LAST MINUTE PARTY SUPPLIES

Here's a mess of last minute background noise for your holiday shindig, and it's a weird mix. Let me preface all the descriptive rambling by saying that I'm not one for playing a lot of holiday music. (It's just not my bag, man.) That said, I know some of you can't get enough of it. So, here's a bunch. Some links, some mp3s, and a couple full mixes; all told about 175 songs. And, if you're going to a family get-together, I'd recommend previewing some first. (Let's just say that no matter what, Eazy E's getting coal in his stocking for life.)

Now, about the songs: I had to start with Darlene Love's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" for one big fat reason. It's not often that the hardened semi-geezer that is your host gets choked up. But, it does happen at least once a year, while watching TV of all things. Because, every year, Darlene Love appears on Letterman, on his last show before Christmas (this Thursday, the 23rd). She performs her signature song, in front of a brass section, a string section, and a choir. Now, one of things that gets me all misty eyed is that she does it year after year (twenty three and counting), and I reflect quite a bit in those three minutes. I get to thinking about how many of my friends purchased the Phil Spector Christmas album as their first adult holiday music purchase, a sort of serendipitous rite of passage. And I think about how all of those friends, now far and wide, have probably dug it out for the holidays, somehow linked by their appreciation of Spector's Wall of Sound. That's the big thing, that Wall of Sound. It also hits me, as I watch it, that it is probably the only time I will ever see a Spector produced song performed live, with anything that approximates the same arrangement and backing that was in the studio way back when. It's really something to watch. It's big. It's joyful. It may be corny (specifically, when the sax player appears), but if you're anything at all like me, it can be goosebump inducing. (There's links below to videos of previous performances to give you a taste.)

Now that I've about used up my allotment of wordiness, here's the rundown on the others. The Pogues "Fairytale of New York" is such a melancholy song, and made more so when you consider what a relative mess Shane MacGowan is. It's beautiful, in a very weird way. After that is another Spector produced Darlene Love song. Then there's a little soul interlude, with JB, Carla Thomas and Clarence Carter. Following that is Joey Ramone's version of "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)" because it seems a lot more heartfelt than the original by the Ramones proper. The Apoctalyptica cut's in there because you always need a little Finnish cello-metal in a holiday mix. The Reverend Horton Heat song sounds like something out of a Sergio Leone flick. Jimmy Smith is just so cool, nothing further needs to be said. The Deer Tick song, as much as I hate the premise, is some pretty worthy banging. The Stevie Wonder cut is such an amazing anti-war song that I'm embarrassed to say, I never heard it until recently (as in, a couple hours ago). Buck Owens is down there because everybody needs a tear jerking Bakersfield breakdown at some point.

Turn it up guys, and remember: Darlene Love, Thursday night.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) mp3 (plus 9 others) at AM Then FM
The Pogues - Fairytale of New York mp3 (plus 38 others)t Salad Days of Music
Darlene Love - White Christmas mp3 at Aquarium Drunkard
James Brown - Santa Clause, Santa Claus mp3 at AM Then FM
Carla Thomas - Gee Whiz It's Christmas mp3 at Kick Kick Snare
Clarence Carter - Back Door Santa mp3 at AM Then FM
Joey Ramone - Merry Christmas mp3 (plus a 24 song mix) at Sucka Pants
Apocalyptica - Little Drummer Boy mp3 at Cover Me
Reverend Horton Heat - What Child Is This mp3 at AM Then FM
Jimmy Smith - Santa Clause Is Coming to Town mp3 (plus 9 more) at Review Stalker
Deer Tick - Christmas All Summer Long mp3 (plus 19 others) at Consequence of Sound
Stevie Wonder - Someday At Christmas mp3 at AM Then FM
Buck Owens & Susan Raye - All I Want For Christmas Is My Daddy mp3 (plus 14 more) at My Aimz Is True
Mixes:
A Different Kind of Christmas - 25 song mix at Flowering Toilet
(The Fall, Jack Scott, Johnny Otis, Chuck Berry, Solomon Burke, etc.)
Christmas Wrap - 25 song hip hop mix at Electric Adolescence
(Snoop, Eazy E, 2 Live Crew, Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane, etc.)
Watch:
Here's a few of the Darlene Love performances from the Late Show With David Letterman. Another post will be about the videos (only so much gushing in one night). For now, here's these:
Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), 2009, Letterman at YouTube
Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), 2008, Letterman at YouTube
Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), Compilation of four Letterman appearances, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2009 at YouTube