Christmas Song of the Day #27 - A Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives

Christmas Song of the Day #27 - A Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives.
YouTube Audio link: https://youtu.be/P_dI6fVZwd0

This is the final Christmas Song of the Day post in this series.

I first heard this song when I was a kid watching the TV special "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer". Burl Ives I later learned played the snowman and narrator. He sang this song in the TV show.

Hope you folks all have had a great Christmas holiday. You can listen to all of the tracks at this link or on my YouTube Channel.

Cumulative Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan & Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Arianne Grande & Jennifer Hudson
Dec. 8 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Bandv Dec. 9 - "I Believe in Father Christmas" - U2
Dec. 10 - "Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley
Dec. 11 - "Darling Please Come Home" - Joanne Staples
Dec. 12 - "Mary Did You Know" - One Voice Children's Choir
Dec. 13 - "Christmas Canon" - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Dec. 14 - "Little Saint Nick" - The Beach Boys
Dec. 15 - "Christmas Lu'au" - Kimi Miner and Paula Fuga - Live at Blue Planet Sound
Dec. 16 - "Lit This Year" - Florida Georgia Line
Dec. 17 - "Run Rudolph Run" - Chuck Berry
Dec. 18 - "Here This Christmas" - Gwen Stefani
Dec. 19 - "Candy Cane Lane" - Sia
Dec. 20 - "Carol of the Bells" - Libera
Dec. 21 - "O Holy Night" - Willie K
Dec. 22 - "Last Christmas" - Scott Bradless/Post Modern Jukebox
Dec. 23 - "All I Want For Christmas is You" - Mariah Carey
Dec. 24 - "Jingle Bell Rock" - Bobby Helms
Dec. 25 - "A Holly Jolly Christmas" - Burl Ives

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Song of the Day #26 - Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms

Christmas Song of the Day #26 - Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms

#TBT - I'm sure everyone has heard this song by someone or another. "Jingle Bell Rock" is one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time. Since it was first released it has become a radio staple every holiday season. The most famous version is the one by Bobby Helms, recorded in 1957 and covered by many other artists throughout the years.

My favorite cover version of the song is the 1983 single released by Daryl Hall & John Oates. The YouTube video is at this link: https://youtu.be/5vyMuxxLsD0

This animated video was released last November 2019 and is now presented here. Enjoy the song and have a great, safe and Merry Christmas!

Cumulative Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan & Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Arianne Grande & Jennifer Hudson
Dec. 8 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Bandv Dec. 9 - "I Believe in Father Christmas" - U2
Dec. 10 - "Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley
Dec. 11 - "Darling Please Come Home" - Joanne Staples
Dec. 12 - "Mary Did You Know" - One Voice Children's Choir
Dec. 13 - "Christmas Canon" - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Dec. 14 - "Little Saint Nick" - The Beach Boys
Dec. 15 - "Christmas Lu'au" - Kimi Miner and Paula Fuga - Live at Blue Planet Sound
Dec. 16 - "Lit This Year" - Florida Georgia Line
Dec. 17 - "Run Rudolph Run" - Chuck Berry
Dec. 18 - "Here This Christmas" - Gwen Stefani
Dec. 19 - "Candy Cane Lane" - Sia
Dec. 20 - "Carol of the Bells" - Libera
Dec. 21 - "O Holy Night" - Willie K
Dec. 22 - "Last Christmas" - Scott Bradless/Post Modern Jukebox
Dec. 23 - "All I Want For Christmas is You" - Mariah Carey
Dec. 24 - "Jingle Bell Rock" - Bobby Helms

All of the songs on the Cumulative Playlist list can be streamed on my YouTube channel.

Christmas Song of the Day #25 - All I Want For Christmas is You - Mariah Carey

Christmas Song of the Day #25 - All I Want For Christmas is You - Mariah Carey

One of the most popular and successful Christmas songs ever is Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas is You". The song has been a huge hit since its release in 1994. Carey included it on her first Christmas album and it has re-appeared on another Christmas album as well as one of her compilation albums.

