Help me complete my groovy retro-kitsch Xmas CD

November 28, 2006 11:21 AM

Help me complete my groovy retro-kitsch Xmas CD

I'm putting together a holiday compilation CD for friends and family. From the tunes I've got so far it's sort of evolved into a 'retro-kitsch' theme, with the Jackson 5, Esquivel, Neil Diamond, and Wayne Newton. I also found a great photo of Charles Nelson Reilly on the set of Match Game '76 with a Santa hat that would be great for the CD label. I'd like the MeFi community's ideas on:

- More cheesy/retro Xmas-themed songs (and where to get them)
- Sound bites, such as vintage radio commercials, recorded holiday greetings from Elvis, etc. (and where to get them)
- More cover art suggestions (I was thinking of a 50's housewife holding a platter with a turkey but couldn't find anything like that online)
- Fonts, preferably free, in a 50's or 70's style (60's just doesn't seem to fit, don't ask me why)

posted by mattholomew to media & arts (19 comments total)

XMRadio has a wacky station called Special XMas that plays this sort of stuff... maybe a playlist exists online?
posted by k8t at 11:25 AM on November 28, 2006

Ertha Kitt- "Santa baby"
Satchmo -'"zat you Santa clause?"
"Deck the Halls with Boston Charlie", but I can't remember who did it.
At this time of the year you can find literally dozens of compilation CDs everywhere for cheap. Some with the type of artwork you are looking for.
posted by Gungho at 11:32 AM on November 28, 2006

Fa La La La La
Bongobells
Christmas A Go Go
A Chirstmas Yuleblog
posted by Otis at 11:48 AM on November 28, 2006

'Santa Baby' by Eartha Kitt IS a great song, but I have been sort of annoyed that starting last year it's been played to DEATH on the local xmas radio station, and at the mall. I think its downfall started a few years ago when it was included on an American Eagle xmas mix CD, or something like that. So anyway, it's moved off of my list of "fun but lesser known" xmas songs, and onto the "classic but overplayed" list.
posted by chr1sb0y at 12:33 PM on November 28, 2006

Lots of songs from Soma FM's X-Mas in Frisco would fit your theme, and I think that What Can You Get A Wookiee For Christmas (When He Already Owns A Comb?) is generally agreed to be the cheesiest Christmas song of all time.
posted by ND¢ at 1:10 PM on November 28, 2006

Can't do retro-kitsch Christmas without The King, man. There's this one version of "Merry Christmas Baby" that's awesome and slow and really stoned and bluesy.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 1:31 PM on November 28, 2006

Papa Noel- Brenda Lee

And if you can find it, Jingle-O the Brownie by Tennessee Ernie Ford is the most whackadoodle retro Christmas song ever. Its got spaceships, magic eyes, and intense voyeurism.
posted by kimdog at 1:47 PM on November 28, 2006

If you're looking for kitsch, you really, really need these two Bing Crosby classics: Christmas in Killarney and Mele Kalikimaka. I still know all the lyrics to both, thanks to an ill-conceived grade-school Christmas musical. "That's the island greeting that we seeend to yoouuu/From the land where palm trees swaaaay..."
posted by paleography at 2:50 PM on November 28, 2006

Mele Kalikimaka!
posted by phrontist at 3:09 PM on November 28, 2006

I've never heard it, but it comes highly recommended from my #1 source of corny music:

A John Waters Christmas
posted by Cranialtorque at 3:22 PM on November 28, 2006

If you're willing to pony up a few bucks, Basic Hip Audio has a few really swingin' retro hip xmas albums with cover art on the site there.
posted by smallerdemon at 3:35 PM on November 28, 2006

Disney did an oh so corny version of The Twelve Days of Christmas that I loved when I was little (mid 80's). I'm not sure where you could get it, but it's worth hunting down.
posted by kjs4 at 4:00 PM on November 28, 2006

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus by the Jackson Five
Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto by James Brown
...and not retro, but allow me to put in a word for Mr. Hanky the Christmas Poo from South Park

How to get them? Buy them, or email me.
posted by Methylviolet at 4:12 PM on November 28, 2006

Petty Booka has a cute Christmas album ala ukulele. Very sweet. Very fun.
posted by dog food sugar at 4:14 PM on November 28, 2006

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Chipmunk Christmas Song.
posted by wryly at 6:08 PM on November 28, 2006

Huge Eartha fan here. I have a little-known sequel to Santa Baby, complaining that last year's stuff is shabby now and asking for all new stuff. It's pretty fun. Email me if you want it.


