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More Music of Christmas - Day 2: Christmas All Over Again

More Music of Christmas – Day 2: Christmas All Over Again

“Christmas All Over Again” By Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers This is a song that I wouldn’t say is one of my favorites. But nor is it a monstrosity. My relationship with Tom Petty’s music isn’t deep or life-affirming or anything like that. Like many musicians, I liked some of his songs. I didn’t like some. And I didn’t listen to much of his solo or group work that wasn’t on the radio. I saw him…

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More Music of Christmas - Day 1: All I Want for Christmas Is You

More Music of Christmas – Day 1: All I Want for Christmas Is You

“All I Want for Christmas Is You” By Mariah Carey It’s the song that launched a thousand memes a month or two ago, as we awaited the start of the holiday season and this song to be heard on the radio. If you take all the radio stations playing Christmas music, it’s probably on the air continually from November 1 through December 26. Yes, it’s Mariah Carey and holiday classic, “All I Want for…

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The Music of Christmas - Second Movement

The Music of Christmas – Second Movement

It’s Christmas time… again! Yes, ASM is back for another look at the music of the holiday season!  Last year, I took you on a trip through 25 (okay, probably more like 30) songs of Christmas and Hannukah, highlighting my favorites, and talking about several I dreaded to hear every year.  But there are more than 30 songs in the season.  So, why not a second movement, as it were, another…

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The Music of Christmas - Day 25: "Christmas Adventure"

The Music of Christmas – Day 25: “Christmas Adventure”

“Christmas Adventure” By Vince DiCola Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all! We end our countdown today with a song by my most favorite artist. I’ve been a fan of Vince DiCola since his work on the 1986 The Transformers: The Movie. I mean, I made “Escape” my ring tone nearly fifteen years ago. I eagerly buy any new release. I’ve played a song with him. When you ask me who my musical hero…

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The Music of Christmas - Day 24: "Carol of the Bells"

The Music of Christmas – Day 24: “Carol of the Bells”

“Carol of the Bells” By David Foster I first heard this song as part of a TV show of some sort. I caught only the last portion of it and never knew who the artist was.  I made it a mission to find out.  However this was years and years before Shazam was around, and I never heard it on the radio, so doing an internet search for “Carol of the Bells” was just an exercise in failure. Found many…

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The Music of Christmas - Day 23: "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"

The Music of Christmas – Day 23: “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

It’s a theme of three today.  The selections here are all versions of a Christmas classic. It’s amazing how this song can differ in mood simply by changing the tempo and the arrangement. I had a hard time picking which mood I’d showcase first, but since this is 2020, I went with a melancholy feeling first. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” By Kenny Loggins This version starts with a piano…

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The Music of Christmas - Day 22: "Feliz Navidad"

The Music of Christmas – Day 22: “Feliz Navidad”

Felize Navidad By José Feliciano Ah, now we’re in the final days until Christmas, and we’re in the really good music.  These last four are some of my most favorite holiday tunes, the ones that I really love. This song, written in 1970, is just so dang happy. It’s a simple song, repeating verses and choruses. Each repeat adds some more layers of audio, growing in size until at the end it’s a Latin…

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The Music of Christmas - Day 21: Monday Music Monstrosity #3

The Music of Christmas – Day 21: Monday Music Monstrosity #3

Welcome to Monday Music Monstrosity, where each Monday I will talk about a holiday song I absolutely detest. I won’t link to it because it sucks so hard. I just want to share my pain because misery loves company. “The Little Drummer Boy” By the Harry Simone Chorale   God, how I hate this song. I can still remember my parents pulling the record out of the cardboard sleeve every Christmas, and…

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The Music of Christmas - Day 19: An Orchestral Appreciation

The Music of Christmas – Day 19: An Orchestral Appreciation

In what seems like a former life, I once played in symphonic bands and orchestras. Starting in college band then moving on to community bands after graduation, back as an alum in orchestra, with a few years break in there, I loved playing in the percussion section. While it’s been a while now since I played, I still have a lot of love for orchestral music. That holds true for holiday music, too.…

