Tag Archives: twisted sister

December 11, 2015 · 09:15

Step into a Rock & Roll Christmas

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Friends of Padre Steve’s World,

Sorry for any confusion today, I had a post that was supposed to come up automatically this morning on Faith and Terror, but when it published the text wasn’t there. I will put it out over the weekend. Instead, something that would have published on Sunday. Hope you enjoy! 

For today something a bit less serious, some classic Christmas and holiday songs performed by various Rock and Roll artists and groups.

I realize that it is not Christmas yet, and in fact it is still the season of Advent but I have to admit that I love the holiday season, especially the music. But I am a child of the 1960s and 1970s, so I have certain preferences in in music and Christmas music comes in many forms and genres. Over the next couple of weeks I will be doing a number of articles like this which have no purpose but to share a little joy through music. I plan on doing one focusing on the great R & B legends, one with Country artists, and a couple dealing with the stories of White Christmas and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, as well as the many different versions of both.

These holiday season I hope that no matter what holiday you celebrate that you do it with a joyful heart, even if it is Festivus.

So here are some great songs put out by some great artists and groups over the years, they are in no particular order. Some are traditional Christmas hymns while others are popular Christmas songs without a particularly religious bent, and many are sung by artists who are not practicing Christians, some of whom would be condemned to hell by many conservative Christians. Maybe that speaks to the power of the holiday, and the hope that it brings to so many people.

I hope you enjoy them and the other musical essays that I post,

Peace

Padre Steve+

Elton John, Step into Christmas

Elvis Presley, Blue Christmas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9-PN1sftaI

Paul McCartney and Wings, Having a Wonderful Christmastime

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1-sXrdQtog

Freddy Mercury and Queen, Thank God it’s Christmas

The Bangles, Hazy Shade of Winter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvvSQkUK-t4%20%20

The Beach Boys, Little Saint Nick

Billy Idol, Jingle Bell Rock

The Carpenters, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Jose Feliciano, Feliz Navidad

Chicago, O Come All Ye Faithful

Gary Glitter, Another Rock and Roll Christmas

George Harrison, Dong, Dong, Ding Dong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VggAH1dk3Qk

Herman’s Hermit’s O Holy Night

Chuck Berry, Run, Run Rudolph

Mariah Carey, All I Want for Christmas is You

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Christmas All over Again

Blondie, We Three Kings

Rod Stewart, Let it Snow

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Little Drummer Boy

Twisted Sister, White Christmas

Bruce Springsteen, Baby Please Come Home

Stevie Nicks, Silent Night

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December 24, 2014 · 16:45

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

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Judy Garland Singing at a Bobe Hope Christmas Show in Stockton California During World War II

garlandxmas-2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yudgy30Dd68

Judy Garland Singing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas in the Movie Meet Me in Saint Louis

There are some songs at Christmas that despite their relative newness as compared to ancient carols seem to strike a chord that resonates deep in the hearts of people. One of those for me, and probably many others is the song Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. The music was written by Ralph Blane and the lyrics by Hugh Martin for the musical Meet Me in St Louis and first performed by Judy Garland in that film. In the movie Garland’s character sings the song to her younger sister after their father announces plans to move from their home of St Louis to New York for a job.

The lyrics for the musical were changed because Garland’s director Vincent Minnelli and co-star Tom Drake felt that Martin’s original lyrics which began with “Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas, it could be your last. Next year we may all be living in the past” were too depressing. The lyrics were changed to “let your heart be light, Next year all our troubles will be out of sight” in response to their request. The words sung in the musical by Judy Garland have a haunting but very real feel for people who face uncertainty at Christmas, as such they were very meaningful to the US military personnel who heard them at the front in the Second World War.

As originally produced they reflect a hope for a better future as opposed to a carefree present. As such they are probably much more appropriate to our current time than in the mid-1950s when Frank Sinatra recorded a modified version of the song for his album A Jolly Christmas.

Sinatra asked Martin to “jolly up” the line “we’ll have to muddle through somehow” and Martin changed it to “Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.”

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When Frank Sinatra recorded the song in 1957 it too became a hit and the focus on present happiness rather than a hope for a better future fit the times in which it was recorded. Sinatra’s version also notes that “faithful friends gather near to us once more” instead of “will be near to us once more.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52db1eVHQjw

The song was re-written by Martin a number of times including a “Christian” version which included the words “if the Lord allows” instead of “if the fates allow.” Though I am a Christian I think that change was kind of lame, but then if there are a few dollars to be made off religious people who otherwise won’t listen to a song why not?

