What Christmas songs did you grow up with?

Question

And by that, I'm not asking for Christmas carols but songs unique to the Baby Boomer generation, like Feliz Navidad by Jose Feliciano or Do They Know It's Christmas or the Chipmunks Christmas Song? What Christmas songs do you remember hearing on the radio while you were growing up?

Dena Jo
Email goes to denajo2 at the dot com variation of the Yahoo domain.

Plonk the bastards: http://www.panix.com/~mwsm/trolls.html

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]And by that, I'm not asking for Christmas carols but songs unique to the Baby Boomer generation, like Feliz Navidad ... or the Chipmunks Christmas Song? What Christmas songs do you remember hearing on the radio while you were growing up?[/nq]
Although it's almost a carol, the one that stands out for me is Mary's Boy Child, and years later I got to interview the guy who wrote it, Jester Hairston, then in his 90s
Bio here:
http://www.a-cappella.com/catalog/browse-cds-by-style/artists/cat jester- hairston.html
Jester Hairston
Jester Hairston (born Jestie, nicknamed by a first grade teacher) was born in Belews Creek, North Carolina, in 1902. He spent most of his 98 years as a choral director, educator, actor, singer, composer and arranger.
His first experience spreading his love of music was in the summer after his freshman year at the University of Massachusetts - while working on the Boston docks, he taught his fellow workers to sing. He later went off to study music at Tufts University, performing in the school's musical thater organizations and graduating in 1929. He returned to Tufts in 1979 to accept an honorary Doctorate in Music, one of four honorary degrees he was awarded.His first paying job teaching music was at a music school in Harlem, a job he obtained through the post-Depression U.S. Government Works Program Administration. At the same time he joined the Hall Johnson Choir, the most prominent Black singing group of the 1930s. While in Los Angeles with the choir, Jester met Russian film composer Dimitri Tiomkin, and a 30-year collaboration was begun. Hairston arranged the music for every one of Tiomkin's films, including the Academy Award winner "Lost Horizon." The two of them were also responsible for "Guns of Navarone," "Gunfight at the OK Corral" and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon," among many others - some of the many accomplishments that Hairston's star on the Walk Of Fame.

Through Jester appeared in many films and TV shows in the ensuing decades, some of what he was best known for were his roles in the radio and TV shows of "Amos and Andy" - he played Leroy and Henry Van Porter - and his role as Deacon Rolly Forbes in the TV show "Amen." Other credits include the words and lyrics to the Harry Belafonte hit "Mary's Little Boy Chile," and the voice of Sydney Poitier in the film "Lillies in the Field." He also conducted the first integrated choir in Hollywood.

Jester Hairston's body of work is an institution in the choral and a cappella worlds. He wrote and arranged more than 300 spirituals, and generations of choral singers have grown up on his works. Even into his 90s, he continued to tour the world conducting choirs and acting as a goodwill ambassador for the U.S. State Department. Jester Hairston died in January 2000.

You call this a script? Give me a couple of
$5000-a-week writers and I'll write it myself.
Joe Pasternak

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]And by that, I'm not asking for Christmas carols but songs unique to the Baby Boomer generation, like Feliz Navidad ... or the Chipmunks Christmas Song? What Christmas songs do you remember hearing on the radio while you were growing up?[/nq]
Obviously my all-time favorite would be "Christmas in Jail." Listen to a snippet of it here, folks!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LH/102-6795533-1223360?v=glance &n=5174&v=glance
If I can hear that song and see Lauren Graham do Billy Bob Thornton in a Santa suit while screaming " me, Santa!" repeatedly in "Bad Santa," well, it's a pretty fine Yule. (And she wondered why the ratings suddenly skyrocketed on "Gilmore Girls.")

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]And by that, I'm not asking for Christmas carols but songs unique to the Baby Boomer generation, like Feliz Navidad ... or the Chipmunks Christmas Song? What Christmas songs do you remember hearing on the radio while you were growing up?[/nq]
Even though my Joyeux Noëls of young were francophone, I still fondly remember Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas". I can still smell the jacket the album came in.
jaybee

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]And by that, I'm not asking for Christmas carols but songs unique to the Baby Boomer generation, like Feliz Navidad ... or the Chipmunks Christmas Song? What Christmas songs do you remember hearing on the radio while you were growing up?[/nq]
The Little Drummer Boy and Do You Hear What I Hear come to mind.

Not that that's necessarily a pleasant experience.

Why do you ask?
Gene

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Why do you ask?[/nq]
I'm putting together a holiday CD to send out to past and present clients. I'm calling it "The Quintessential Baby Boomer's Holiday CD." Elvis's Blue Christmas (thanks, Jaybee!) was one I had forgotten for instance.

Dena Jo
Email goes to denajo2 at the dot com variation of the Yahoo domain.

Plonk the ********: http://www.panix.com/~mwsm/trolls.html

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Why do you ask?[/nq]
[nq:1]I'm putting together a holiday CD to send out to past and present clients. I'm calling it "The Quintessential Baby Boomer's Holiday CD." Elvis's Blue Christmas (thanks, Jaybee!) was one I had forgotten for instance.[/nq]
Do a search on Amazon for "Christmas songs" you'll come up with a ton of titles.

You call this a script? Give me a couple of
$5000-a-week writers and I'll write it myself.
Joe Pasternak

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Although it's almost a carol, the one that stands out for me is Mary's Boy Child, and years later I got to interview the guy who wrote it, Jester Hairston, then in his 90s[/nq]
That was one I was going to mention the Harry Belafonte version. Still on of my all-time favorites.

RonB
"There's a story there...somewhere"

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Jester Hairston (born Jestie, nicknamed by a first grade teacher) was born in Belews Creek, North Carolina, in 1902. He spent most of his 98 years as a choral director, educator, actor, singer, composer and arranger.[/nq]
I had no clue who wrote this song. You've certainly met some interesting people. Thanks for the information.

RonB
"There's a story there...somewhere"

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]That was one I was going to mention the Harry Belafonte version. Still on of my all-time favorites.[/nq]
I have the Belafonte version. I'm gonna have to think about that one!

Dena Jo
Email goes to denajo2 at the dot com variation of the Yahoo domain.

Plonk the ********: http://www.panix.com/~mwsm/trolls.html

Usenet · Answer

When my brother and I were kids we had a record of "Twas The Night Before Christmas". It made such an impact on us that when a Xmas card company put out one with the whole poem we each, unknowingly, sent the other the card.
Otherwise "The Little Drummer Boy" can always choke me up.

JJ

What Christmas songs did you grow up with?

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