BuzzJack Favourite Xmas Song Game

 

Tonight, I will be revealing the songs that just failed to reach the Final of 25 songs, which you have until tomorrow to vote from HERE.

 

Many Thanks to the 23 of you who voted in this phase of the Game.

 

I will be (where possible) posting a video and a little detail about the song in question....

 

On with the countdown...

50 (38) Thank God It's Christmas - Queen

 

 

Thank God It's Christmas is a Christmas single by British rock band Queen. It was written by guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor. The single spent six weeks in the UK charts during the Christmas/New Year period and reached number 21. Though not released on any Queen studio album, the song appears on Queen's Greatest Hits III, released in 1999. The song was also coupled with the single "A Winter's Tale" from the 1995 album Made in Heaven.

Thank God It's Christmas Polyhex

 

Chart Run - {6}-13-21-41-59-74->6

49 (43) Please Come Home For Christmas - Eagles & Bon Jovi versions

 

Eagles

 

Bon Jovi

 

"Please Come Home for Christmas" is a Christmas single, released in 1978, by the rock band Eagles. It was a cover of the Charles Brown original song released back in 1960. It was written by Brown and Gene Redd. It peaked at #18 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts & #30 in the UK. It was covered by Bon Jovi on A Very Special Christmas Vol 2, although released as a single in the UK the same year under Jon Bon Jovi's name where it reached UK#7.

 

 

Please Come Home For Christmas (Eagles) Polyhex

 

Chart Run - 42-{30}-30-54-65->5

48 Sleigh Ride - Standard (Various Artists)

 

Ronettes (1963)

 

S Club Juniors (2002)

 

"Sleigh Ride" is a light orchestral piece written by Leroy Anderson during a heat wave in August, 1946; lyrics were written later by Mitchell Parish. It was first recorded in 1949 by Arthur Fiedler & The Boston Pops Orchestra.

 

Although "Sleigh Ride" is often associated with Christmas, and often appears on Christmas compilation albums, the song's lyrics never specifically mention any holiday or religion.

 

It has been covered by the likes of Bing Crosby, Andrew Sisters, Andy Williams, The Ronettes, The Carpenters, Air Supply, Debbie Gibson, Amy Grant, Harry Connick Jr, Spice Girls, TLC, Garth Brooks, Hilary Duff, S Club Juniors & KT Tunstall.

 

 

Sleigh Ride (S Club Juniors) Polyhex

 

Chart Run - {6}-11-12-16-40-60-75-68R(2)-65-62->10

47 (21) Step Into Christmas - Elton John

 

Elton John

 

Wedding Present

 

Step into Christmas is a Christmas song written and performed by Elton John, released in 1973. Though it was originally released as a stand-alone single in 1973 with the B-Side "Ho! Ho! Ho! Who'd Be a Turkey at Christmas", it was later included as a bonus track on the 1996 remastered reissue of the album Caribou.

 

It was covered by the band The Wedding Present on their 1992 album Hit Parade II, and also covered by The Business for the 'Bollocks to Christmas' EP.

 

 

 

=45 I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - Standard (Various)

 

Ronettes (1963)

 

John Cougar Mellancamp (1987)

 

"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" is a Christmas song with music and lyrics by Tommie Connor.

 

The original recording by Jimmy Boyd reached #1 on the Billboard charts in 1952, and on the Cash Box magazine chart at the beginning of the following year.

 

Other versions of the song were recorded through the years by the likes of The Jackson Five, John Mellencamp (the most played rendition on all-holiday-all-the-time radio formats), the Hampton String Quartet (the title track of their album, "What if Mozart Wrote 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus'?"), Jessica Simpson, and Twisted Sister on their 2006 A Twisted Christmas album. Phil Spector recorded "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" with the Ronettes. Comedian Kip Addotta recorded a parody called I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus that gets played during Christmas time on the Dr. Demento radio show. Bob Rivers, often misattributed to Weird Al, wrote an offensive parody called I Saw Mommy f***ing Santa Claus

 

=45 Mr Hankey (The Christmas Poo) - South Park

 

South Park (1999 UK#4)

 

In South Park, Mr. Hankey, the "Christmas poo", voiced by Trey Parker, is a talking piece of feces; a scatological counterpart to Santa Claus, but with the lighthearted flair of 1960s-era Rankin & Bass holiday specials. He first appeared in the first season episode "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo". He emerges from the toilet bowl on Christmas Eve and brings presents to good boys and girls whose diet has been high in fiber. He is especially close to Kyle, consoling him during his Christmas-Hanukkah depression and generally appears to help the boys out with something or gives them advice. Mr. Hankey has appeared in at various Christmas episodes, and inspired an actual retail CD Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics in which he has his own theme song.

 

"Hi-de-Hooo.."

=41 (44) I Was Born On Christmas Day - Saint Etienne ft Tim Burgess

 

 

This song released in 1993 sadly only reached UK#39, but has become a cult Xmas classic.

 

 

=41 In Dulce Jubilo - Mike Oldfield

 

 

In Dulci Jubilo is a single by musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1975. It is an instrumental version of the traditional German Christmas carol, "In Dulci Jubilo". The singles b-side, "On Horseback", is from Oldfield's 1975 album, Ommadawn. A different version of "In Dulci Jubilo" was available on Oldfield's previous single, "Don Alfonso". It peaked at UK#4 in early 1976.