Surprisingly "All I Want For Christmas is You" was never released as a "single" on a 45 rpm record, CD single or cassette. It was an album track that got tons of airplay since the early days, enough for it to chart on Billboard's specialty holiday charts before a rules change (streaming) finally made it eligible to be published to the Billboard Hot 100. Between 1994 and 2019, "All I Want For Christmas is You" hit various positions on several Billboard charts. It was not until 2019 and early this year, that "All I Want For Christmas" topped the Hot 100 at #1 for the first time. It has the distinction of being the longest span between a song's initial release and hitting its peak at #1....25 years!

Last week "All I Want For Christmas is You" hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 again, leaping from the #42 position the week before. Streaming and some digital sales have spiked the huge move. On this week's chart, the song slips to #2 as Taylor Swift's latest single "Willow" make its debut at #1 the first week on the chart.

"All I Want For Christmas is You" has been covered by other artists numerous times over. Some of the cover songs appear below. Have a Merry Christmas!

Cumulative Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan & Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Arianne Grande & Jennifer Hudson
Dec. 8 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
Dec. 9 - "I Believe in Father Christmas" - U2
Dec. 10 - "Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley
Dec. 11 - "Darling Please Come Home" - Joanne Staples
Dec. 12 - "Mary Did You Know" - One Voice Children's Choir
Dec. 13 - "Christmas Canon" - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Dec. 14 - "Little Saint Nick" - The Beach Boys
Dec. 15 - "Christmas Lu'au" - Kimi Miner and Paula Fuga - Live at Blue Planet Sound
Dec. 16 - "Lit This Year" - Florida Georgia Line
Dec. 17 - "Run Rudolph Run" - Chuck Berry
Dec. 18 - "Here This Christmas" - Gwen Stefani
Dec. 19 - "Candy Cane Lane" - Sia
Dec. 20 - "Carol of the Bells" - Libera
Dec. 21 - "O Holy Night" - Willie K
Dec. 22 - "Last Christmas" - Scott Bradless/Post Modern Jukebox
Dec. 23 - "All I Want For Christmas is You" - Mariah Carey

More Videos


The original 1994 video by Mariah Carey


2014 Cover by Fifth Harmony


2017 Jazz Cover by Robyn Adele Anderson feat. Von Smith

Audio track


Metallica - For Whom The Bell Tolls But It's All I Want For Christmas Is You By Mariah Carey

Christmas Song of the Day #24 - Last Christmas by Scott Bradlee & Postmodern Jukebox

Christmas Song of the Day #24 - Last Christmas by Scott Bradlee & Postmodern Jukebox

Ever heard of these guys? Scott Bradlee and his band of assorted musicians have over the past 10+ years done big band style, doo-wop and many other retro genre covers of some of the most popular songs on the planet. Think big band treatments to songs by popular artists ranging from Frank Sinatra to Prince to Soundgarden and Pearl Jam... and just about everyone else in-between.

With this track they covered Wham! (featuring George Michael's) popular holiday hit "LAST CHRISTMAS"... This is about as far away from George Michael you can get without going in another direction and doing either a hip-hop or heavy metal version of the same song. Anyone?

So for our Christmas song of the day, here is Postmodern Jukebox and "Last Christmas".

Link to Post Modern Jukebox's YouTube Channel. There are plenty of videos there.

Cumulative Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan & Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Arianne Grande & Jennifer Hudson
Dec. 8 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
Dec. 9 - "I Believe in Father Christmas" - U2
Dec. 10 - "Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley
Dec. 11 - "Darling Please Come Home" - Joanne Staples
Dec. 12 - "Mary Did You Know" - One Voice Children's Choir
Dec. 13 - "Christmas Canon" - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Dec. 14 - "Little Saint Nick" - The Beach Boys
Dec. 15 - "Christmas Lu'au" - Kimi Miner and Paula Fuga - Live at Blue Planet Sound
Dec. 16 - "Lit This Year" - Florida Georgia Line
Dec. 17 - "Run Rudolph Run" - Chuck Berry
Dec. 18 - "Here This Christmas" - Gwen Stefani
Dec. 19 - "Candy Cane Lane" - Sia
Dec. 20 - "Carol of the Bells" - Libera
Dec. 21 - "O Holy Night" - Willie K
Dec. 22 - "Last Christmas" - Scott Bradless/Post Modern Jukebox

Christmas Song of the Day #23 - O Holy Night - Willie K

Christmas Song of the Day #23 - O Holy Night - Willie K

Here in Hawaii, Uncle Willie K's version of "O Holy Night" has proved to be a very enduring song. In this live recorded performance from 2013 (courtesy of Hawaii News Now), Willie K gives us an outstanding and powerful version of this Christmas holiday classic. You'll love it.

