Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Robert St. John: My 20 Favorite Christmas Songs

 Music has always been a huge part of my life. It surprises me that— in the 23 years I have occupied this weekly space— I have never written about music. I am such an ardent admirer of all genres of music I could have been writing a bi-weekly column for the past 23 years and would still have a mountain of songs, artists, and albums I haven’t covered yet.

 So out of the 1,200,000 words I’ve written and published over the past quarter century, welcome to the first column that focuses on music. I’m not about to stop writing about food, family, and travel, but there may be an occasional music-themed piece every now and then. Since it’s the most wonderful time of the year, I’ll focus on Christmas songs.

I love Christmas and I love Christmas music. I break out the Christmas files immediately after Thanksgiving. It reminds me of all the fondest memories in my childhood. My son doesn’t like Christmas music. He says, “There are only two dozen songs covered by three dozen people.” Scrooge.

 

My response to that comment is, “But those songs must be good, or so many different people wouldn’t be singing them.” One thing you won’t see on this list is any song on the Chipmunks Christmas album. I loved it as a kid, and almost drove my grandfather to the mental hospital playing it. I’m not a fan today. I have become my grandfather (who loved a few songs on this list).




 

The following are my Top 20 Christmas Songs:

Honorable Mention: “Feliz Navidad,” Jose Feliciano— There’s something that is so festive about this Christmas song. I have been a Feliciano fan since he covered the Doors’ “Light My Fire.”

 

20.) “Wonderful Christmastime,” Paul McCartney— People have strong feelings about this song. Most of them are negative. I’ll admit it’s a little heavy on Linda’s synthesizer. But I was a radio station disc jockey in my pre-restaurant days, and I had to pull 12-hour shifts during the holidays because everyone wanted time off and I was a 15-year-old willing to work anytime if I could be on the air playing music. This was in heavy holiday rotation in those days. Plus, it’s Paul McCartney!

 

19.) “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” Bruce Springsteen— Such a great version of this song. Again, from the 1970s. It follows an entirely different beat structure than the original and is made better by Clarence Clemons adding the “ho, ho, hos.” I like the change in meter from the version I grew up with.

 

18.) “The Christmas Waltz,” Frank Sinatra— I could fill this entire list with Frank Sinatra Christmas carols. He nailed every one he ever sang.

 

17.) “Christmas in New Orleans,” Louis Armstrong— When I was a kid, my mother would take my brother and me to New Orleans to Maison Blanche to see Santa, shop for presents, and eat lunch at Galatoire’s. Two words: Mr. Bingle. If you know, you know. Satchmo owns this one.

 

16.) “Mary’s Little Boy Child,” Harry Connick Jr.— Another New Orleanian nailing a Christmas carol. The modern spiritual is given a New Orleans backbeat and is allowed a lot of space to get funky. I typically don’t like “funky” in my Christmas music, but it sure works here.

 

15.) “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Michael Bublé— He owns this song more than Mariah Carey, thankfully.

 

14.) “Holly Jolly Christmas,” Burl Ives— I was a huge fan of the 1964 stop-motion version of the Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer television special. It was an event every year in my childhood. 

 

13.) “The Christmas Song,” Nat King Cole— I am not a fan of roasted chestnuts, but I am a huge fan of the silky cool voice of Nat King Cole. He was an excellent— and underrated— pianist. Check out his instrumental album in the off season. 


12.) “Merry Christmas Darling,” The Carpenters— Again, this makes me think of late-night shifts alone in a radio station control room during the holidays in the 1970s. My wife is not a fan, so I only listen to it when she’s not around.

 

11.) “Merry Christmas from the Family,” Robert Earle Keane— Such a hilarious song. You can have “Grandma Got Run Over by A Reindeer.” Give me Robert Earle Keane every day.

 

10.) “That Spirit of Christmas,” Ray Charles— One of America’s most iconic voices signing Christmas songs? Sign me up. Plus, this song is in the only serious and touching scene in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” The rest is hysterical.

9.) “O Come All Ye Faithful,” George Jones— Ol’ Possum does Christmas, and he sings this song so well, no one should ever attempt to sing it again.

