Music and Cats

This is the second time that I’ve participated in Mixmania!, Patriside’s music sharing game for bloggers. Faced with the “holiday” theme, I considered a variety of different approaches, listened to hours of music, started several different playlists… and found that I was most taken with this one. It shouldn’t be difficult for the blogger to whom I sent discs to identify this mix, The Many Moods of Santa Claus.

1. Here Comes Santa Claus - Willie Nelson, from Pretty Paper
2. Papa Noel - Brenda Lee, from Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree
3. Papa St Nick - Beausoleil, from Christmas Gumbo
4. Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town - who else but the Boss, Bruce Springsteen, with Clarence and the gang
5. Jolly Old St. Nicholas by - hear those horns? - Chicago, on Chicago Christmas - What’s It Gonna Be, Santa?
6. I Told Santa Claus - Roomful of Blues, on Roomful of Christmas
7. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - The Drifters, on A Most Excellent Drifters Christmas
8. Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin’ - Tinsley Ellis, on The Alligator Records Christmas Collection
9. Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy - The Reverend Horton Heat, from We Three Kings
10. Santa’s Beard - They Might Be Giants, on Lincoln
11. Back Door Santa - The Holmes Brothers, on Alligator Records’ Genuine Houserockin’ Christmas
12. Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me) - Elvis Presley, from If Every Day Was Like Christmas
13. My Santa Baby - Suzanne Grzanna, on My Santa Baby
14. Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt & Henri Ren�, on Bluebird’s Best - Heavenly Eartha
15. I’m Your Santa - Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials, from The Alligator Records Christmas Collection
16. Santa Claus Got Stuck (In My Chimney) - Ella Fitzgerald, on Yule Be Miserable
17. Stay a Little Longer, Santa - Shemekia Copeland, from Alligator Records’ Genuine Houserockin’ Christmas
18. ‘Zat You, Santa Claus? - Louis Armstrong & The Commanders, on Yule Be Miserable
19. I’m Gonna Lasso Santa Claus - Brenda Lee, on Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree
20. Father Christmas - The Kinks, from Misfits
21. Santa Claus Never Comes to the Ghetto - Yellowman, on A Very, Very Yellow Christmas
22. Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto - James Brown, on James Brown’s Funky Christmas
23. I Believe in Father Christmas - Emerson, Lake & Palmer, from I Believe in Father Christmas
24. Dear Santa - Ringo Starr, on I Wanna Be Santa Claus

I hadn’t planned to do a Santa Claus mix. I’d never given a lot of thought to the range of songs featuring Old Saint Nick; they run the gamut from cheery to wearily cynical, from nice to very, very naughty. (Who knew that “chimney” was a double entendre?) I could have easily filled another disc or two with Santa songs, but the 99 cent hits were adding up. Several that I do have didn’t make the cut for this mix.

What’s your favorite song featuring Santa Claus/ Old Saint Nick/ Father Christmas? Who sings it? Do you prefer a different version of one of the songs on my list? Let me know!

But wait! There’s more:

I also sent a second, very different, disc to my Mixmania match. It is, for the most part, traditional Christmas music, but my idea of traditional is admittedly rather esoteric. Some of these songs/tunes are traditional in that Christians of various stripes have been singing or playing them for hundreds of years; some is music from the traditions of various European cultures, most having Celtic roots. I have seen most of these musicians perform, have performed with others, and call a couple friends. This is the music that I reach for on cold December nights.

1. The World is Old - Jean Ritchie, Family & Friends
2. Epic Song - Karelian Folk Music Ensemble
3. Da Day Dawn - John Fleagle
4. Reading: Hand by Hand We Shule Us Take - Boston Camerata
5. Hodie Christus natus est - Anonymous 4
6. Lullay, Lully - Nightnoise
7. Magnificat anima mea - Chanticleer
8. In dulci jubilo - Cambridge Singers
9. L’homme arme - The Philadelphia Renaissance Wind Band
10. Brightest and Best - Jean Ritchie, Family & Friends
11. Shepherds Arise - Waterson:Carthy
12. Galician Carol - Carlos Nunez
13. O the Holly She Bears a Berry - The Chieftans w/ The Voice Squad
14. The King - Loreena McKennitt
15. Tomorrow shall be my dancing day - Cambridge Singers
16. Alleluya: A nywe werke - Anonymous 4
17. In the Bleak Midwinter - Pierce Pettis
18. Soillse Na Nollag - Altan
19. Christmas Bells - John Gorka
20. One Voice - The Wailin’ Jennys
21. The truth from above - Barry & Beth Hall

I’m looking forward to finding out who mixed the wonderful discs - with a very fun take on the holiday theme - that I received. I’ll write about that mix later.

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