Years in the making and now 120 songs-strong, I enjoy this guilty pleasure annually, from Thanksgiving 'til January. These are my choices, my eclectic tastes and takes on what stokes my spirit of the season. The only person I have to please is me, and, as the choices expand to include all sorts of genres and talents, so, too, does the fun. What it does in terms of my holiday spirit, well, let’s just say it’s hard to imagine dropping lumps of coal in stockings after listening to “Christmas Time Is Here,” starring Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang (and The Vince Guaraldi Trio, of course).
Now lest anyone thinks I don’t know what you’re assuming, this lovingly crafted countdown does not contain 120 songs by either Alfie Boe or Frank Sinatra. It does not even contain 120 songs by Alfie Boe and Frank Sinatra. There are only six by The Tiny Tenor and 15 by Old Blue Eyes!
Alfie, you have time. And believe me when I say, you have an inside track!
Every single song comes to this list from different places, for different reasons. Some occupy a special place in my heart for reasons that have nothing to do with the artistry, but rather how the song is intertwined with my family, my history.
Take “White Christmas.”
After my mother contracted Alzheimer’s, we learned that the disease caused her great difficulty in matching the proper words with her thoughts. So Mom slowly stopped speaking because she did not want to appear foolish. In her final two years she rarely said a word -- except during Christmas. Whenever Bing Crosby would start singing “White Christmas” on the radio, Mom would smile broadly and sing along, beginning to end. I will never forget the incredulous looks on the faces of the staff at Mom’s nursing home. One caretaker said to me, “we didn’t know your mom could speak!”
“She can speak,” I said. “She just chooses not to.”
That long-term memory was her treasure chest. Thank God Bing Crosby found a way to unlock it!
Some of my favorite Christmas carols are naughty (Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan’s “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”), while others are simply, classically nice, without end (Nat King Cole’s rendering of Mel Torme’s “Christmas Song;” and Mel Torme’s interpretation of the same).
Some rank high on my list because they make me want to raise my hands and make a joyous noise (Quincy Jones’ soulful yet explosive “Hallelujah,” from Handel’s “Messiah;” The Edwin Hawkins Singers’ “We Three Kings").
There are precious few contributions from what I will call the early rock ’n roll era, but “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” and “Happy Xmas [War is Over]” made the cut because of the spirit of the season -- there it is, again -- oozing from the efforts. Motown dots the list, of course. How can you resist Smokey and The Temps putting their sweet moves on some of the classics?
Overall, I tend to lean towards to the ballads, especially the ones that were polished like diamonds in the hands of some of the greatest interpreters of lyrics as well as musical notes.
There is such deep-felt longing found in “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Written in 1943, with music composed by Hugh Martin and lyrics by Ralph Blane, the song may have been made famous by Judy Garland in the period-piece movie, “Meet Me In St. Louis,” yet it surely captured the uncertainty of a war-torn world. Can’t imagine a dry eye in the house as loved ones longing for their GIs watched Judy reduced little Margaret O’Brien to tears on the big screen as she sang of Christmas present while capturing the ennui of Christmases’ past.
Though Miss Garland started the ball rolling on what undoubtedly remains the saddest Christmas carol ever, hers is not the only tear-stained interpretation. All are unique. Her star turn is never to be confused with Frankie’s, nor is his ever to be confused with Karen Carpenter's, or Luther Vandross.’ And the evolution continues on; Alfie Boe’s version is as heartrending as any that has been played for decades.
The war years contributed more than their fair share of non-religious carols. The title of the Kim Gannon/Walter Kent/Buck Ram classic, “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” speaks for itself.
Without a doubt the most famous carol seemingly to come from the ruins and heartache of World War II was Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas.” Immortalized by Mr. Crosby, it remains the all-time top-selling single (50 million and counting). Though it has never been clear when Berlin wrote the classic (1940?), it was first publicly performed by Crosby on his radio show, “The Kraft Music Hall,” on Christmas Day 1941. It became the signature of an era, and of Crosby, himself. And he shares it with no one, as it remains Crosby’s and Crosby’s alone to this day.Crosby’s stamp was so complete, he sang the tune in not one, but two movies. He first sang the song in “Holiday Inn.” The far more emotional turn came in the movie, “White Christmas.” Who will ever forget when Crosby, playing a soldier performing in a Christmas Eve performance on the front lines in World War II, nearly brings to tears an entire battalion of homesick GIs in the opening scene of the movie?
As for the religious/classical carols, they had quite a head start, and the beauty of many -- “Silent Night,” “Away in the Manger,” “We Three Kings” -- are timeless. And beautiful. And did I mention timeless?
Nat King Cole’s “The First Noel,” and “A Cradle in Bethlehem” are sublime. Brook Benton adds a down-home poignancy to “When a Child Is Born.” And, when traveling in the “Way, Way Back” machine, how about the wide variety of “Ave Maria” offerings. Among my favorites are those sung by Barbra Streisand, Leontyne Price and a very young Stevie Wonder.
My personal favorite among the religious Christmas anthems, is, without a doubt, “O Holy Night.” My mission each year is to find, and add, versions I’ve never heard before. This year’s plum is a stunning interpretation by the Welsh tenor, John Owen-Jones. It was pointed out to me by my friend, Tracie Dickey, who correctly forewarned that I was in for quite a surprise. Amen. JOJ takes this hymn to places I never imagined. It will be hard to hear newer versions going forward without measuring in vain against John’s recording.
So many versions, so little time. Which earned the top spot atop the Christmas list? Well, shining like the Christmas star, it’s Alfie Boe from his days with The Boston Pops (okay, I behaved far longer than I thought I could!) Now the only thing that would make the list still closer to perfection would be the addition of offerings from Alfie’s big brother, Michael Boe, a sweet tenor who would likely add very special memories, and contributions to this particular portion of the soundtrack of my life.
Of course, this is all subjective. It has been fun to start off with one song and watch my list grow. Now if only they’d let me run all those 24-7 Christmas stations, my, wouldn’t the world be a better place!
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