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Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt

Title: Santa Baby

Artist: Eartha Kitt

Composer: Philip Springer / Tony Springer 

Label: RCA 10723

Year Released: 1953

Highest Chart Position: 4

Eartha Kitt 1927 - 2008

Eartha Kitt died yesterday of colon cancer.  She was 81.  Born on a cotton plantation in South Carolina, she would later become the toast of Broadway.

Eartha had hits in the 1950s including C'est si Bon, Let's Do It, and this Christmas classic, Santa Baby, where she does a sexy coo for gifts from Santa.  In later years, she would gain fame as the 3rd Catwoman in the Batman TV series.  She was always plotting the purrrrrrrr-fect crime. 

Rest in Peace, Eartha. 

Play - Santa Baby (3.2 MB)

Watch Video (C'est Si Bon)

Watch Video (I Want to Be Evil)

Nuttin' for Christmas - Barry Gordon

Title: Nuttin' for Christmas

Artist: Barry Gordon

Composer: Sid Tepper / Roy C. Bennett 

Label: MGM 12092

Year Released: 1955

Highest Chart Position: 6

Barry Gordon was a child star who was born in 1948 in Brookline, MA.  He would later co-star with Jason Robards in the Broadway play A Thousand Clowns, which was later made into a film.  He was the Screen Actors Guild president from 1988 to 1995 and he still acts today.  He ran for Congress unsucessfully.  Later he hosted a talk radio program.  He currently hosts an internet talk show and teaches a course in politics and the media at the California State University, Los Angeles.

I even found an old video of Barry Gordon appearing on the Jack Benny program in 1961.  He plays the character Harry Johnson.  Enjoy!  

Play - Nuttin' For Christmas (2.5 MB)

Watch Video (Jack Benny Show)

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - Jimmy Boyd

Title: I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

Artist: Jimmy Boyd

Composer: Tommie Connor  

Label: Columbia 39871

Year Released: 1952

Highest Chart Position: 1

Jimmy Boyd recording this song when he was 12 years old, making him the youngest singer to have a #1 record, at the time.  Jimmy also recorded a follow-up Christmas single with I Saw Mommy Do the Mambo (With You Know Who). 

Upon researching this I found out that Jimmy had a brief marriage to Yvonne Craig, who played Batgirl in the 1960s TV series Batman.  Holy Cow! 

Enjoy the songs! 

Play - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (2.4 MB)

Play - I Saw Mommy Do the Mambo (With You Know Who) (4.8 MB)

Donde Esta Santa Claus - Augie Rios

Title: Donde Esta Santa Claus

Artist: Augie Rios

Composer: Rod Parker / Alvin Greiner / George Scheck  

Label: Metro 20010

Year Released: 1958

Highest Chart Position: 20

Augie Rios appeard in the Braodway musical Jamaica and had other roles as a singer and actor.  In 1958 he had a Top 20 record with this wistful holiday song.  The flipside was a song titled Ol' Fatso also about Santa Claus.  I've included it below.

I've really enjoyed torturing my Houston roommates with this song.  Ole!  Enjoy! 

Play - Donde Esta Santa Claus (2.3 MB)

Play - Ol' Fatso (1.1 MB)

I Listen To The Bells - Luther Vandross & Darlene Love

Title: I Listen To The Bells

Artist: Luther Vandross & Darlene Love

Composer: Luther Vandross / Fonzi Thornton

Album: This Is Christmas         

Label: Epic 57795

Year Released: 1995

I've featured Luther Vandross and Darlene Love in past years on my Christmas Music special edition of Friday Sock Hop.  This cut features two of my favorite singers together in this lively holiday song.

What a way to kick off the Christmas season.  It's Black Friday....get out there and shop.....stimulate the economy!  Enjoy!  

Play (5.7 MB)

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? - Bette Midler

Title: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Artist: Bette Midler

Composer: Frank Loesser

Album: Cool Yule       

Label: Columbia 82876-86266-2

Year Released: 2006

Bette Midler does a fine job with this collection of Christmas tunes.  One of my favorites is a Hawaiian Christmas number Mele Kalikimaka.  But since Christmas is over, let's move on to New Year's Eve. 

