MMM - Christmas carols, part I - Then...

Sorry I didn't get these out on Friday. I had a holiday party, and any variation to my Friday routine tends to distract me from the FMF post until it's too late.

Since Christmas is just around the corner, I thought I'd post some of my favorite Christmas songs. Since I like to keep the list to 5-6 at a time, this theme's a two-parter. Some now, some Friday.

When it comes to carols, I like the classics. If you ask me, nothing much good happened in the holiday music world after 1960...with a few notable exceptions--Martina McBride's O Holy Night rendition, for instance, or that American classic, Kyle's Mom is a Bitch. Though I suppose that's not technically a holiday song. And Christmas Carol by Skip Ewing, which beats the hell out of that bathetic song about the Christmas shoes for sheer tear-jerky goodness.

You'll have to wait until Friday's post for those, however. Today's selections are all at least 10 years older than I am.

Open for links.

UPDATE: Links/files removed.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Frank Sinatra (1957)

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Ella Fitzgerald (1960) I don't normally like this song, but I can't get enough of this version.

Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt (1953) Like Fitzgerald's Rudolph, this is the only version of this song worth putting on repeat.

Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley (1957) My mom had this album, and it was one of our tree-trimming music staples when I was a kid.

(Everybody's Waitin' for the)Man with the Bag - Kay Starr (1950)

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - Charles Hammer Though this version was on a CD from 2002, it was composed WAY before I was born. :)

And finally...

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas - Gayla Peevey (1953) Did you know that this song was recorded to solicit donations for the Oklahoma City Zoo, so they could get a hippo? Me neither. When I googled to find out who sings it (I've had the mp3 forever, but the "artist" field was blank...I was thinking it sounded like Shirley Temple), this page told me all about it. It was like that time I googled "Dogpatch" to make sure there wasn't a real Dogpatch, only to find out that there was. Google...it lights up my life.

Anyhoo, right-click, save-as, and enjoy your Monday!

Santa, I'm Right Here by Toby Keith is right up there in tear jerkers too.. but I'm a wuss.. It's not Christmas Carol, but it's pretty damn tearilicious.