 

8.) “The First Noel,” Jerry Vale— This is my favorite Christmas carol. Period. Close the hymnal. I’d rather hear it sung by a men’s chorus, but Vale does it justice with sufficient backing vocals and nice orchestration. Some songs don’t need to be jazzed up and need to be sung straight. This is one of them.

 

7.) “Winter Wonderland,” The Eurythmics— This song works well jazzed up. Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart do a great updated version. It has a very 1980s vibe, but it holds up in my opinion.

 

6.) “Sleigh Ride,” Boston Pops Orchestra— When our kids were young, we would take them to Disney World the week after Thanksgiving. It’s the best time to go because it’s one of the slowest weeks of the year for them, but it’s all “done up” for Christmas. This version plays often throughout the parks. It makes me think of my kids at Christmas. Is there a better thought, ever?

 

5.) “White Christmas,” Bing Crosby— It’s the best-selling song of all-time for a reason. I never cared for the movie, but no one sings this one like Bing.


4.) “Silver Bells,” Dean Martin— Like Sinatra, I could fill this list with 20 Dean Martin Christmas songs. He’s the king of cool, and around my house he’s the king of Christmas.

 

3.) “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” Billy May— This came on a Christmas Cocktail/Lounge compilation CD I bought years ago. My kids love this song. Therefore, I love this song. Billy May wrote arrangements for Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and others. This is a fun, upbeat, mambo version of the Gene Autrey classic, and better than the original, by a mile.

 

2.) “Mistletoe and Holly,” Frank Sinatra— Again Sinatra made any song better. He was such a great crooner of Christmas songs, I have a file in my playlist library that is nothing but Dean Martin and Sinatra Christmas songs. He wasn’t a songwriter, but he wrote this one.

 

1.)“Do You Hear What I Hear,” Whitney Houston— Her legend grew when she sang the national anthem at the 1991 Superbowl. This version should be given equal respect. Houston takes this one to church. The entire arrangement is first rate, from the gospel chorus to Houston’s amazing voice in her prime. This is an amazing vocal performance. I would have loved to have seen her perform this live with an orchestra and choir.

 

There is a link to this playlist below.

 

Onward

 



Christmas Morning Casserole 

 

1 lb                  Bacon, good quality, medium dice

3 /4 cup           Onion, diced

1 cup               Fresh Mushrooms, very thinly sliced

1/2 cup            Red bell pepper, medium dice

1/2 cup            Green onion, thinly sliced

1 tsp                Garlic

1 tsp                Creole Seasoning

 1 tsp               Cayenne pepper

10                    Eggs, beaten

1 cup               Half and Half

1 tsp                Dry mustard

10                    Small Biscuits, cooked, crumbled, (3-4 cups)   

 

4 ounces          Brie cheese, rind removed and cut into small pieces

1 cup               Romano Cheese, shredded

2 tsp.               Hot Sauce

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

 

Brown bacon in a large skillet and drain most of the fat. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, green onion, garlic, Creole seasoning, and cayenne and cook five minutes. Set aside. 

 

Combine the eggs, half and half, and dry mustard in a mixing bowl. Fold the crumbled biscuits, cheeses and bacon mixture into the eggs. Mix well and place in a buttered two-quart baking dish.

 

 Bake for 40-50 minutes. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving. 

 

Yield: 8-10 servings

 



13 comments:

Anonymous said...

The only music listed that wouldn't make me lose that breakfast was "Light My Fire", only if by Hendrix.

Anonymous said...

I would add:
John Berry - Oh Holy Night (maybe not as flashy as the David Phelps version, but dang near perfect).

John Denver and the Muppets - Have Yourself a Merry Christmas, The Peace Carol, A Baby Just Like You, When the River Meets the Sea, Noel Christmas Eve 1913, The Christmas Wish, etc.

Sandler and Young - Jingle Bells (with a French twist)

Stuff About ZeroBear PolyBear said...

Mr. St John and I have very similar taste in Christmas music and I could listen to his playlist and night, or day, and be happy.

