Getting In the Mood : Best Christmas Albums (vol.10)

I think it's pretty clear I'm a guitar guy, and there has been plenty of guitar on this list, and today we are adding more.

Joel Paterson : "Hi-Fi Christmas Guitar"

Paterson is an exception guitarist with a love for Christmas music as he released his second Christmas Album this year., "The More the Merrier." I haven't gotten it yet but I'm hoping Mrs. Claus brings it to me! For Hi-Fi Christmas we'll start with "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus."

Now we'll move onto his soulful take on "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."

How about "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm."

His take on "Jingle Bells" is such a great groove! Oh and he does "Jingle Bells Rock on this album too.

As we know, I always go with "White Christmas if it's on an album, and I need to keep hearing it, because it doesn't look like we're gonna have snow in Erie for Christmas. But in fucking April we'll have 6 feet.

Let's do one more, because I love me some good guitar playing! "Christmas Time Is Here."

Enjoy!

Track List: 

1. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

2. I'll Be Home For Christmas

3. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

4. Mele Kalikimaka

5. Silver Bells

6. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm

7. Jingle Bell Rock

8. Blue Christmas

9. Pretty Paper

10. Jingle Bells

11. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

12. White Christmas

13. Winter Wonderland

14. Christmas Time Is Here

Getting in the Mood: Best Christmas Albums (vol. 9)

 

We're back with volume 9 of the best Christmas albums and we're going with an album full of oldies and goodies! 

A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector : Various Artists 

Since this song has been on most of my lists, we'll do it again. Darlene Love's take on "White Christmas."

When you think Phil Spector you think the Ronettes and then you think "Sleigh Ride."

And you gotta love The Crystals version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!"

We can't forget Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans with "The Bells of St. Mary."

This is just great old school Christmas tunes that you kids out there need to get hip to.

Enjoy

Track List:

1.White Christmas (Darlene Love)

2. Frosty the Snowman (The Ronettes)

3. The Bells of St. Mary (Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans

4. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (The Crystals)

5. Sleigh Ride (The Ronettes)

6. A Marshmallow World (Darlene Love)

7. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (The Ronettes)

8. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (The Crystals)

9. Winter Wonderland (Darlene Love)

10. Parade of The Wooden Soldiers (The Crystals)

11. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)  [Darlene Love]

12. Here Comes Santa Claus (Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans)

13. Silent Night

Getting In the Mood: Best Christmas Albums (vol. 8)

 

It's been a busy week or so and I haven't been able to get back to the list, but Christmas is fast approaching so it's my duty to get you the quality Christmas tunes! With number 8 we're going to rock a bit.

Bad Religion: "Christmas Songs"

There's something wonderfully ironical about Bad Religion rocking out Christmas songs, and they don't shy away from religious ones. Lets get started with "O Come , O Come Emmanuel."

As you should know by now, "White Christmas" is one of my favorite Christmas songs, so we have to hear their version!

And this next one, takes me back to the days at St. James Elementary School, but we didn't do it like this..."Angels We Have Heard On High."

If your looking to spice up your Christmas music playlist, and get a little umph, this is the way to go. Enjoy!

Track List:

1. Hark the Herald Angels Sing

2. O Come All Ye Faithful

3. O Come, O Come Emmanuel

4. White Christmas

5. Little Drummer Boy

6. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

7. What Child Is This?

8. Angels We Have Heard On High

9. American Jesus

Getting In the Mood: Best Christmas Albums (vol. 7)

 

Well for volume 7 we are going back...Back to my youth, back to Cleveland, Ohio. The Singing Angels is a Cleveland youth choir that was formed in 1964. My parents had a Christmas album of theirs and every year while we opened presents, The Singing Angels were the soundtrack to our unwrapping. A few years back, while missing my mom, I started searching itunes for that album. I couldn't find the exact one, but I found a 2005 version with almost all the same songs. The Singing Angels always hit me in the feels.

The Singing Angels: Somewhere in My Memory

Here is the closing number on the Album, "We Wish You the Merriest."

Here is "One Little Candle."

Next, we have "Away in a Manger." My Catholic upbringing peaking through with this album.

We'll close with "Merry Christmas Darling." This one isn't on the updated album, but it's on that one I remember so fondly, and this is my blog so I can do what I want.