The year 2020 has seen the passing of many musicians. Here in Hawaii we lost Willie K to cancer on May 18. May he rest in peace. His music will live on forever. Aloha.

The studio album version of the song is also included on this. page.

Cumulative Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan & Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Arianne Grande & Jennifer Hudson
Dec. 8 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
Dec. 9 - "I Believe in Father Christmas" - U2
Dec. 10 - "Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley
Dec. 11 - "Darling Please Come Home" - Joanne Staples
Dec. 12 - "Mary Did You Know" - One Voice Children's Choir
Dec. 13 - "Christmas Canon" - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Dec. 14 - "Little Saint Nick" - The Beach Boys
Dec. 15 - "Christmas Lu'au" - Kimi Miner and Paula Fuga - Live at Blue Planet Sound
Dec. 16 - "Lit This Year" - Florida Georgia Line
Dec. 17 - "Run Rudolph Run" - Chuck Berry
Dec. 18 - "Here This Christmas" - Gwen Stefani
Dec. 19 - "Candy Cane Lane" - Sia
Dec. 20 - "Carol of the Bells" - Libera
Dec. 21 - "O Holy Night" - Willie K

O Holy Night (audio) as it appears on Willie K's album, Willie Kalikimaka. The track is much more powerful here.

Christmas Song of the Day #22 - Libera - Carol of the Bells

Christmas Song of the Day #22 - Libera - Carol of the Bells

This is a well known Christmas carol sung by Libera, an all-boy English vocal group directed by Robert Prizeman. Libera regularly performs concerts in many countries, including the UK, the US and Asia, and regularly makes recordings for their own album releases and other projects.

This video filmed at St Augustine’s church, Kilburn, North London, U.K. in December 2019.

"Carol of the Bells" was written in 1919 by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych.

Cumulative Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan & Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Arianne Grande & Jennifer Hudson
Dec. 8 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
Dec. 9 - "I Believe in Father Christmas" - U2
Dec. 10 - "Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley
Dec. 11 - "Darling Please Come Home" - Joanne Staples
Dec. 12 - "Mary Did You Know" - One Voice Children's Choir
Dec. 13 - "Christmas Canon" - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Dec. 14 - "Little Saint Nick" - The Beach Boys
Dec. 15 - "Christmas Lu'au" - Kimié Miner and Paula Fuga - Live at Blue Planet Sound
Dec. 16 - "Lit This Year" - Florida Georgia Line
Dec. 17 - "Run Rudolph Run" - Chuck Berry
Dec. 18 - "Here This Christmas" - Gwen Stefani
Dec. 19 - "Candy Cane Lane" - Sia
Dec. 20 - "Carol of the Bells" - Libera

Christmas Song of the Day #21 - Candy Cane Lane by Sia

Christmas Song of the Day #21 - Candy Cane Lane by Sia

One of my favorite Christmas albums of this century so far is Everyday is Christmas by Australian singer Sia. The album came out in 2017 and has yielded at least 4 popular holiday singles, including this one: "Candy Cane Lane". Other notable songs on the album include "Santa's Coming For Us", "Snowman" (with a new video this year) and "Underneath the Mistletoe".