The song is one is one of the most recorded Christmas songs ever written and can be heard being sung by artists as diverse as Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Rod Steward, the Carpenters, Kelly Clarkson, John Denver with the Muppets, the Pretenders, Olivia Newton John, Kenny Loggins, and even Twisted Sister.

Ella-Fitzgerald-Ella-Wishes-You-A-456258

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L5mPfpeXxk

Ella Fitzgerald’s Version

carpentersmerrylittlechristmas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vZwWJMAoTA

The Carpenters Christmas Special 

bingcrosbyhaveyourself

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tjAIwDavsw

Bing Crosby’s Version

Johndenvermuppets

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLQFIdcTKQM

John Denver and the Muppets

pretenders

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOFQy0VDrgA

The Pretenders

kellyclarkson

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x18b4nz_mjsbigblog-com-kelly-clarkson-have-yourself-a-merry-little-christmas_music

Kelly Clarkson’s Version

onjmlc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGyIlObTtXk

Olivia Newton John

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1l97qmMdTQ

Kenny Loggins

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzxLBdkN7OI

Twisted Sister singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

rod-stewart-2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JChA2MHNk2c

Rod Stewart singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

The song as recorded by Judy Garland is actually my favorite, though I also love the Sinatra version. Somehow “muddling through somehow” seems to be more appropriate in my experience.

So enjoy these versions of a song that has touched the hearts of hundreds of millions of people since it was first recorded. May it be an inspiration in these uncertain times of a hope for a better future. Maybe that makes it a better Advent song, but I digress….

For me it is kind of a sad song, but mixed with hope…and I always try to live in hope.

Here’s to muddling through somehow…

Peace

Padre Steve+

 

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December 12, 2013 · 23:29

Padre Steve’s Rockin’ Christmas: Music for Anyone to Get into the Spirit of the Season

santa-thwak-guitar1

Christmas music comes in many forms and genres. Some is quite traditional yet like any music Christmas music has captured the hearts of many artists over the decades of recorded on records, tapes, CDs and now digital media.

David-Bowie-Bing-Crosby_400

One genre where Christmas music has found a home for the last 60 years or so has been Rock and Roll. I think a great bridge between the more traditional and the contemporary is the duet of Little Drummer Boy between Bing Crosby and David Bowie  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiXjbI3kRus

Of course this is in no way an exhaustive list of these songs, just some plucked from memory that I could find music videos of and which I might not have already done on past years articles. I think that some of these are on multiple posts but still, they struck me tonight.

I usually listen to 60s, 70s or 80‘s music whenever I drive but I think soon I will switch over to Christmas music on my Sirius radio. Maybe I will switch back and forth depending on my mood and the traffic. That being said here are some of the more interesting Christmas songs, some religious, some non-religious by some Rock artists from the 50s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, some of whom are still around recording new versions of Christmas songs.

blue-christmas

Some of the earliest Rock and Roll Christmas songs included a number by Elvis Presley  including the classic Blue Christmas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzHfQk7ATU0 . Brenda Lee’s  Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6xNuUEnh2g and Bobby Helms’ Jingle Bell Rock  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itcMLwMEeMQ seem never to get old, in fact they have been recorded by others. 1980’s new wave rocker  Billy Idol did a classy version of the latter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itcMLwMEeMQ nor can we forget the legendary Chuck Berry who recorded Run Run Rudolph http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCTeXUkTFwQ&list=PLD104FAECADC5F176 which has also had many artists release it since Berry first did.

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The members of the Beatles are not absent from the list. The Beatles released a version of Christmas Time is Here Again http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4vE5DnFWV0  while the members of the Fab Four all released Christmas songs. John Lennon’s  Happy Christmas (War is Over) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPm3CWvDmvc  is a modern classic. Paul McCartney and Wings turned Wonderful Christmas Time http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1-sXrdQtog into a massive hit. Ringo Starr’s Glam Rock Come On Christmas, Christmas Come On  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaguXYTXYoA was less memorable while George Harrison’s Ding Dong, Ding Dong was an upbeat and funny song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VggAH1dk3Qk .

