Song: Fairytale of New York
Artist: Pogues, Ireland
Album: If I Should Fall From Grace With God, 1987
Notes: The greatest Christmas song of all time. Unimpeachable seasonal brilliance by Shane MacGowan and the late Kirsty MacColl. Perhaps the most heartfelt and real-life lyrics ever written about this time of year - a sensational melody, swirling feel-good chorus, a terrific orchestral arrangement, beautiful Celtic backdrop and achingly authentic vocal stylings. Superb documentary available on the making of the song at www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW_WSQpewNY.
Song: Wait Til It Snows
Artist: Emilie Mover, Canada
Album: Le Pop Fantastique, 2011
Notes: Lovely, light snowy ditty from underrated singer-songwriter who was actually born during a snow storm one November up in Montreal. Emilie grew up in Toronto where she's still a popular staple on the club circuit. More at www.emiliemover.com.
Song: Christmas Lights
Artist: Coldplay, England
Album: Christmas Lights (digital single), 2010
Notes: Never included on an album, but a sterling festive pop-rock corker in classic Coldplay style. Trying to emulate the anthemic glory of the Pogues' all-time winner (see above) and nearly making it. Fabulous accompanying video.
Song: Santa Baby
Artist: Madonna, Bay City, MI
Album: A Very Special Christmas, 1987
Notes: The greediest tongue-in-cheek Xmas song ever, recorded by dozens of top artists over the years, written in 1953 and originally nailed by Eartha Kitt - but the Material Girl's playful version from the first 'A Very Special Christmas' various artists fundraising compilation is spot on.
Song: Home For Christmas
Artist: Maria Mena, Norway
Album: Not available, 2010
Notes: Unreleased demo by Norwegian songbird with a tender ballad, just her fragile vocal and an upright piano. A completely overlooked artiste in the US but an extraordinary talent who's released six albums since 2002, each of them progressively better.
Song: My First Snow
Artist: Matt Morris, Denver, CO
Album: My First Snow (digital single), 2010
Notes: A rather obscure and delightfully melodic outing from alternative pop rocker (and the son of Country star, Gary Morris). Gary was an alumnus of the infamous Mickey Mouse Club - where so many pop artists served a useful apprenticeship - Justin Timberlake,, Christina Aguilera, even actor Ryan Gosling.
Song: Snowday
Artist: Now The Rabbit Has The Gun, Los Angeles
Album: Now The Rabbit Has The Gun, 2011
Notes: Seasonal corker tucked away on their fine self-titled debut set. Wacky trio of excellent songwriters, Michael Seminari, C Todd Nielsen and Dwight Baker. Group donates 50% of receipts from its live shows to a worthwhile cause called 'charity: water'.
Song: Silver Bells
Artist: Meaghan Smith, Canada
Album: Wish Upon A Star EP, 2009
Notes: Wispy vintage vocal stylings of the under-appreciated Meaghan Smith with her treatment of the timeless chestnut. One of the season's most recognizable standards, covered by hundreds of acts over the years - but originally recorded by actors Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell for the 1950 movie, 'The Lemon Drop Kid' - it was written by composers Jay Livingston and Ray Evans - and was originally titled 'Tinkle Bells'.
Song: Silent Night
Artist: MercyMe, Greenville, TX
Album: The Christmas Sessions, 2005
Notes: Country pop perfection, an uptempo country rock confection, maybe the best version of the iconic Christmas carol 'Silent Night' (originally written by a couple of German composers back in the 1850s as 'Stille Nacht'). Check out the amazing bridge at 2:15.
Song: O Crimbo Tree
Artist: MoStar Diving Club, England
Album: Not available, 2010
Notes: Two minutes of quiet mostly instrumental snowflakes by experimental British combo fronted by ace singer-songwriter, Damian Katkhuda.
Song: Christmas All Over Again
Artist: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Gainesville, FL
Album: A Very Special Christmas 2, 1992
Notes: Written and recorded by Petty specifically for inclusion on the second volume of the 'A Very Special Christmas' CD series which raises money for the Special Olympics charity.
Song: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Artist: Darlene Love, Hawthorne, CA
Album: A Christmas Gift For You, 1963
Notes: Never gets old or tired, the standout track on producer and co-writer Phil Spector's iconic and definitive yuletide collection from the early '60s. Every year, Darlene, who's now 73, blows the roof off the dump on the Christmas edition of the 'Late Show with David Letterman' - don't miss it, appointment programming.
Song: The Best Gift
Artist: Mozella, Detroit
Album: Not available
Notes: Lovely jazzy/blues inflections on an obscure and unavailable Xmas treat from one of L&F's preferred artistes, the still so underrated Maureen McDonald.
