Tired of the same old Christmas songs every year? Looking for something new and unusual? John Waters has the CD for you.
“I’ve always loved Christmas albums. I collect them,” Waters said during a phone interview from his home in Baltimore. “Really, this was just an excuse to find some of the Christmas songs I love the most. And these are songs that are completely out of print and hard to find, legally even.”
Take, for instance, Santa Claus Is a Black Man. Waters hunted high and low for a copy of the funky song, credited to “Akim & the Teddy Van Production Company.” Waters’ staff had to hunt down the writer and the publisher of the track, as well as a usable recording of it.
“I ended up bidding on a 45 of Santa Claus Is a Black Man on eBay,” said Waters. “At times, it was like a snipe hunt. We literally found some of these people in retirement communities.”
Intrigued? John Nova Lomax has more on the A John Waters Christmas CD and a couple of other offerings to check out.
What’s your favorite Christmas CD? My four standards are A Christmas Spanking by (who else?) the Asylum Street Spankers, Christmas Caravan by the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Merry Texas Christmas, Y’all by Asleep At The Wheel, and the soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Personally, I’ll stick with Mojo Nixon and the Toadliquors “Horny Holidays”. After hearing “The Night Before Christmas” on the album, the story took on a whole new meaning.
Also, for a realistic Christmas song, try Dwight Yoakam’s “Santa Couldn’t Stay” or the Pogues “Christmas in New York”. These two songs truly capture the holiday spirit for me.
OK, I’ll be the boring one here: “O Come All Ye Faithful” from the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge is hands-down my all-time favorite Christmas album. I just have to hear the soprano start, “Once in Royal David’s City,” and I’m taken back to Trinity’s Vespers service, in the darkened chapel with candles all around. Shivers.
I also like The Blenders’ “When It Snows.” And that’s the closest I’ll ever come to recommending a boy-band album.
(I’ve also got Rhino’s “Hipster’s Holiday,” which I love parts of. Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby” kicks Madonna’s version’s ass out on the street and locks the door.)
If I only had one Christmas album to listen to for the rest of my life, it would be It’s Christmas, Man by Brave Combo.