However, I must add an old favorite to his list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7iLc7XhU8E

This is my beloved version of White Christmas. I could also listen to it any time during the season. Sorry if YouTube throws a commercial at you, but be patient. It will show up in a moment after they try to sell you whatever they are pushing.

Here is a holiday favorite at our house. Cook it and your family or friends will be impressed with your culinary skills. Don't tell them how easy it is to cook. A word of warning: NEVER BUY FROZEN CRAWFISH FROM CHINA! THEY TASTE LIKE DITCH WATER.

Merry Christmas to you Robert, and Mr Kingfish, and all of those who visit Jackson Jambalaya.

******************

Crawfish Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 cup Onion, chopped
3/4 cup Celery, chopped
3/4 cup Green Pepper, chopped
1/3 cup Butter, melted
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Basil, dried whole
1 teaspoon dried whole oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 dash hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon liquid crab boil
1/3 cup AP flour
3 cups milk
1 cup Sour Cream
4 cups (16 ounces) Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded, divided
2 pounds crawfish tails – fresh or frozen - peeled
2/3 cup Green onions, chopped
1/3 cup Parsley, fresh, chopped
1 teaspoon Oregano, dried whole
1 teaspoon Basil, dried, whole
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
1 dash Hot Sauce
9 Lasagna Noodles
1/2 teaspoon liquid crab boil
1 Tablespoon Vegetable oil

Directrions:

Sauté first 3 ingredients in butter in a Dutch oven until tender. Add garlic and next 6 ingredients. Add flour and stir until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Whisk in sour cream and 3 cups cheese. Stir until smooth.

Combine crawfish tails and green onions in a skillet and cook until thoroughly heated. Drain and stir into white sauce. Add parsley and next 5 ingredients. Simmer over low heat 5-6 minutes.

Cook Lasagna noodles according to package instructions, adding 1/2 teaspoon crab boil to water. Drain.

Place half of the noodles into a lightly greased 13 X 9 X 2 inch baking dish. Layer half of the sauce over the noodles. Repeat the layers.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheese, and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Let the lasagna stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield 10 – 12 servings.

Note: This is a white sauce lasagna. it will work equally well, substituting chicken for the crawfish. When I do this, I like to use chicken thigh meat.

Anonymous said...

My favorite is Mary Did You Know.

And Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.

Anonymous said...

Correction to my second favorite: Ran Over not Run Over. Before the grammar police arrest me.

Anonymous said...

Need to add this one - Dean Martin - Baby, It's Cold Outside

Anonymous said...

Most of that list, consists of the mass-market garbage that keeps me out of the stores, between Thanksgiving and New Year's.

Anonymous said...

I just spent four hours riding in a friend's car. She played elevator Christmas music and hummed to it the entire ride. I thought I'd scream before I finally got home.

I will always gravitate to Christmas hymns performed by the Vienna Boys Choir, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and other great vocal performances that adhere to the traditional musical arrangements and instruments, and beloved lyrics of the season. Most of the songs that Robert listed are okay when they are occasionally played on the radio because they are so familiar to me. A steady diet of that would starve my soul and ears. Please give me classical Christmas music by the great choirs and soloists of the music world.

Anonymous said...

Blue Christmas and Santa Clause is Back in Town - Elvis Presley

Merry Christmas Baby - Bruce Springsteen

O Holy Night - Josh Groban

Most anything by Perry Como

Peace on Earth/ Little Drummer Boy - Bing Crosby and David Bowie ( a pairing for the ages)

Anonymous said...

Stick to cooking Robert.

Anonymous said...

Good list of Christmas songs. I still like Christmas songs sung by Johnny Mathis, who had a Christmas concert several years ago at the Beau Rivage, and it was excellent.

Anonymous said...

#15 - once you hear Vince Vance and the Valliant's cover, you'll never listen to another version.

Anonymous said...

12/15 @9:33 AM - Thanks for the reminder. Always enjoyed Vince Vance's version of the song. I wonder if he is still doing shows? I have heard anything about him in many years.


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