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

Christmas Song of the Day #7 - PENTATONIX - 12 Days of Christmas

Christmas Song of the Day #7 - I am sure everyone has heard some version of "12 Days of Christmas." New for 2020 is this PENTATONIX recording of the perennial holiday favorite, done in mostly a cappella style. The song is taken from their 3rd Christmas album, "We Need a Little Christmas".

Running 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

Bonus Video: Can Pentatonix sing 100 song snippets in 10 minutes - from 2019.

Christmas Song of the Day #6 - Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind &. Fire - Holidays

Christmas Song of the Day #6 - "Holidays" by Meghan Trainor featuring Earth, Wind & Fire. Yes! This is a new pop song featuring the singing talents of Ms. Trainor (most well known for the hit "All About That Bass") and 70's soul funk band Earth, Wind & Fire. What a combination.

"Holidays" is a cheerful song that is so up to date yet echos back to when disco was huge in the 1970s. Classy & brassy, give this one a listen!

Previous Picks

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

Christmas Song of the Day # 5 - "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee

 Christmas Song of the Day #5: Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

Brenda Lee is one of my favorite female artists of all time. I first heard her music back in the early 1960s when out of a jukebox of 45s we were able to get "Fool #1" by her. It ended up being one of my Mom's favorite songs of the time. It is a nice ballad with a country flavor,  produced by Owen Bradley who at the time was also producing records for country singers Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn.

"Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" has become over time, a rock n roll holiday classic. It was great that Brenda recorded this classic single back in 1958 when she had that voice that could fill a large concert hall. It is right up there (to me) with her best rock n roll song ever, "Sweet Nothins'" from 1960.

"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" was released as a single in 1958 to only marginal success that year and the next. It wasn't until 1960 when Brenda Lee struck it big with her #1 single "I'm Sorry" and the aformentioned "Sweet Nothins'" is when the single finally took off. It reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1960.

Since then "Rockin Around the Christmas Tree" has charted again in 1961 and 1962. In 2014 Billboard changed the rules for song placement on the Hot 100. From 2014 onward, "Rockin Around the Christmas Tree" has hit the Billboard Hot 100 every year up to 2019. In 2019 it peaked at #2. 

The song is back on the Hot 100 this week at #21.

More than 25 million copies of the single has been sold. It is also the 4th most streamed Christmas song of all time.

Running 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

Bonus Tracks

Brenda Lee's second album simply titled "Brenda Lee" is in my opinion her best album ever. This record was released in August of 1960. All the tracks are playable from this YouTube playlist. Tracks include the following:

1. Sweet Nothin's

2. I'm Sorry

3. That's All You Gotta Do

4. Heading Home

5. Wee Wee Willies

6. Let's Jump The Broomstick

7. Dynamite

8. Weep No More My Baby

9. Jambalaya (On The Bayou)

10. (If I'm Dreaming) Just Let Me Dream

11. Be My Love Again

12. My Baby Likes Western Guys

#TBT - Throwback Thursday