Song: 2000 Miles
Artist: Pretenders, US/England
Album: The Best of The Pretenders, 2009
Notes: Now a Yuletide rock standard, but originally thrown away as the B-side to the group's 'Middle of the Road' single in 1983. Written for Chrissie Hynde's former bandmate in the Pretenders, guitarist James Honeyman Scott who died from a drug overdose in 1982.
Song: Christmas All Around
Artist: Shelly Fraley, Nashville
Album: Not available
Notes: Beautifully constructed unreleased song from promising newcomer among the non-country Nashville musical community. She's released one album to date, 'Into The Sun' last year. Free downloads available at www.shellyfraley.com.
Song: Please Come Home For Christmas
Artist: Eagles, Los Angeles
Album: Please Come Home For Christmas (single), 1978
Notes: Tasty doo-woppish update of a seasonal standard, a top 20 hit for the Eagles in 1978. Fittingly written by a great blues singer and pianist called Charlie Brown in 1961.
Song: River
Artist: Sarah McLachlan, Canada
Album: Wintersong, 2006
Notes: Perhaps the definitive version of one of the saddest Xmas songs ever written (by Joni Mitchell back in 1971 for her stunning opus, 'Blue') but reinterpreted here by fellow Canadian songstress McLachlan.
Song: In Love For Christmas
Artist: Tony Reyes, Atlanta
Album: Not available
Notes: Extremely obscure but a fine pop-soul bubbler written and performed in-demand writer and producer who's worked with the likes of Joss Stone, Elliott Yamin and Christina Aguilera.
Song: A Long December
Artist: Counting Crows, Berkeley, CA
Album: Recovering The Satellites, 1996
Notes: One of their most enduring tunes which will be played for decades. Great lyrical story-telling by frontman, Adam Duritz, all alone in December in Los Angeles, begging for forgiveness. Accompanying video features an appearance by Courtney Cox.
Song: Merry Christmas Baby
Artist: Otis Redding, Dawson, GA
Album: Soul Christmas, 1968
Notes: An R&B standard penned in 1947 by Lou Baxter and the great Johnny Moore, covered by dozens of soul acts over the years including Wilson Pickett, Chuck Berry, B.B. King, but this one by Redding (who died in December in 1967) is perhaps the finest. From a terrific still-available soul compilation LP.
Song: Love’s A Light
Artist: Amy Stroup & Brooke Waggoner, Boston, MA
Album: Not available
Notes: Downbeat pearl from deeply underrated songstress Stroup, now based in Nashville, who's recorded three lovely albums which have flown under the radar.
Song: Getting Ready For Christmas Day
Artist: Paul Simon, New York
Album: So Beautiful or What, 2011
Notes: Delicious contemporary groove, the standout cut on the 69-year old music veteran's last album. The rather cool spoken vocal sample is from a 1941 sermon by the Reverend J. M. Gates.
Song: A Christmas Compromise
Artist: Bird and the Bee, Los Angeles
Album: Not available, 2011
Notes: Nice vintage stylings on a smart number by the duo of Greg Kurstin -'the bee' - and Inara George - 'the bird'. Been together for some five years, recorded a couple of quirky ,worthwhile albums to date including the excellent 'Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future'.
Song: Snow
Artist: Amie Miriello, Stamford, CT
Album: I Came Around, 2008
Notes: Another beautiful lost snowflake from her splendid maiden album. Very mature sound which belies her young age, more at www.myspace.com/amiemiriello.
Song: Appassionato
Artist: World Leader Pretend, New Orleans
Album: Punches, 2005
Notes: Simple, short but sensational lost instrumental ballad with just enough seasonal sleigh-bells to make it Xmassy by highly creative rock band who sadly are no longer around - they split up in 2008.
Song: When It’s Christmas Time
Artist: Ashton Allen, Alpharetta, GA
Album: Not available, 2011
Notes: A jolly folk-pop original composition by another overlooked coffee house performer who released a fabulous album titled 'Wellspring' in 2008.
Song: Mistletoe
Artist: Colbie Caillat, Newbury Park, CA
Album: Mistletoe (digital single), 2007
Notes: One of the best new original Xmas compositions in recent years, already a radio staple and rightly so. Colbie did a nice turn portraying '60s singer, Leslie Gore in the otherwise dreadful 'Playboy Club' TV series in 2011, singing Gore's classic 'It's My Party'.
Song: Christmastime
Artist: Smashing Pumpkins, Chicago
Album: A Very Special Christmas 3, 1997
Notes: Outstanding original festive tune inked by Billy Corgan, and yet another excellent contribution to the fundraising 'A Very Special Christmas' CD series. Nailing the Christmas spirit.