beach-boys-christmas

Peter Noone and Herman’s Hermit’s released a version of O Holy Night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfOqingPZzk while The Beach Boy’s Little Saint Nick http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSynDh_K0EE brought us a very California rendition of a Santa Song. Simon and Garfunkel did Comfort and Joy (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uB_oFQXv3w

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Some of the biggest acts of the 1970s had popular Christmas releases including Gary Glitter who released Another Rock ‘n’ Roll Christmas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn06NJzYQc4 . Freddie Mercury and Queen released Thank God it’s Christmas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIUmggOhHCM and the Eagles Please Come Home for Christmas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1AaMe1KbwE was a pleading look at a broken relationship. Chicago had a number of Christmas releases including Christmas Time is Here  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8B0jyKBF4U and O Come All Ye Faithful http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-9hrvoFpp4 .

springsteen-xmas-blowup

They were not alone British rocker Cliff Richard released Christmas Time http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9U0R1kCRzU, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performed Christmas All Over Again http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaPj1GoDpQw. Foghat released a version of All I want for Christmas is You http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUv7T_Uq6QU, Bruce Springsteen did Santa Claus is Coming to Town  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CIebZ4RtgY and The Bee Gees Thank You For Christmas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rm6pI8ybtA .

TopMusicaBlog_BlondieWeThreeKingsVideo

The groups of the late 1970s and early to mid 1980s are represented. Blondie has always been one of my favorite groups. This is a fairly recent release of We Three Kings http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vecWPafdDQ while Pat Benatar released a somewhat patriotic song called Christmas in America  http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xwgmps_pat-benatar-christmas-in-america_music, maybe we as Americans need to be thankful for what we have at Christmas.

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The classic bad girl, Joan Jett did the Little Drummer Boy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3Qwx8OTV-k , the Girl Band the Bangles performed A Hazy Shade of Winter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvvSQkUK-t4.  One of the more unusual acts who not only did a Christmas song but an entire Heavy Metal Christmas Album was Twisted Sister who have a classic version of White Christmas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_1X-VEhHFc.

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Classic Rockers Stevie Nicks and Rod Stewart did nice versions of classics, Stevie did  Silent Night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZPyphUNO6k while Stewart performed  White Christmas  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EvQOmjXCxc.

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Like I said, this list is not exhaustive. Since as I do it I keep remembering more I figure I will stop for the night and hope that at least some of these songs help get you into the spirit of the season. After all, there is so much negativity that whether you are a Christian or not the season does present us all the chance to maybe see something positive in ourselves and our neighbors. So with Elton John I invite you my friends to Step Into Christmas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDqi8ENS1FU. 

 

 

Peace

Padre Steve+

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December 20, 2012 · 21:12

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas: A Haunting Song of Hope

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Judy Garland singing at a Bob Hope USO show in Stockton CA in 1943

There are some songs at Christmas that despite their relative newness as compared to ancient carols seem to strike a chord that resonates deep in the hearts of people. One of those for me, and probably many others is the song Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. The music written by Ralph Blane and the lyrics by Hugh Martin for the musical Meet Me in St Louis and first performed by Judy Garland in that film. In the movie Garland’s character sings the song to her younger sister after their father announces plans to move from their home of St Louis to New York for a job.

The lyrics for the musical were changed because Garland’s director Vincent Minnelli and co-star Tom Drake felt that Martin’s original lyrics which began with “Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas, it could be your last. Next year we may all be living in the past” were too depressing. The lyrics were changed to “let your heart be light, Next year all our troubles will be out of sight” in response to their request. The words sung in the musical by Judy Garland have a haunting but very real feel for people who face uncertainty at Christmas, as such they were very meaningful to the US military personnel who heard them at the front in the Second World War.

As originally produced they reflect a hope for a better future as opposed to a carefree present. As such they are probably much more appropriate to our current time than in the mid-1950s when Frank Sinatra recorded a modified version of the song for his album A Jolly Christmas.

Sinatra asked Martin to “jolly up” the line “we’ll have to muddle through somehow” and Martin changed it to “Hang a shining star upon the highest bough”. 

garlandxmas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g4lY8Y3eoo

Judy Garland singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” in “Meet Me in St Louis” 1944 

Have yourself a merry little Christmas. 

Let your heart be light.

Next year all our troubles 

Will be out of sight.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas.
Make the Yule-tide gay.
From now on our troubles
Will be miles away.

Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Will be near to us once more.

Someday soon we all will be together
If the Fates allow.
Until then we’ll have to muddle through somehow.
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now.

