Christmas Music Part II

I'm putting together my own collection of Christmas music...obscure, off-the-beaten path, unusual type stuff and the classic standards. Over the years I've collected dozens of CD's and cassettes of various Christmas music that I'd like to share with friends and family. I've often thought about it, and this year I've decided it's about time it got done.

So it got me thinking about artists and bands that might have done a Christmas song that I've never heard or maybe didn't even know existed. We all know the ones we hear on the radio every year, like The Eagles "Please Come Home For Christmas" and Elvis' "Blue Christmas."

But Did Led Zeppelin every record or write a Christmas song? Steely Dan? The Yardbirds?

Not that I've found. But there are some very interesting recordings around. Like Dread Zeppelin's "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" which is a twisted blend of Elvis and Led Zeppelin, reggae style, with lyrics from Spike Jones' "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth." James Brown threw done the holiday funk with "Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto." "The Little Drummer Boy" recorded by drag queen RuPaul, for an English Christmas special in the eighties. And the Texas Tornados recorded "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" on a Warner Brothers compilation album.

Some of my favorites are "I Believe In Father Christmas" by Greg Lake (of Emerson Lake & Palmer,) later redone by rockers Honeymoon Suite, which appeared on a Warner Brothers promotional CD "Winter Warnerland."

"A Christmas Song" Jethro Tull
"All I Want for Christmas" Timbuk 3
"Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy" Buck Owens
"How Do I Wrap My Heart Up For Christmas" Randy Travis
"Merry Christmas From The Family" Robert Earl Keen

If you need a laugh during the holidaze, listen to "Walkin' Round In Women's Underwear" (sung to the tune of "Winter Wonderland") by comedy group Bob Rivers & Twisted Radio. All of their albums are hilarious spoofs on classic holiday standards with some really good band parodies. Then there's the classic "Santa Claus And His Old Lady" Cheech & Chong routine that always make me laugh.

You owe it to yourself to listen to these classics too...
R.E.M. "Deck the Halls"
The Moody Blues "What Child Is This?"
Doctor John "Silent Night"
Aaron Neville "Please Come Home For Christmas"

The twelve days of Christmas are upon us, so I'm going to keep the music playing in my head, the joy of giving in my heart and I'll try not to wreck the malls.