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Making up your own Christmas CD


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Old 09-12-2012, 16:31
Westy2
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Trying to make up a definitive CD/MP3 for the office, but I've got all these different versions by various artists of various songs.(God knows how many different versions of Silent Night, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, you know the sort of thing!)

Some stuff will pick itself, Slade, Wham, Wizzard, Shaky etc, but does anyone have suggestions on what I could put on said CD.

Band Aid, I prefer the 1989 version over the other 2, for instance.

(By the way, can I not have the usual arguments over PRS, copyrights etc, as it's going into a private office of 7 people & not being flogged. I just want some suggestions please!)
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Old 09-12-2012, 16:55
FanFromHolland
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Mariah Carey

Cascadfa's Last Christmas is pretty decent

And of course John Lennon
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Old 09-12-2012, 17:17
eugenespeed
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Lancashire Hotpots - Carry You Home
The Pretenders - 2000 Miles
Eric Cartman - Oh Holy Night
The Greedies - A Merry Jingle
The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping
Queen - Thank God It's Christmas
Bad News - Cashing In On Christmas

They'd all go on mine
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Old 09-12-2012, 17:57
rfonzo
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You have already mentioned Band Aid. I would recommend:

Slade- Merry Xmas Everyday.
Wizzard-I wish it could be Christmas everyday.
Bing Crosby- White Christmas.
Mariah Carey- All I want for Christmas (good for anyone fancies someone).
Brenda Lee- Rockin around the Christmas Tree.
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Old 09-12-2012, 18:23
gold2040
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Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End) - The Darkness
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Old 09-12-2012, 19:11
tortfeasor
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Trying to make up a definitive CD/MP3 for the office, but I've got all these different versions by various artists of various songs.(God knows how many different versions of Silent Night, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, you know the sort of thing!)...
I know that problem well! I like multiple versions of lots of Christmas songs so I used to end up making more than one Christmas CD. Why not make 2/3 CDs instead of trying to fit them all on to one? You can swap them over after a few listens if they're intended to be on in the office for a few days.

For the last couple of years I've just put all of my Christmas music on to an mp3 player, which has been great because I can put it on shuffle (sorry, my mp3 player has 'random play all' instead of shuffle ) and fit all of the music I like on to it. I used to make playlists but seeing as I tagged the songs with 'Christmas' as the album title, it made sense to just play all tracks from the album. By the time I include the Home Alone soundtrack and selections from the Christmas carols CDs I own, I have enough tracks to fill at least 8 audio CDs.

At last count I had 4 versions of 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' on my mp3 player (The Crystals, Jackson 5, Carpenters and Bruce Springsteen).

Could you put the tracks on to an mp3 player instead? Even if the Hi-Fi doesn't have the function of connecting an mp3 player via a line-in, you could use computer speakers?

I have too many tracks to suggest putting on a Christmas CD but I'd include at least one lesser known one, something like '2000 Miles' by the Pretenders, at least one or two tracks from the Phil Spector Christmas album as well as the obvious choices. 'Run Rudolph Run' by Chuck Berry and 'Jingle Bell Rock' by Bobby Rydell & Chubby Checker or the Bobby Helms version are always worth including - not played as much as say 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday' and they're short, snappy and often overlooked on Christmas compilations (though I have seen the Bobby Helms version of 'Jingle Bell Rock' on a few recently).
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Old 09-12-2012, 19:19
Bex.
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Backstreet Boys - It's Christmas Time Again
Darlene Love - All Alone On Christmas
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Old 09-12-2012, 19:59
meechyemoo
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Santas Beard - They might be Giants
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Old 09-12-2012, 20:18
Poppylena
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Gaudete - Steeleye Span
In Dulci Jubilo - Mike Oldfield.

I've also ended up with a copy of this. I believe I can thank my brother for that. I rather like it.
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Old 09-12-2012, 20:38
tortfeasor
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Gaudete - Steeleye Span
In Dulci Jubilo - Mike Oldfield...
They're essential Christmas tracks for me. The b-side to 'Gaudete' was a unique version of 'The Holly & The Ivy' and that's one of my essentials too.

I was doing a bit of Christmas shopping on Friday night and quite a few stores had the Now That's What I Call Xmas CD playing. I was subjected to Cliff Richard's 'Saviour's Day' a few times and had listened to bits of Mud's 'Lonely This Christmas' just beforehand. If 'Saviour's Day' is followed by Michael Ball's cover of 'Driving Home For Christmas,' it's definitely Now That's What I Call Xmas. Not a bad compilation actually - the latest version even has some Phil Spector Christmas tracks on it.

As for essentials, Chris Rea's 'Driving Home for Christmas' is one of mine.
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Old 09-12-2012, 20:42
Westy2
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I know that problem well! I like multiple versions of lots of Christmas songs so I used to end up making more than one Christmas CD. Why not make 2/3 CDs instead of trying to fit them all on to one? You can swap them over after a few listens if they're intended to be on in the office for a few days.

