Ickmusic’s Friday Five: December 19, 2008
Welcome to week three of our “Holiday Edition” of the Friday Five!
As we wind down to the New Year the last four editions of the Friday Five will be shuffled from my vast collection of Holiday music. I encourage everyone to play along and spin up some holiday cheer. With the holiday season being short and the duress of the current economic climate being ever present we could all use a little lift in spirits.
For those who have not joined in the Five, here’s how it works: … I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five with a bit of insight for each track.
Then it’s your turn! Just share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments and see what your fellow readers are listening to as well.
Here are this week’s tracks:
1. Bing Crosby – God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen (from Merry Christmas)
Salvation! Satan! Scorn! Way to bring the Christmas cheer Bing!
2. Bing Crosby & David Bowie – Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy (mp3) (from Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy)
More Bing! The “poor relations from the states” and “The Thin White Duke” take on the holiday classic. The track was originally recorded for Crosby’s 1977 television special. Interesting factoid from wikipedia:
According to co-writer Ian Fraser, Bowie balked at singing “Little Drummer Boy”. “I hate this song. Is there something else I could sing?” Fraser recalls Bowie telling him. Fraser, along with songwriter Larry Grossman and the special’s scriptwriter, Buz Kohan, then wrote “Peace on Earth” as a counterpoint to “Little Drummer Boy”. Crosby performed “Little Drummer Boy”, while Bowie sang the new tune “Peace on Earth”.
Bowie? A diva? Who’d have known?
3. Dean Martin – I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm (from Christmas With Dino)
Here’s Dino back again to give the ladies a little something.
4. Bing Crosby – It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas (from Merry Christmas)
Looking out my window at the snow that is currently blanketing the greater tri-state area, I’d say ol’ Bing is about right.
5. The Waitresses – Christmas Wrapping (mp3) (from The Best Christmas Album in the World… Ever!)
This and The Pouges “Fairytale of New York (feat. Kirsty MacColl)” are two of my favorite non-traditional holday tunes. Hell outside of the fact that they mention Christmas in the song they barely qualify but both contain such cool storytelling.
It’s almost Christmas, have you been naughty or nice?
Ickmusic’s Friday Five: December 5, 2008
Welcome to the first week of our “Holiday Edition” of the Friday Five!
As we wind down to the New Year the last four editions of the Friday Five will be shuffled from my vast collection of Holiday music. I encourage everyone to play along and spin up some holiday cheer. With the holiday season being short and the duress of the current economic climate being ever present we could all use a little lift in spirits.
For those who have not joined in the Five, here’s how it works: … I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five with a bit of insight for each track.
Then it’s your turn! Just share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments and see what your fellow readers are listening to as well.
Here are this week’s tracks:
1. The Jackson 5 – Up on the Housetop (from Now That’s What I Call Christmas, Volume 3)
My wife and I were discussing the irony of the bevy of Jackson-related holiday tunes just the other day. I do love this track though.
2. Chuck Berry – Merry Christmas Baby (mp3) (from Rockin’ Little Christmas)
As much as I dig this track, “Run Run Rudolph” is far superior. I will say, however, that Springsteen‘s cover of this is on my “Top 10 Recent Christmas Songs”.
3. Vince Guaraldi Trio – Christmas Time Is Here (instrumental) (from A Charlie Brown Christmas)
Nothing captures the holiday ‘feel’ better than the soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas.
4. Andy Williams – It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (from Now That’s What I Call Christmas, Volume 3)
I realize it’s the pangs of nostalgia that endear these tunes to our collective conscious but some of these songs are so earnest and true that it’s hard to deny their timelessness.
5. Dean Martin – Baby It’s Cold Outside (mp3) (from Christmas With Dino)
Dean Martin was one smooth motherf**ker. Proof positive is the cover of the record that this classic is originally from A Winter Romance where we see a picture of Deano holding a lovely young lady while throwing the “how you doin'” look to another philly nearby. You can clearly deduce that he’s bringing both of these birds back to his chalet for martinis and a three way romp.
Now it’s your turn, what’s getting you in the holiday spirit?