To continue with the Christmas celebrations, here is Band Aid, an group of some of the biggest musical stars in the UK getting together for a charity single, taking the #8 spot on the chart with Do They Know It's Christmas. They released their version of the song in 1984. The effort was spearheaded by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, who went on to head up the Live Aid concerts.
To continue with the Christmas celebrations, here is Jose Feliciano taking the #9 spot on the chart with Feliz Navidad. He wrote and released the song in 1970.
To continue with the Christmas celebrations, here is Daryl Hall & John Oates taking the #10 spot on the chart with their rendition of Jingle Bell Rock. They released their version of the song in 1983.
Yes, you read that right, I said the Pansy Division. Yes, that Pansy Division, the veritable Queens of Homo-Core rock! The current line-up of the band includes Jon Ginoli, Chris Freeman, Luis Illades & Joel Reader. This particular Christmas Carol might not be for everyone, and I'd be careful if I was in an office or around children, but since we are consenting adults, and I am crazy about the boys! So get ready to rock it to Homo Christmas!
For more about the Pansy Division, you can find their official website here. For my first post about them, you can click here.
The album was released in 1987, and had some of the biggest performers of the day contributing their talents to raise money for the Special Olympics. There were 15 cuts on the album, and few had an official video produced. However, I managed to find a video of each one, from 'official' to to live to fan-made, and will share them all with you tonight. I would imagine this post is going to be way too long, but I just couldn't really leave anyone out. So here are all 15 tracks from the album, in order.
The Pointer Sisters - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
The Eurythmics - Winter Wonderland
Whitney Houston - Do You Hear What I Hear?
Bruce Springsteen - Merry Christmas Baby
The Pretenders Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
John Cougar Mellencamp I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Sting - Gabriel's Message
Run-DMC - Christmas In Hollis
U2 - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Madonna - Santa Baby
Bob Seeger & the Silver Bullet Band The Little Drummer Boy
The band is irreverent, clever, silly, and self-deprecating, and also has some fun music that is full of joy and hooks. Barenaked Ladies are Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson and Tyler Stewart, a Canadian band with a couple of hit songs, including One Week, which went #1 in the US and all around the world in 1998. In 2004 they released Barenaked for the Holidays, and I love it very much. If you don't own it, you should.
The first video I will run is their original song, Elf's Lament, an irreverent look at the life of Santa's elves, and the possibility of an impending strike...
On the medley God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings, which features Sarah McLachlan, is more traditional, and just beautiful.
For more on Barenaked Ladies, check out their website here. You can purchase Barenaked for the Holidays at Amazon.com for $9.99 here.
When orchestral music meets Prog-Rock meets holiday music, you know you must be listening to and/or watching Trans Siberian Orchestra, with their bold sound and theatrics to raise the level of your holiday tunes to new heights. O Come All Ye Faithful