Cumulative Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan & Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Arianne Grande & Jennifer Hudson
Dec. 8 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
Dec. 9 - "I Believe in Father Christmas" - U2
Dec. 10 - "Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley
Dec. 11 - "Darling Please Come Home" - Joanne Staples
Dec. 12 - "Mary Did You Know" - One Voice Children's Choir
Dec. 13 - "Christmas Canon" - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Dec. 14 - "Little Saint Nick" - The Beach Boys
Dec. 15 - "Christmas Lu'au" - Kimié Miner and Paula Fuga - Live at Blue Planet Sound
Dec. 16 - "Lit This Year" - Florida Georgia Line
Dec. 17 - "Run Rudolph Run" - Chuck Berry
Dec. 18 - "Here This Christmas" - Gwen Stefani
Dec. 19 - "Candy Cane Lane" - Sia

Additional Tracks

Underneath the Mistletoe


Snowman

Christmas Song of the Day #20 - Here This Christmas - Gwen Stefani

Christmas Song of the Day #20 - Here This Christmas - Gwen Stefani

Gwen Stefani is back this year with another new holiday song... "Here This Christmas" is her latest. Don't know if it will be as popular as last year's "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" with Blake Shelton. Still this one is good enough for song of the day. Enjoy.

Besides the Christmas tracks, Stefani has also issued her latest single, which appears here as a bonus track. It's called "Let Me Reintroduce Myself".

Stefani rose to fame in the 1990s as the lead vocalist for the band No Doubt. They enjoyed some major hits back in the day with "Don't Speak," "Just a Girl," "Spiderwebs", "Simple Kind of Life," "Hey Baby", "Hella Good" and "It's My Life". Since the early 2000s, Stefani has embarked on a successful solo careet that have yielded her a string on top 40 hits including "Hollaback Girl,"Wind it Up" and "The Sweet Escape".

Cumulative Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan & Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Arianne Grande & Jennifer Hudson
Dec. 8 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
Dec. 9 - "I Believe in Father Christmas" - U2
Dec. 10 - "Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley
Dec. 11 - "Darling Please Come Home" - Joanne Staples
Dec. 12 - "Mary Did You Know" - One Voice Children's Choir
Dec. 13 - "Christmas Canon" - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Dec. 14 - "Little Saint Nick" - The Beach Boys
Dec. 15 - "Christmas Lu'au" - Kimié Miner and Paula Fuga - Live at Blue Planet Sound
Dec. 16 - "Lit This Year" - Florida Georgia Line
Dec. 17 - "Run Rudolph Run" - Chuck Berry

Dec. 18 - "Here This Christmas" - Gwen Stefani

Bonus Track: Let Me Reintroduce Myself

Christmas Song of the Day #19 - Run Rudolph Run - Chuck Berry - new animated video

Christmas Song of the Day #19 - Run Rudolph Run - Chuck Berry

New animated video

Another new animated video for a classic rock n roll Christmas song is here... this time by Rock n Roll Hall of Fame pioneer Chuck Berry... it's "Run Rudolph Run"... gotta love the flying Cadillac Eldorado convertible car as the "sleigh".

Chuck Berry is well known for classic rock n roll hits such as "Roll Over Beethoven", "Johnny B. Goode", and "Sweet Little Sixteen". Believe it or not, he only had one #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. That was 1972's novelty song, "My Ding a Ling", which is about as far as you can get from rock n roll.

Cumulative Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan & Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Arianne Grande & Jennifer Hudson
Dec. 8 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
Dec. 9 - "I Believe in Father Christmas" - U2
Dec. 10 - "Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley
Dec. 11 - "Darling Please Come Home" - Joanne Staples
Dec. 12 - "Mary Did You Know" - One Voice Children's Choir
Dec. 13 - "Christmas Canon" - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Dec. 14 - "Little Saint Nick" - The Beach Boys
Dec. 15 - "Christmas Lu'au" - Kimié Miner and Paula Fuga - Live at Blue Planet Sound
Dec. 16 - "Lit This Year" - Florida Georgia Line
Dec. 17 - "Run Rudolph Run" - Chuck Berry

Christmas Song of the Day #18 - Lit This Year - Florida Georgia Line

Christmas Song of the Day #18 - Lit This Year - Florida Georgia Line

Country music group Florida Georgia Line offers this animated holiday song that may be questionable to some. It's called "Lit This Year" and I have to think about what is being lit. 🙂 I think this is a new song to their catalog.