That concludes this trip down memory lane. If you enjoy any of this, checkout The Singing Angels. 

Track List:

1. The Most Wonderful Time of the Tear

2. Somewhere in My Memory

3. Jingle Bell Rock

4. Away in a Manger

5. Step into Christmas

6. God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen

7. Sing for Hanukkah

8. A-Caroling We Go

9. We Need a Little Christmas

10. Feliz Navidad

11. One Little Candle

12. O Holy Night

13. We Wish You the Merriest

Getting In the Mood: Best Christmas Albums (vol. 6)

 

We're onto volume six and if you're a Jazz fan like me, and enjoy that big band style, you'll enjoy this.

The Count Basie Orchestra: A Very Swingin' Christmas!

We'll start off with "Good Swing Wenceslas."

From there we'll move onto "Let It Snow" because you gotta have snow for Christmas.

Now we'll slow it down with one of my favorite versions of the classic, "Silent Night."

Let's swing out of here with their version of "Sleigh Ride."

Keep getting in the mood. I'll be back tomorrow with another round.

Track List:

1. Jingle Bells

2. Let It Snow

3. It's the Holiday Season

4. Silent Night

5. Good "Swing" Wenceslas

6. The Christmas Song

7. The Little Drummer Boy

8. Sleigh Ride

9. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

10. Winter Wonderland

11. I'll Be Home for Christmas

Getting In the Mood: Best Christmas Albums (vol. 5)

 

We are onto volume 5 and this one is all old standards done by some of the great crooners. You can thank my parents for this one, as this was one of my father's went to when decorating or wrapping presents. 

The Rat Pack: "Christmas With the Rat Pack"

Let's start at the beginning with Dean Martin and "Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!"

Next, we'll go to Sammy Davis Jr. and "Christmas Time All Over the World."

And you can't have The Rat Pack without "old blue eyes" himself. Here's Frank Sinatra with "The Christmas Waltz."

Of these guys, I'm a big Dean Martin fan, so we'll go with one more of his numbers..."I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm."

The album is all oldies and goodies. pour yourself a drink, kick back, relax and enjoy.

Track List:

1. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!  (Dean Martin)

2. Mistletoe and Holly  (Frank Sinatra)

3. Christmas Time All Over the World  (Sammy Davis Jr.)

4. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing  (Frank Sinatra)

5. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm  (Dean Martin)

6. The Christmas Waltz  (Frank Sinatra)

7. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer  (Dean Martin)

8. Jingle Bells  (Sammy Davis Jr)

9. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas  (Frank Sinatra)

10. Baby, It's Cold Outside  (Dean Martin)

11. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear  (Frank Sinatra)

12. Winter Wonderland  (Dean Martin)

13. The Christmas Song  (Sammy Davis Jr)

14. The First Noel  (Frank Sinatra)

15. White Christmas  (Dean Martin)

16. I'll Be Home for Christmas (If Only In My Dreams)  {Frank Sinatra}

Getting In the Mood: Best Christmas Albums (vol. 4)

 

So, our latest edition of Getting in the mood: Best Christmas Albums we're going a different direction. This is the first on our list that isn't an album full of standards. 

JD McPherson: "SOCKS" has an oldies vibe and nods to tradition Christmas songs, but it's from 2018 and is so much more. Original, humorous, with heart and rockin'. Let's start with the opening track, "All the Gifts I Need."

I mentioned humous...When I heard the next song, "Bad Kid," I honestly laughed out loud at some of the lyrics. And it has a great groove to it.

We can't skip the title track, "Socks" a true anthem for the kids out there, unsatisfied with some of their gifts.

And who hasn't had the "Ugly Sweater Blues"

I also mentioned this album having heart. If you didn't hear any of it yet, here's some of it. "What's That Sound?"

Besides Socks, JD McPherson has released a number of Christmas singles. He also does non-Christmas music. He's doing a Christmas tour this month, if he passes by your town, check him out.

Track List:

1. All the Gifts I Need

2. Bad Kid

3. Hey Skinny Santa

4. Socks

5. Every Single Christmas

6. Ugly Sweater Blues

7. Holly, Carol, Candy & Joy

8. Santa's Got a Mean Machine

9. What's That Sound?

10. Claus Vs. Claus