Here’s Michael Crawford (yes, the Phantom of the Opera) singing “O Holy Night,” from a 1993 NBC TV special called “David Foster’s Christmas Album.” It was recorded and is available. The song was composed by a man named Adolphe Adam in 1847, setting the words of a poem written by Placide Cappeau to music. At …
This is Jim Nabors singing “Do You Hear What I Hear” from his 1971 “Christmas Album”. People on the Mainland remember the recently-deceased Nabors as Gomer Pyle, the goofy well-meaning Marine. People in Hawai’i remember him as an unpretentious man willing to offer his name and work to a lot of good causes. People everywhere …
Yeah, yeah, I know, everyone hates this song. Well, listen to this instrumental version of “Little Drummer Boy” played by a guitar master named Mike Marshall. It comes from his 1997 album “Midnight Clear.” The entire album is filled with beautiful instrumental versions of mostly-sacred Christmas music.
Canadian Loreena McKennitt sings “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” from her “Midwinter’s Night Dream” album released in 2008. It is one of the oldest of the English carols, dating back to at least the 16th century. The first printed version appeared in 1760. It’s even referred to in Dickens’s A Christmas Carol: “… at the …
“Silver Bells” made its first appearance in the film “The Lemon Drop Kid” in 1951, sung by Marilyn Maxwell and Bob Hope (yes, Bob Hope). It was first recorded on vinyl in September 1950 by Bing Crosby and Carol Richards, after the film had completed production but before it was released. When the Crosby/Richards duet …
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Ms. Judy Collins sings “Away in a Manger” from her 1994 album “Come Rejoice! A Judy Collins Christmas”. It’s beautifully sung, with spoken readings from the Gospel as well. Collins is still touring, by the way. She just finished a joint tour with her long-ago inamorata Stephen Stills promoting their joint album “Everybody Knows.”
For your couch potato uncle via ESPN: College Football Playoff schedule Jan. 1 College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Oklahoma 5 p.m., ESPN Rose Bowl Pasadena, California Tickets College Football Playoff at the Allstate Sugar Bowl No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Clemson …
Here is Gwen Stefani signing “Jingle Bells” from her just-released “You Make It Feel Like Christmas” album. She adds a little 1940s sister-act nostalgia to this old tune. There are several
Here’s Herb Alpert performing “Santa Baby.” I have cordially disliked this song since the first time I heard it. I still dislike it when it’s sung, but this has a brassy Latin style that I like. It’s from Alpert’s brand-new Christmas album “The Christmas Wish,” just released this winter 49 years after his previous Christmas …
This one, however, is Mary Chapin Carpenter, and the song is “Candlelight Carol.” . This is from her 2008 album “Come Darkness, Come Light.”