Cumulative Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan & Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Arianne Grande & Jennifer Hudson
Dec. 8 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
Dec. 9 - "I Believe in Father Christmas" - U2
Dec. 10 - "Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley
Dec. 11 - "Darling Please Come Home" - Joanne Staples
Dec. 12 - "Mary Did You Know" - One Voice Children's Choir
Dec. 13 - "Christmas Canon" - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Dec. 14 - "Little Saint Nick" - The Beach Boys
Dec. 15 - "Christmas Lu'au" - Kimié Miner and Paula Fuga - Live at Blue Planet Sound
Dec. 16 - "Lit This Year" - Florida Georgia Line

Performance Video - Florida Georgia Line - Lit This Year
CMA Country Christmas 2020

Christmas Song of the Day #17 - "Christmas Lu'au" ft Kimié Miner and Paula Fuga - Live at Blue Planet Sound

Christmas Song of the Day #17 - "Christmas Lu'au" ft Kimié Miner and Paula Fuga - Live at Blue Planet Sound

"Christmas Lu'au" is a song that celebrates a Christmas lu'au (or feast) that goes back many years. I remember my Mom singing this at a party. It is a happy song that has never gone away, at least in Hawaii.

Island music singers Kimie Miner and Paula Fuga look like they had a fun time recording this video for the iconic Hawaiian Christmas party song. The video was recorded a few days ago on December 11, 2020. Enjoy the video and don't forget to check what tomorrow's Christmas Song of the Day will be.

Cumulative Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan & Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Arianne Grande & Jennifer Hudson
Dec. 8 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
Dec. 9 - "I Believe in Father Christmas" - U2
Dec. 10 - "Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley
Dec. 11 - "Darling Please Come Home" - Joanne Staples
Dec. 12 - "Mary Did You Know" - One Voice Children's Choir
Dec. 13 - "Christmas Canon" - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Dec. 14 - "Little Saint Nick" - The Beach Boys
Dec. 15 - "Christmas Lu'au" - Kimié Miner and Paula Fuga - Live at Blue Planet Sound

Christmas Song of the Day #16 - Little Saint Nick - The Beach Boys

Christmas Song of the Day #16 - Little Saint Nick - The Beach Boys

#TBT! For our Monday Christmas Song of the Day, we have something old, yet something new. OLD - "Little Saint Nick" is a longtime Christmas classic hit by none other than The Beach Boys. The record was first released in December 1963 and peaked on the Billboard Magazine holiday chart of that year at #3. It has since made several appearances on the charts in the last 57 years. The song was written by Beach Boys members Brian Wilson and Mike Love.

What's new for 2020 is this animated music video. It features The Beach Boys and Santa delivering gifts to beach goers around the coast. The video was released on YouTube on Dec. 13, 2020 (yesterday). It's a fun new take on a familiar hit song. Great stuff.

Cumulative Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan & Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Arianne Grande & Jennifer Hudson
Dec. 8 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
Dec. 9 - "I Believe in Father Christmas" - U2
Dec. 10 - "Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley
Dec. 11 - "Darling Please Come Home" - Joanne Staples
Dec. 12 - "Mary Did You Know" - One Voice Children's Choir
Dec. 13 - "Christmas Canon" - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Dec. 14 - "Little Saint Nick" - The Beach Boys

Christmas Song of the Day #15 - Christmas Canon - Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Christmas Song of the Day #15 - Christmas Canon - Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Our 15th Christmas song of the day is an old classic from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. "Christmas Canon" is a beautiful song that should be played at least once during the holiday season and more of course. This version is a wonderful blend of children's voices and symphonic orchestration which was a break in their style from symphonic rock.

"Christmas Canon" was first issued on Trans-Siberian Orchestra's 1998 album The Christmas Attic.

Today the video is here for your enjoyment as part of the ongoing series of Christmas Songs of the Day.