What am I doing New Year's Eve?  I'll probably have yet another movie marathon.  A quiet night alone.  I think I want to watch a trilogy.  Maybe Pirates of the Caribbean or Mission Impossible or the Saw movies.  Anyone else have any suggestions?  I'm way behind on my movie viewing, so no trilogy is too old for me.

Whatever you do, have a safe and happy night.  See you in 2008!

Play (3.7 MB)

O Holy Night - Martina McBride

Title: O Holy Night

Artist: Martina McBride

Composer: Adolphe Adam

Album: White Christmas       

Label: RCA 07863-67654-2

Year Released: 1998

O Holy Night is my favorite traditional Christmas song.  Which is why I featured it last year.  It's a great song for a great singer.  If you don't have the pipes, it will show on this song.  So many singers try to jazz it up and just ruin it.  Whenever I find a Christmas CD with O Holy Night, it's the first song I play.  If it passes the test, I may buy the CD. 

Country music artist Martina McBride does a fine job and gets to sing something that really shows off her strong voice. 

I have also re-indexed all of my past Christmas Music.  Click the Category Music - Christmas to browse all of my Christmas music on Back Home Again.  Enjoy! 

Play (3.5 MB)

Mary, Did You Know? - Kathy Mattea

Title: Mary, Did You Know?

Artist: Kathy Mattea

Composer: Mark Lowry / Buddy Greene

Album: Good News       

Label: Mercury Nashville

Year Released: 1993

Mary, Did You Know? is a fairly recent Christmas song, that has that traditional feel to it.  The words were written in 1984 and music was added six years later.  Underrated country artist Kathy Mattea does a wonderful job with the song. 

Play (3.0 MB)

A Cradle in Bethlelem - Vince Gill

Title: A Cradle in Bethlehem

Artist: Vince Gill

Composer: Alfred Bryan / Larry Stock

Album: Breath of Heaven         

Label: MCA 70038 

Year Released: 1998

I guess it is Christmas time, isn't it?  It's very strange for me to be in 80 degree weather in December.  But that's how it is down here in Houston.  Not that I'm complaining.

Time to dust off the old Christmas music again.  This collection of Christmas songs is one of my favorites.  I can't believe it is nine years old already.  Oklahoma born and bred Vince Gill leaves behind the country music twang on this Christmas collection.  He is backed by Patrick Williams and his orchestra.  Vince's voice is pitch perfect on this featured song:  A Cradle in Bethlehem. 

From American Christmas Classics website:  "A Cradle in Bethlehem is a fine musical account of the Nativity scene, evoking the simple phrasing and temperament of earlier lullaby carols of the 15th and 16th centuries.  Its creators, Larry Stock, who co-wrote the popular song Blueberry Hill and Alfred Bryan, a very productive songwriter perhaps best know for his co-authorship of the very popular Peg of My Heart, collaborated to produce a musical gem that was first published in 1952."

The song was previously recorded by Nat King Cole.

Play (3.9 MB)

O Holy Night - Peabo Bryson w/ Sandi Patty

Title: O Holy Night

Artist: Peabo Bryson with Sandi Patty

Composer: Traditional

Album: Peace On Earth         

Label: Angel 7243 

Year Released: 1997

Peabo Bryson has recorded some famous duets during his career.  He recorded Tonight, I Celebrate My Love with Roberta Flack and Beauty and the Beast with Celine Dion.  But whoever thought of teaming an R&B singer with a Contemporary Christian Music artist was a genius.  The result is pure magic.  "O Holy Night" has always been one of my favorite Christmas hymns.  So many musicians manage to screw it up, but I really love this version. 

On a side note, isn't Sandi Patty just about the worst name ever given a child, or what?  Just the words Sandi Patty makes me think of a litterbox.  Uggh.  Sandi Patty lives just a few counties away, right here in Indiana.

Play (3.9 MB)