tomorrow.
I tried to call Doctor Daughter. Evidently the labor room is pretty full at the moment and they’ve left it to the poor pagan/heretic/apostate residents to sort out!!
I guess you and I are the only ones with nothing better to do tonight.
Oh, there’s things I could do around here with friends. I’d just not much in the mood with the feet problems and all. And, it takes money to eat, drink and be merry and I’m not exactly flush. I’ve got some pumpkin walnut bread in the oven and I’m trying to get the house clean a bit. And, I got that journal article thing done and off, so I’m also not up to reading or anything heavy. I haven’t turned a TV on for almost two months either. If I settle down I’ll probably read that Girl with the Dragon Tattoo after I walk Karma.
Hey Dak, where is her residency at? New Orleans?
nope Omaha … youngest daughter is up there at the moment too
I was wondering, because I know lots of women go into labor if the barometer goes down. I think that is so neat…she is delivering babies…
I used to love to do this as a kid. We did it every year. I still have my Messiah libretto and can sing it albeit pretty off key these days.
My favorite Christmas song is sung by Luther Vandross…I know it is an amazon link, but it is the only place I found this particular version.
Amazon.com: The Christmas Song: Luther Vandross: MP3 Downloads
So – is it possible that BB and I have snow to celibrate the Holidays and New Orleans does not have snow?
We had snow on the Christmas before Katrina. It was like the first time in decades! I think it’s supposed to be in the the 50s and drizzly.
I think we did have a snow early December 2008. We usually have that snow globe looking snow. Huge flakes and it doesn’t look real.
just found that on NOLA.COM it was 12/11/2008
That reminds me of the lake effect snow I used to see in Indiana. Huge flakes and a foot or more of snow. No snow is due here until Sunday.
It never sticks around more than about an hour. But it’s kinda pretty when it happens as long as you’re not driving.
Ours lasted most of the winter. When I lived in Indiana, I went through snow and ice to get to O’Hare Airport in Chicago, flew home to a (usually, not always) snow and ice free New Jersey, back to Newark Airport and a snow and ice covered O’Hare and northwest Indiana. Then, a few days later I’d get a terrible cold. It almost never failed.
The lake effect snow is beautiful though.
Love that picture!
We have a little bit of snow (I’m in Indiana right now), but not much. But I hear there is a big storm coming in southern New England. Just what I need–to have to dig through 10 inches of snow to get into my house when I get back there.
Well, don’t worry too much, the weather guys have blown every forecast so far! 😉 I love all those picks, especially the Drifters and I’ve got my love to keep me warm. And, of course, Barbra. I really want to read her book, building a little village in her cellar is so eccentric, but in the best possible way!
Barbra’s book is really fun. Along with great pictures she writes a lot of commentary, background, explaining what she did and why, and of course criticizing what isn’t perfect including her own decisions, and I love that you can tell she wrote it herself, it’s sounds exactly like her. It’s a bit pricey but I think nearly half off at Amazon. My partner gave it to me a month or so ago. (We don’t do Christmas or any other holiday gifts but throughout the year we surprise with random ones.)
It’s a little weird she built a New England farmhouse in Malibu but it’s gorgeous. Double weird: the east facade is New England farmhouse and the west, facing the ocean, the facade is Nantucket style shingle. But what made me laugh is the way she translates authenticity. We own an 18th century New England farmhouse, I walk around with the dogs and moan to myself, oh we have to paint that. And what has Barbra done? She’s had the painters distress hers so it looks like it needs to be painted.
I glanced through it at the bookstore, and it was pretty surprising to see how her style has evolved. For some reason, maybe because her love of deco was so well publicized, some of it just seemed so incongruous–I mean, those dolls? Those had me laughing, not that they’re terrible or anything, but it just seemed so unBarbra. The federal style furnishings are gorgeous, though, it looks like the WH. Thanks for the recommend, I’m putting it on hold at my library right now.
I think that’s one of the things I love about the book. Most books about houses make such obvious sense, but this one reflects a sort-of a mish mash that’s one very unique person’s style. Although one might look at some of it and think that doesn’t make sense, the text is wonderful because she explains why it’s meaningful to her.
Another surprising, and slightly disturbing, thing is she doesn’t live in the house. She lives in another house on the property, which was already there. She goes to all that trouble and expense to build her dreamhouse and then even though it’s just across the yard from her she doesn’t live in it. Analyze that!
Hi Seriously!
I hope you’re right. I did see something about how it could be a big bust. That seems to happen a lot. I’m hoping the heavy snows will hold off till I get home–hopefully around Jan 3.
I’m glad you liked the songs. That’s the first time I’ve heard Streisand sing that song, and I thought it was beautiful.
I don’t have anything to do tonight either. So I googled this big medical complex I used to live across the street from in the Bronx and was checking out all their new facilities.
Merry Christmas everyone dancing under the sky!
Same to you!!!
Just got back from my sister’s–we had our seven fish.
seven fish?
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art15171.asp
It’s an Italian thing. Some say it’s for luck. Others say it has something to do with the seven sacraments, deadly sins, or gifts of the spirit. I don’t know why we do it except that we always do it.
good a reason as any!!!
Wow, what a night…my husband is finally on the way home. So Merry Christmas everybody!
I have to admit that when I saw you clip of the Drifters singing White Christmas, it reminded me of my favorite Christmas You Tube video:
I love that one too. I just thought I’d put up a different one. The song by the Temptations is amazing too.
I just discovered that I had that I had this version:
That’s wonderful, MABlue. Thank you.
Catching up on threads and getting to the Xmas eve stuff late–just wanted to say I love this Otis Redding version of White Christmas. It’s one of my favorites.
cute!!!
My friend Jimbo who pops over here ever so often made this … Jimbo and wife Janna are music professors at Loyolla. They just took these pix from their phone… so kewl
eeps … the Real Cajun christmas with Santa and the Crawfish is a trip … watch that too!!!
Cute!
They’re both actually atheists … Janna’s jewish, but they do the music at the Episcopalian church by the Quarter. I fill in sometimes. They’re big kids when it comes to stuff like this. I almost snuck over by the church to hear them play tonight.
I have to get to bed. ‘Night, everyone.
night!! have a great time with your family tomorrow!!
I can’t hear the “What Child Is This” travesty of “Greensleeves” without singing plaintively:
“Alas, my lo-ove, you do me wrong, to cast me ou-out discourteously. For I have lo-ooved you so long, deliii-iiighting in your company…..” and wanting to swirl around wearing a long kirtle, holding a goblet of mead.
May you all dance to music of your heart’s desire. Happy Yule!
thank you !! same to you!!
Sorry, NW Luna. I couldn’t resist it because I like the Moody Blues.
Good night from Eastern Time zone. Kids and grandchildren comming over tomorrow. Waiting to talk to oldest grandson who just finished his first semester at Michigan in Electrical Engineering. He kind of got humbled when Wisconsin beat Michigan in football this year.
lol … ah, old rivals! Take care and have fun with the family!!!
Have fun!
“Waiting to talk to oldest grandson …” that was me once upon a long time ago and I so clearly recall waiting excitedly to talk to Grandpa. The best. Making memories that last a lifetime.
Merry Season’s greetings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kwHzbQVlLM
Really lovely. Thanks for sharing!
Aretha Franklin can belch better than anyone can sing.