Cumulative Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan & Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Arianne Grande & Jennifer Hudson
Dec. 8 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
Dec. 9 - "I Believe in Father Christmas" - U2
Dec. 10 - "Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley
Dec. 11 - "Darling Please Come Home" - Joanne Staples
Dec. 12 - "Mary Did You Know" - One Voice Children's Choir
Dec. 13 - "Christmas Canon" - Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Christmas Song of the Day #14 - Mary Did You Know - One Voice Children's Choir

Christmas Song of the Day #14 - Mary Did You Know - One Voice Children's Choir

I first became aware of One Voice Children's Choir only this past week, when someone shared a video of them doing a cover of Maroon 5's Top 10 hit "Memories", a single released late last year. After listening to that initial song, I found a lot of other music videos the choir has done over the years, most of them covering recent popular songs.

Choral music and the Christmas season go hand in hand. I am not surprise that One Voice Children's Choir has a number of Christmas songs in their catalog. The newest is "Mary Did You Know", which is a cover that was popularized (again) a few years back by Pentatonix. The same song was the first tune to be featured in this current series of posts by Daddy-Daughter duo, Mat and Savanna Shaw.

One Voice Children's Choir's version of "Mary Did You Know" was released to video today (December 12) on YouTube.

Further details from Wikipedia states:

One Voice Children's Choir (originally known as the 2002 Winter Olympic Children's Choir and Studio A Children's Choir) is an American children's choir in Utah.

The group was founded by Masa Fukuda in 2001 after he composed the song "It Just Takes Love" for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. He asked students to help make a commemorative CD for the Olympics. Some of the students also were "children of light" performers for the Olympics, whom he volunteered to help train. After the Olympics, 25 students wanted to continue singing together, and Fukuda formed the choir as a nonprofit organization to continue working with them.

One Voice is led by director Fukuda and has 140 members ages 4–17. Every year, the choir performs around 50 to 70 times. The group meets year-round for once-a-week practices. They perform a vast selection of music such as pop, gospel, classical, Broadway, and patriotic.

Enjoy the video.

Cumulative Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan & Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Arianne Grande & Jennifer Hudson
Dec. 8 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
Dec. 9 - "I Believe in Father Christmas" - U2
Dec. 10 - "Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley
Dec. 11 - "Darling Please Come Home" - Joanne Staples
Dec. 12 - "Mary Did You Know" - One Voice Children's Choir

Bonus Tracks:

The More You Give (The More You'll Have) - Michael Bublé cover



Memories - Maroon 5 cover

Christmas Song of the Day #13 - Joanne Staples - Darling Please Come Home

Song of the Day #12 - Joanne Staples - Darling Please Come Home

This is a brand new song that I never heard before. It premiered on YouTube earlier today. It is called "Darling Please Come Home" and is song by singer Joanne Staples, who I also never heard of. The song is a romantic ballad written by Jon Brooks as stated in the YouTube video link. Enjoy this new Christmas song. Who knows? It could become a standard some day.

Daily Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan & Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Arianne Grande & Jennifer Hudson
Dec. 8 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
Dec. 9 - "I Believe in Father Christmas" - U2
Dec. 10 - "Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley
Dec. 11 - "Darling Please Come Home" - Joanne Staples

Christmas Song of the Day #12 - Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley

Christmas Song of the Day #12 - Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley

We can't let Christmas go by without a song by Elvis Presley... so here it is... a perennial recurring holiday classic, it's "Blue Christmas". It's back this year with a brand new music video, an animated one that closely follows the lyrics and story of the song. It's a Christmas song for everyone who is physically separated by distance and more so this year, by COVID-19 and all the social distancing requirements we have to practice.

So yes, I think it there will be many "Blue Christmas"es for us all. Enjoy the video and check out tomorrow's entry.

Daily Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw

Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan & Alyosha

Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay

Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena

Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee

Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire

Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix

Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw

Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Arianne Grande & Jennifer Hudson 

Dec. 8 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band

Dec. 9 - "I Believe in Father Christmas" - U2

Dec. 10 - "Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley

#TBT

As a bonus a bluesy country-rock version by Ann & Nancy Wilson of HEART.

Christmas Song of the Day #11 - I Believe in Father Christmas - U2

Christmas Song of the Day #11 - I Believe in Father Christmas by U2.

This is a cover song first recorded by Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer back in 1974 and released in 1975. It was a top 10 hit in Britain, but never caught on in America. This U2 cover was recorded back in 2008 and they did a new remaster to it this year with this video. Enjoy.