Song: All I Want For Christmas Is New Year’s Day
Artist: Hurts, England
Album: Happiness (deluxe version), 2010
Notes: British synth-rock duo with a highly original sentiment Clearly in a hurry to get through the holidays as quickly as possible. Adam Anderson and Theo Hutchcraft are from the always fertile music breeding ground of Manchester in the north of England: check out their sparkling debut album.
Song: Winter Melody
Artist: Donna Summer, Boston
Album: Four Seasons of Love, 1976
Notes: A restrained knockout performance (with great sax work) by the queen of Disco from a horribly overlooked soul/pop outing in the mid-'70s. No rules on L&F, ever.
Song: Come Home For Christmas
Artist: David Gates, Tulsa, OK
Album: Take Me Now, 1981
Notes: From a long-deleted album, the saddest Christmas song of all time (or is it?) by ballad supremo Gates who fronted easy-flowing Bread. Deeply depressing tale, yearning for his love to return home for December 25th.
Song: One Little Christmas Tree
Artist: Ross Copperman, Virginia
Album: One Little Christmas Tree (digital single), 2010
Notes: Delightful original from still-emerging tunesmith who is a L&F favorite. He began playing piano at the age of three, check out everything by Ross - rarely records a duff song.
Song: December
Artist: Norah Jones, Brooklyn, NY
Album: The Fall, 2009
Notes: Subtle, plaintive winner in Norah's unmistakable husky tones. (She's featured on clever lad Seth McFarlane's strange but rather interesting recent album, 'Music Is Better Than Words'.)
Song: Winter
Artist: Joshua Radin, Cleveland, OH
Album: We Were Here, 2006
Notes: One of the artists featured all year long on L&F, the still underrated Radin with his ruminations on winter. Despite dozens of placements on tv shows and a few films, an overdue major hit still eludes him.
Song: Wintersong
Artist: Sarah McLachlan, Canada
Album: Wintersong, 2006
Notes: One of the most poignant and desolate songs ever recorded about winter and the morning of Xmas day. Title cut - and the only one written by Sarah - on her superb festive collection from five years ago.
Song: Winter Song
Artist: Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson, Eureka, CA/Staten Island, NY
Album: Hotel Cafe Presents Winter Songs, 2008
Notes: A thought-provoking lost pearl from two fine songstresses, tucked away on a worthwhile acoustic compilation from the venerable LA venue - which is also another worthwhile fundraising charity album which you can track down at www.hotelcafe.com.
Song: Let It Snow
Artist: Dean Martin, Steubenville, OH
Album: My Kind of Christmas, 2011
Notes: Typically stylish old school rendering of the seasonal chestnut by the king of cocktails. Composed by Sammy Cahn and Julie Styne in July 1945 - on the hottest day on record on Los Angeles.
Song: Snow Will Fall Tonight
Artist: Peter Bradley Adams, Birmingham, AL
Album: Bands Under The Radar Vol. 3: A Very Indie Christmas, 2010
Notes: A sweet lost gem from on a rather alternative Christmas compilation by the extraordinarily talented Adams who just makes one polished gem after another.
Song: Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis
Artist: Tom Waits, Pomona, CA
Album: Blue Valentine, 1978
Notes: Truly, and finally, the saddest Xmas song ever composed, the great Tom Waits singing in the third person on this unbelievably clever and distressing mini-movie of lyrical genius.
Song: Raise The Tree
Artist: Trent Dabbs, Jackson, MS
Album: Ten out Tenn - Christmas, 2008
Notes: From a hugely under-appreciated singer-songwriter flying too far under the mainstream radar, a neat Xmas treat on a strong Tennessee compilation. Trent's a real musician's musician, worked with lots of L&F favorite artists including Erin McCauley, Gabe Dixon, Amy Stroup and Mat Kearney.
Song: Last Christmas
Artist: Wham!, England
Album: Music From The Edge of Heaven, 1986
Notes: Classic cheesy pop brilliance from George and Andrew. If you think it's just too unhip for L&F, it's been covered dozens of times by the likes of the Artic Monkeys, Coldplay, the Manic Street Preachers, Jimmy Eat World even Florence and the Machine. Get well soon George.
Song: I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Artist: Ronettes, New York
Album: A Christmas Gift For You, 1963
Notes: Another timeless classic from Phil Spector's incredible Xmas classic LP. Spector didn't write this one - it was commissioned by the Sears Department Store for a Christmas promotion in 1952: the first person to ever have a hit with this chestnut was, appropriately, 13-year old Jimmy Boyd the same year.
Song: Fairytale of New York
Artist: Pogues, Ireland
Album: If I Should Fall From Grace With God, 1987
Notes: A second spin for the greatest Christmas song of all time. Happy, merry...
