Joy-George Winston

It’s a New Age piano version of Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.”
I heard a musician recently interviewed on an NPR show who audibly fell bak in horror at the suggestion that his music was New Age.  “New Age music,” the fellow replied, “is all texture.”  In the way that white chocolate has the texture [...]

Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree–The Partridge Family

Another George R. contribution:  you can see the comments on the other Patridge Familty entry.

I love Randy’s Rodeo’s capsule of the album from which this came: “This isn’t nearly as bad as you might [...]

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas–Jim Nabors

Shazam, Shazam, Shazam.  George R. sent this one.  If you grew up in front of a television set during the 1960s, you found yourself confused by Jim Nabors who played Gomer Pyle on the Andy Griffith Show and on Gomer Pyle, USMC.  Gomer Pyle, was, well, a gomer, an apparently innocent to the point of [...]

Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth–Bing and Bowie

I don’t think it takes much explanation why this is a guilty pleasure.  David Bowie–Ziggy Stardust, Alladin Sane, the Thin White Duke,–and Der Bingle, the epitome of gender bending rock as spectacle and the icon of square, if cool, mid-20th century upright American Christmas, doggone it.
According to Wikipedia, the track was originally recorded for Crosby’s [...]

Stray Cat Strut/You’re A Mean, One Mr. Grinch – Live! Video

Stray Cat Strut/You’re A Mean, One Mr. Grinch – Live!

We went to see the BSO Christmas Extravaganza last night. This was sure a highlight, except last night somebody in a Grinch suit came out and traded solos with Setzer.  This is a real pleasure, not a guilty one.

Santa Claus Got Stuck in My Chimney–Ella Fitzgerald

Many people will recognize this song from All McBeal but Ella recorded it first. Here is what Randy’s Rodeo says about it:
For many years, this [...]

Blue Christmas–Elvis Presley

This one was suggested by my old friend Joe. Blue Christmas was originally recorded by Ernest Tubb in 1948 and covered by Elvis in 1957 and later by practically every recording artist on the planet, including Porky Pig. Now, it obviously takes some chutzpah to label this recording a guilty pleasure. Elvis [...]

Santa Claus Is Back In Town Video

Winston Christmas Lights – Santa Claus is Back in Town

Elvis getting it done.

Marshmallow World (Darlene Love)

This is the first of a series of songs by extraodinarily credible artists. Darlene Love is a great singer, a legend, as they say, of Rock ‘N’ Roll. She was the uncredited lead vocalist on the Crystals’ records and many other Phil Spector productions. Her recording of “Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) [...]

Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer

This guilty pleasure was suggested by so many people who ought to know better that I just gave up and included it in the compilation. Novelty songs aren’t trying to be anything except a guilty pleasure. The people who made the records are in on the joke, but vox populi, baby.
The song [...]