When Frank Sinatra recorded the song in 1957 it too became a hit and the focus on present happiness rather than a hope for a better future fit the times in which it was recorded. Sinatra’s version also notes that “faithful friends gather near to us once more” instead of “will be near to us once more.” 

0-4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52db1eVHQjw

Frank Sinatra Sings “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

The song was re-written by Martin a number of times including a “Christian” version which included the words “if the Lord allows” instead of “if the fates allow.”

The song is one is one of the most recorded Christmas songs ever written  and can be heard being sung by artists as diverse as Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Rod Steward, the Carpenters, Kelly Clarkson and even the Pretenders and even Twisted Sister.

0-6

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzxLBdkN7OI

Twisted Sister singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

rod-stewart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JChA2MHNk2c

Rod Stewart singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” 

The song as recorded by Judy Garland is actually my favorite, though I also love the Sinatra version.  Somehow “muddling through somehow” seems to be more appropriate  in my experience.

So enjoy these versions of a song that has touched the hearts of hundreds of millions of people since it was first recorded. May it be an inspiration in these uncertain times of a hope for a better future. Maybe that makes it a better Advent song, but I digress….

Peace

Padre Steve+

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December 12, 2012 · 23:58

Padre Steve’s White Christmas

holiday-inn-ss

I don’t do much singing nor do I play a musical instrument but I have been listening to nothing on the radio the past several days except Christmas music on the Sirius XM Sounds of the Season channel. I have stopped, for the next couple of weeks listening to sports talk radio, news and political commentary and even my beloved 1970s music. One song that appears quite regularly is the classic is Irving Berlin’s White Christmas which was first recorded by Bing Crosby for the 1942 film Holiday Inn. The song was released shortly after the Pearl Harbor attack by Crosby and has become a staple of Christmas.

Decca18429A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yg5g_Xl-uU

It is really quite Amazing, the song is the most recorded song on this planet, and possibly even on the Klingon Home World in the future, of course it will be the Twisted Sister Version that makes number one on the Klingon Charts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2JdsZ0fSr8

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When it was released in 1942 White Christmas sold over 30 million copies and remained number one on the Pop and R&B charts for 10 weeks. It remained the number one single in its initial release for over 50 years when Elton John released his Candle in the Wind 1997 written and performed for the funeral of Diana Princess of Wales. There is controversy about this as White Christmas was re-released by Decca in 1945 and 1946 and the totals for all are estimated at over 50 million copies as opposed to the 33 million of Candle in the Wind 1997. The song is the only song to ever reach the number one position on the pop charts three separate times.

The song has been recorded over 500 times by artists as diverse as Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Ernest Tubbs, Elvis Presley, Andy Williams, the Carpenters, Garth Brooks, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, Chicago, Otis Redding, Barbara Streisand and even Twisted Sister.

The Drifters version was the first appeared on the R&B chart before crossing over to the pop charts. However it was little known until it was used in 1990 film Home Alone. 

1996-drifters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgGcrvApljY

A classic country rendition of the song was done by the legendary Ernest Tubb. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNzvUh-tJRY while Elvis Presley recorded hit in 1957  http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3shhn_elvis-presley-white-christmas_music 

 

Many others recorded it as well, some include Andy Williams: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PVfVUiZ-0E, Rod Stewart: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EvQOmjXCxc, Bette Midler: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYswJUHZG0g, Barbara Streisand http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyfYDOvPgcQ, Otis Redding http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwCcVRH8idA Dean Martin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubi18WX3w6c Tony Bennett http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQpc2w1oWp0 and Frank Sinatra: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m3YOr8RIIo. 

Many more contemporary singers and groups have recored this classic. Bob Marley and the Whalers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEfGeOcQiQM  Rascal Flatts  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMi1R96wfdA, Elton John http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZEOG66l1BY Chicago http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_3-JIOuLiM, Michael Bolton:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrf9weGDCxE, Michael Buble  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDwFehTaiuw , Kelly Clarkson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCl7-0dMOzs , the Celtic Women http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcEsypy6tIE, CeeLo Green http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZLZHIrkG7w  , Diana Krall http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS0K5R46vvM, Taylor Swift http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZhdTxgnLTE  Lady Gaga http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy1Yxng6IGA , 

So my friends, enjoy a very White Christmas!

Peace

Padre Steve+

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