=41 (40) O Holy Night - Standard (Various)

 

Celine Dion (1998)

 

Christina Aguilera (1999)

 

Mariah Carey (2000)

 

Kelly Clarkson (2003)

 

 

But my favourite version is.....

 

Eric Cartman (South Park)

 

"O Holy Night" ("Cantique de Noël") is a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem "Minuit, chrétiens" by Placide Cappeau (1808-1877), a wine merchant and poet. Cappeau was asked to write a Christmas poem by a parish priest. It has become a standard modern carol for solo performance with an operatic finish.

 

It has been covered by virtually everybody & their kitchen sink....

 

 

=41 (46) Winter - Tori Amos

 

 

"Winter" was the second song to be released as a single, in 1992, from Tori Amos' debut solo album, Little Earthquakes. The song also appears on Amos' 2003 compilation, Tales of a Librarian. The music video can be seen on the two currently available video collections - Tori Amos: Complete Videos 1991-1998 and Fade to Red.

 

The song was written about Amos's father, who is a minister. It continues to be a fan favorite to this day.

40 (16) Proper Crimbo - Bo Selecta

 

 

"Proper Crimbo" is a christmas song from the comedy programme, Bo' Selecta, in which Leigh Francis performs as Craig David and Michael Jackson.

 

The title also refers to a music video release, which saw Francis perform as other characters over the track, and real-life celebrities appeared, many singing, including Bob Geldof, Richard Bacon and Holly Valance.

 

The song was released as a DVD with behind-the-scenes interviews, and a special extended video which spoofs the "Thriller" music video.

 

The celebrities appearing in the footage were The 3AM Girls, Simon Amstell, Ade Adepitan, Richard Bacon, Chris Bisson, Melanie Blatt, Edith Bowman, Melanie Brown, Adam Buxton, Jimmy Carr, Joe Cornish, Terri Dwyer, Jenni Falconer, Kerry McFadden, Caroline Flack, Kirsty Gallacher, Bob Geldof, Jade Goody, David Gray, Christine Hamilton, Harvey, Katy Hill, John Leslie, Chris Moyles, Dermot O'Leary, Denise Van Outen, Ozzy Rezat, Craig Phillips, Ben Shepherd, David Sneddon, Kate Thornton and Matthew Wright.

 

39 (35) Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Judy Garland (& others)

 

Judy Garland

 

Carrie Underwood

 

Katie Melua

 

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a Christmas song made famous by Judy Garland in the MGM musical Meet Me In St. Louis. The song was credited to Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane.

 

It has since become a standard on many a seasonal Christmas album....

=37 (33) Hazy Shade Of Winter - Bangles (Simon & Garfunkel original)

 

Simon & Garfunkel

 

Bangles

 

"Hazy Shade of Winter" is a song written by Paul Simon and recorded by Simon & Garfunkel in 1967 for their 1968 album, Bookends (although it also appeared on their Live from New York City, 1967). It peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the second most popular song on the album after "Mrs. Robinson", which earlier reached #1.

 

The lyrics evoke the passage of the seasons, but (as the title suggests) focusing on the gloominess of winter. The chorus of the song repeats:

 

But look around,

leaves are brown now

And the sky

is a hazy shade of winter

 

Look around,

leaves are brown

Theres a patch of snow on the ground.

 

A harder-edged cover of "A Hazy Shade of Winter" was performed by The Bangles for the soundtrack to the 1987 film Less Than Zero. The Bangles version exceeded the popularity of the original, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

 

 

 

 

=37 (30) When A Child Is Born - Johnny Mathis

 

 

When a Child is Born (Soleado) was a popular single by Johnny Mathis.

 

Written by Fred Jay, from a melody by Ciro Dammico, alias Zacar, the song has been performed by artists as diverse as Boney M., Kenny Rogers, Bing Crosby, The Moody Blues, Cissy Houston, Charles Aznavour, Plácido Domingo, Sissel Kyrkjebø, Willie Nelson, Tarja Turunen and many others.

 

The most successful version is probably the Jack Gold produced version for Johnny Mathis which was his sole number one single in the UK, spending three weeks at the top of the chart in December 1976 and selling 850,000 copies.

 

36 (24) Lonely This Christmas - Mud

 

 

Written and produced by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, Lonely This Christmas was Mud's second number one single in the UK, spending four weeks at the top in December 1974 and January 1975. It was the third number one single that year for the ChinniChap writing and production team, and was performed in the style of Elvis Presley's slower songs from his later career.

 

The song is noted for a memorable performance on Top of the Pops in which guitarist Rob Davis was covered in tinsel and wore Christmas baubles as earrings,while vocalist Les Gray sang to a ventriloquist's dummy. The song has been covered by Lucky Soul, Blue, Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine (fan club limited edition xmas 7 inch) and KT Tunstall.

 

35 2000 Miles - Pretenders

 

Pretenders (live)

 

Coldplay (2007)

 

KT Tunstall (2007)

 

"2000 Miles" is a song by The Pretenders released in 1983 as the preceding single to their 1984 album, Learning to Crawl. It was most popular in the UK, where it charted at #15. Since being considered a christmas song it has also been released & covered on various compilation albums.