"Santa baby, that sable's really not in the pink,
Just think,
How I'd look in white mink....."
posted by CunningLinguist at 6:27 PM on November 28, 2006

"I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas"

I love that one.
posted by Cricket at 9:32 PM on November 28, 2006

I have some stuff that could work, but first I want to add a little disclaimer: Listening to this stuff gives me a non-ironic good time, and I listen to it with perfect sincerity. I understand YMMV.


"The Chipmunk Song" -- Alvin & the Chipmunks
"Christmas Island" -- the Andrews Sisters
"Need a Little Christmas Now" -- Angela Lansbury
"White Christmas" -- the Drifters (a 1954 release, it gained new life when used on the Home Alone soundtrack; most people will go "Where's that from?" for a few hours)
"Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" -- Elmo & Patsy (too obvious?)
"Blue Christmas" -- Elvis (other songs would work, too, and would be less familiar)
"J-I-N-G-L-E Bells" -- Sinatra (?)
"I Saw Mommy Kissin' Santa Claus" -- Jackson 5
"Please, Daddy (Don't Get Drunk This Christmas)" -- John Denver
anything at all -- John Denver & the Muppets
"Marshmallow World" -- Johnny Mathis
"Mary's Little Boy Child" -- the Lettermen (funniest for anyone who knows the Boney M version)
"The Hat I Got for Christmas Is Too Big" -- Mel Blanc (offensive content)
"All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" -- orig. Spike Jones; the Nat King Cole cover is also an option
"Sleigh Ride" -- New Christy Minstrels (not bad, just whoa-there perky)


The Beach Boys have a 26-track album, and I think almost every song would work for you. A lot of those tracks are radio spots (greetings, a PSA, radio IDs), which will be great for your sound bites -- but the songs ain't half-bad either. "Little Saint Nick," "Santa's Beard," "Santa's Airplane," the VO in "Child of Winter"...oh man. I also think their cover of "Mele Kalikimaka" works better than Bing's original -- I mean, the Beach Boys (according to their image) would have a reason (surfing) to want to be in Hawaii.

The Beatles did annual Christmas albums for fan-club members, and I think a lot of holiday greetings (etc.) were included.

I know a few Caroleers albums have been posted on FaLaLaLaLa, and you can pick almost anything from those -- just about all of the songs will be new to you. I'm thinking something like "I Want an Elephant for Christmas." Ditto for the Peppermint Kandy Kids -- "Peter and Penelope Penguin"?

You definitely need to include something from the soundtrack of the Rankin/Bass Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer -- and boy, do you have plenty of options. This is the claymation classic, terrifying pliers-loving elf and all. You might also want to take something from the Rankin-Bass Frosty the Snowman.

Nat King Cole's holiday greetings / intro to "The Christmas Song" are included on the 1999 compilation The Christmas Song.


Barry Manilow's "Happy Holiday" was recorded recently, but that's not obvious because he's been around for so long. I find the recording absolutely hilarious -- you don't doubt it'll be the classic Andy Williams version, but then, instead of Williams' suave voice owning the big first line, you get Barry, who has the demeanor of a very froufrou pop-eyed poodle about to pee from overexcitement. Every time it comes on shuffle, I splutter. (This is the one song on the list I don't genuinely enjoy -- you may have noticed. It's on here for my mother, I swear.)

Raffi's album is also too late, but I don't think that's too obvious -- and it should be worth exploring.

The Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping" barely doesn't fit (1981). Worth including? Maybe the Spice Girls cover?

The Wave Benders (bunch of studio musicians) semi-recently did a CD that's all surf-music-style Christmas carols. Most people will probably just assume it dates from when surf music was actually popular.
posted by booksandlibretti at 9:36 PM on November 28, 2006

Font: Kon Tiki Lounge. $49 and worth it.
posted by Typographica at 8:48 AM on December 1, 2006