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The Music of Christmas - Day 18: "When the River Meets the Sea"

The Music of Christmas – Day 18: “When the River Meets the Sea”

“When the River Meets the Sea” By Various Muppets I include this song not because it’s so much a Christmas song but it represents Christmas to me. This song appears in both “Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas” and on the “John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together” album. I don’t remember if it was in the TV special or not; but these two appearances are part of what means Christmas to me. I…

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The Music of Christmas - Day 18: "Christmas Vacation"

The Music of Christmas – Day 18: “Christmas Vacation”

https://www.coverville.com/episodes/2017-christmas-cover-show/ (No video, so go to the third song in this podcast.) “Christmas Vacation” By Yacht Rock Revue “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” is one of my favorite holiday movies. It’s funny and poignant, and many people can find something to relate to in this story about how the holidays drive people. The theme for the movie, “Christmas…

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The Music of Christmas - Day 16: "Do They Know It's Christmas?"

The Music of Christmas – Day 16: “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

“Do They Know It’s Christmas?” By Band Aid It’s hard to believe this song is over thirty five years old. Recorded in November of 1984, this is one of the biggest supergroup recordings ever, and it was all for charity. To help relieve suffering due to famine in Ethiopia, producer Bob Geldof and Donna Yates, his wife, were moved to do something after watching a television report on the hardship. …

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The Music of Christmas - Day 15: "Elf's Lament"

The Music of Christmas – Day 15: “Elf’s Lament”

“Elf’s Lament” By Barenaked Ladies with Michael Bublé The second entry on this list from “Barenaked for the Holidays” “Elf’s Lament” is the story about how maybe Santa isn’t the jolly old elf we think he is. Maybe that’s just a facade he puts on for the malls and TV and all the PR stunts. No, Santa is actually a horrible employer of all the elves. They work hard to get all the presents ready for…

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The Music of Christmas - Day 14: Monday Musical Monstrosity #2

The Music of Christmas – Day 14: Monday Musical Monstrosity #2

Welcome to Monday Music Monstrosity, where each Monday I will talk about a holiday song I absolutely detest. I won’t link to it because it sucks so hard. I just want to share my pain because misery loves company. Monday Music Monstrosity #2 “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” By John Lennon and Yoko Ono I know, right? Hating a John Lennon song probably means I’m gonna burn in the Bad Place. One of the…

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The Music of Christmas - Day 13: "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"

The Music of Christmas – Day 13: “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”

“Santa Claus is Coming to Town” By Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band This is one of those Christmas songs that when I was a kid I had to hear during the holidays or else I didn’t feel like it was truly Christmas. Back in those days I was at the mercy of the radio. I didn’t own this on a record or cassette, so I’d have to hope I’d hear it whenever the DJs decided to play it. I love this song…

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The Music of Christmas - Day 12: "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

The Music of Christmas – Day 12: “The Twelve Days of Christmas”

It’s a theme day, today! Check out the bonus songs as well. “The Twelve Days of Christmas” By John Denver and the Muppets A friend once told me a remake of Christmas song is only good if it’s performed by the Muppets. While I don’t totally agree (otherwise I’d not be doing this entire list), there is some truth that the Muppets version of a holiday song is the definitive remake. There are…

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The Music of Christmas - Day 11: "Christmas Is All Around"

The Music of Christmas – Day 11: “Christmas Is All Around”

“Christmas Is All Around” By Billy Mack Okay, this is kind of a cheat. Billy Mack doesn’t exist, and his song was written for a movie. Featured in the 2003 romantic comedy “Love Actually”, this is a remake of “Love Is All Around”, only they replaced the word “love” with “Christmas”. Awkwardly. The meter of the song is ruined by adding an extra syllable. Putting in the pun “Come on and let it…