Well that's what you should be doing this Holiday Season. Just grab an eggnog or a mug of warm cappucinno and rest back to gather some thoughts of the year that's drawing to a close soon enough. What better way to create the right ambiance but some music to go along.
Going by the tradition of Christmas, most of us would be at the midnight mass or going places singing the age old carols. But how many of us know the behind-the-scenes stories of some of the songs that we all know and sing every year, come Christmas.
So here are some interesting tidbits about popular Christmas songs and duets that most of us would have heard but never knew how they came about. Read on.
1. Jingle Bells
Christmas' most lively and famous song ever, "Jingle Bells" was penned down for Thanksgiving by Massachusetts-born Church organist, James Pierpont in 1875. But the song never gained much popularity until several artists brought out their covers and karaoke versions. But what's interesting is that it is the most popular song of the modern world. It was even broadcast from space in 1965 by the Gemini 6 crew on the lunar mission. They played a 8-note Hohner "Little Lady" harmonica and bells, the first ever musical instruments to be played from space as per the Smithsonian Institution.
2. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
This affable character "Rudolph" is the quintessential partner of Santa. Originally created by Robert May for a children's color book that the Montgomery Store wanted to bring out for Christmas, Rudolph became so popular that a million copies sold out in a year's time. Following its success, May and his brother-in-law Johnny Marks approached the famous singer Gene Audry to sing it. It was an instant chart-buster in the Christmas of 1949.
3. Christmas Song
Most of the old generation and retro folks adored this Nat King Cole song surely. But what's bizarre behind this song is that it was written in the middle of a heat wave in the summer of 1944 by Mel Torme and Bob Wells. With the war going on in full swing and amenities running short, the songwriters wanted a diversion from all the depravity that had consumed the American life and wrote the song in a straight 45 minutes.
The final version of the song, as the world now knows was an outcome of continous recordings by Cole and his team from 1946 to 1961. Whoof!Now that's a hats off effort.
4. O Tannenbaum
Do most of you know that the spirit of Christams was more deep seated among Germans dating back to the 17th century? The Germans are known to have decorated evergreen trees to liven up the dark and gloomy winters. It is believed that when Queen Victoria, the matriarch of half of Europe's royalty, married Prince Albert in 1840, she brought the tradition to England and from there on it spread to America when a Pennsylvania newspaper popularized the royal couple's tradition.
The fir trees became so popular in the 1800s during Christmas, that this German folk song by Ernst Anschutz became a holiday favorite among families settled in the American colonies. The more common Anglicized version of the song is "O Christmas Tree" as most of us sing it every year.
5. White Christmas
This single is accredited to be the third highest grosser of all times after Elton John's tribute song to Princess Diana "Candle in the Wind". Written by Irving Berlin and performed first time on radio by Bing Crosby on the 1941 Christmas Day, it sold out more than 50 million copies as per the Guinness Book of records. The most duet version remains that of Crosby teaming up with Sinatra.
6. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
A stand out song by the 13 year old Brenda Lee and written by Johnny Mark-the songwriter of "Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer", topped the Billboards from 1958 to 1965. Remarkably the listeners were caught in the blue when they knew that the singer whose voice they heard was but a teen. Moreover, what most people don't realize was that Mark has a collection of Christmas songs to his credits despite his Jewish antecedents. Now that's what is the real respect to an artform that rests above any faith or belief.
7. Little Drummer
So far we've talked of singles that have made a name during Christmas, but this song is one of the most memorable duets in the history of music. After much ado, Ian Fraser was able to juggle in Bowie and Crosby, who bantered about their Christmas traditions, to produce this must-have Christmas song for families. Although an unusual choice of singers to be pooled in, the song gathered much footage after Crosby's untimely death after its release a month later.
8. Little St.Nick
What happens when country meets rock? What else but another fantastic track. That's exactly what happened when John Denver, the popular country singer collaborated with his friends Jim Henson and Kermit for a Christmas appearance on a TV show. This offbeat take on the Beach Boy's "Little Saint Nick" formed a part of 1979 album "John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together". The unknown and much missed out part of the album remains the "Run, Run Reindeer" line sung in the chorus.
9. A Christmas Duel
Most of us associate Christmas with the spirit of forgiveness and peace. But this song spells exactly the opposite but yet rocked the charts. Another unusual duet- Swedish garage rockers the Hives and Cyndi Lauper- combo was an unusual take on the careless fun that happens on Christmas. Despite the speculations surrounding the song, it starts off slowly to reach a faboulous crescendo in Lauper's voice who growls back at the male singer Almqvist.
Well for those who limit themselves to hearing carols and soft numbers this Christmas, we suggest you add this to your list. It never kills to hear some bizarre music.
10. Elf's Lament
One of the cutest Christmas songs, its a humorous take on the tasking schedules of an Elf's life around Christmas every year. Sung by quirky Barenaked Ladies and a much more traditional Michael Buble, its an album that all of you will enjoy. The best stand out lines "I make toys, I've got aspirations" resounds lamentation of the hard labor that goes into making Christmas what it is.
Well listings apart, what we draw from this weird yet popular song list is that, music like Christmas, is more about the spiritual experience of the festivity that lives on from generation to generation. We wish all our readers a wonderful Christmas.
Do share with us your Christmas experiences and tidbits. You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook Page or subscribe to our RSS feeds for more interesting reads.
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