Daily Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan & Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Arianne Grande & Jennifer Hudson
Dec. 8 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
Dec. 9 - "I Believe in Father Christmas" - U2

Christmas Song of the Day #10 - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band - Happy Xmas (War is Over)

Christmas Song of the Day #10

December 8 is forever etched into our troubled history as the date when former Beatle John Lennon was shot and killed in cold blood. Today is the 40th anniversary of his passing.

John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono have left audiences the world over with one of the most controversial holiday songs ever... "Happy Xmas (War is Over)". The song is a tribute to peace which is still a fleeting concept all over the world. Its message is timeless and the song is a classic. "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" has over the last 49 years become an annual holiday radio play as well as being covered by numerous artists including Sarah McLachlan, The Fray, Andy Williams, Neil Diamond, The Moody Blues, Darlene Love, Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow to name a few.

Let's hope we can find peace in the world during our lifetime.

Running Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan and Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Arianne Grande & Jennifer Hudson
Dec. 8 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band

Additional Information and Links

The Beatles
Murder of John Lennon
John Lennon on YouTube
The Beatles on YouTube
Imagine: John Lennon shot on his doorstep 40 years ago (Yahoo News)

Imagine...

Christmas Song of the Day #9 - Mariah Carey featuring Ariana Grande & Jennifer Hudson - Oh Santa!

Christmas Song of the Day #9

Mariah Carey's got a new music video and song out just in time for the holiday. "Oh Santa!" is the latest Christmas release from Ms. Carey. In this rousing song, singers Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson are also featured vocalists. The song is being used to promote her Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special, which is being shown online, exclusively for Apple TV subscribers. A soundtrack album has also been released.

Mariah Carey has been a staple on the music scene since 1990 and has put dozens of songs into the Billboard Hot 100 and several into the #1 position. They include "Vision of Love", "Emotions", "Love Takes Time", and "Dreamlover" to name a few. She has also recorded the now much covered Christmas Classic "All I Want For Christmas Is You", which first appeared in 1994 and reached the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time that year. The song has charted off and on over the years, and since 2014 has appeared in the Hot 100 every year up to now.

Running Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan and Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Dec. 7 - "Oh Santa!" - Mariah Carey featuring Ariana Grande & Jennifer Hudson

Christmas Song of the Day #8 - Mat and Savanna Shaw - O Come All Ye Faithful

Christmas Song of the Day #8 - Mat and Savanna Shaw - O Come All Ye Faithful: Recorded live at the Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah - Mat and Savanna recorded this rendition of "O Come All Ye Faithful." It is probably the most contemporary flavored version of this song I've heard in recent years. Great recording by the "Daddy Daughter Duet". The song is part of the repertoire of music on the duet's new EP "Merry Little Christmas".

From the YouTube video description:

"This one was a bucket list item for us! Many of you know we live in Utah, and this historic Tabernacle has some of the best acoustics not only in Utah, but in the world! And I believe this is the only time in recent memory that a drum set, electric guitar, etc. was allowed to perform inside! It was an amazing experience!

What do you think of this arrangement of "O Come, All Ye Faithful" arranged by the great Stephen Nelson? It has become one of our favorites from the our new Christmas album, "Merry Little Christmas". It has this joyful energy attached to an invitation to "Come Adore". As we start this December, we hope this video can help us remember and celebrate the reason for this season. However you choose to "Come Adore", we hope that this song and season finds you filled with hope, joy, love of family, and the spirit of gratitude."

Running Playlist

Nov. 29 - "Mary Did You Know" - Mat and Savanna Shaw
Nov. 30 - "Being Home For Christmas (2020 version)" - Ivan and Alyosha
Dec. 1 - "Take Me Home For Christmas" - Dan + Shay
Dec. 2 - "Mele Kalikimaka Medley" - Kapena
Dec. 3 - "Rockin 'Round the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee
Dec. 4 - "Holidays" - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire
Dec. 5 - "12 Days of Christmas" - Pentatonix
Dec. 6 - "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Mat and Savanna Shaw