For the last couple of years I've just put all of my Christmas music on to an mp3 player, which has been great because I can put it on shuffle (sorry, my mp3 player has 'random play all' instead of shuffle ) and fit all of the music I like on to it. I used to make playlists but seeing as I tagged the songs with 'Christmas' as the album title, it made sense to just play all tracks from the album. By the time I include the Home Alone soundtrack and selections from the Christmas carols CDs I own, I have enough tracks to fill at least 8 audio CDs.

At last count I had 4 versions of 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' on my mp3 player (The Crystals, Jackson 5, Carpenters and Bruce Springsteen).

Could you put the tracks on to an mp3 player instead? Even if the Hi-Fi doesn't have the function of connecting an mp3 player via a line-in, you could use computer speakers?

I have too many tracks to suggest putting on a Christmas CD but I'd include at least one lesser known one, something like '2000 Miles' by the Pretenders, at least one or two tracks from the Phil Spector Christmas album as well as the obvious choices. 'Run Rudolph Run' by Chuck Berry and 'Jingle Bell Rock' by Bobby Rydell & Chubby Checker or the Bobby Helms version are always worth including - not played as much as say 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday' and they're short, snappy and often overlooked on Christmas compilations (though I have seen the Bobby Helms version of 'Jingle Bell Rock' on a few recently).
Must admit it would be going onto Mp3 disc through a PC(Suspect a DVD rather than a CD personally!)

Someone lent me the Phil Spector CD a few years back, so thats on an external hard drive anyway.

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, how about Bjorn Again's version?

Run Rudolph Run, I have Bryan Adams version.

What about some of the newer stuff? Peter Kay's one?

Mariah Carey did 'Oh Santa', which didn't sound too bad.

Free Radio 80's played an Eurythmics version of 'Winter Wonderland', which was Ok(Never heard of it before)

I was debating how obscure I should go?

I found 'Bionic Santa' on You Tube, plus I have a crackly vinyl rip of 'Christmas Countdown' by Frank Kelly(Father Jack from Father Ted)

The Gary Glitter track is an obvious no no, but what about the sample used in the Jive Bunny single?

I did consider using Smooth Xmas in the office, but the rather elderly DAB won't pick it up, for some reason!
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Old 09-12-2012, 21:18
tortfeasor
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Must admit it would be going onto Mp3 disc through a PC(Suspect a DVD rather than a CD personally!)

...

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, how about Bjorn Again's version?...The Gary Glitter track is an obvious no no, but what about the sample used in the Jive Bunny single?
Well if it's going on an mp3 or DVD disc, you could probably put most of the stuff you have on it but it probably is wiser to be selective: As you put it, 'Another Rock 'n' Roll Christmas' is probably not the best one to put on! Speaking of that track, when I was still in school some of the GCSE PE pupils doing dance did a routine to that for the school's Christmas show and this was about a year after the revelations about Glitter. That was an appropriate choice! I wouldn't bother with Jive Bunny's 'Let's Party' if you're putting Slade and Wizzard on anyway but it's your CD!

As for 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town,' I don't like the Bjorn Again version but it's not my CD. If you want bouncy, the Crystals and Bruce Springsteen versions are the ones to go for in my opinion. The Crystals' version is on that Phil Spector album you have.

...
Run Rudolph Run, I have Bryan Adams version

What about some of the newer stuff? Peter Kay's one?

...

Free Radio 80's played an Eurythmics version of 'Winter Wonderland', which was Ok(Never heard of it before)

I was debating how obscure I should go?...
The Eurythmics' version of 'Winter Wonderland' is a radio staple - I love it. It's a cold arrangement but that matches the song perfectly and Annie's vocals are just lush. That was on the same Christmas album as the Bryan Adams cover of 'Run Rudolph Run' that you mentioned as well as Madonna's 'Santa Baby' and Run DMC's 'Christmas in Hollis': 'A Very Special Christmas.'

The Peter Kay thing... nah! How obscure? If it's an office thing, maybe don't go too left field. Tracks by well known artists that don't normally get played are good - some of the ones on Mariah's Christmas album as you suggested. A few lesser known ones won't hurt anyone.

I think 'Winter Wonderland,' 'Sleigh Ride,' 'Santa Baby,' 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus' and 'Frosty the Snowman' are all worthy of consideration. Great versions on the Phil Spector album.
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Old 09-12-2012, 23:08
Westy2
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Cheers so far guys.

Some things to think about.
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Old 09-12-2012, 23:46
sheila blige
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As someone said - Gaudete is a must.

My favourite Christmas song though has to be Jonah Lewie's 'Stop The Cavalry' (for me it just pips Fairytale of New York).
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