Comments on: Help me complete my groovy retro-kitsch Xmas CD

Question: Help me complete my groovy retro-kitsch Xmas CD

mattholomew — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 11:21:57 -0800

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)

By: k8t

k8t — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 11:25:43 -0800

XMRadio has a wacky station called Special XMas that plays this sort of stuff... maybe a playlist exists online?

By: Gungho

Gungho — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 11:32:53 -0800

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.

By: Otis

Otis — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 11:48:35 -0800

Fa La La La La
Bongobells
Christmas A Go Go
A Chirstmas Yuleblog

By: chr1sb0y

chr1sb0y — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:33:17 -0800

'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.

By: ND¢

ND¢ — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 13:10:10 -0800

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.

By: ROU_Xenophobe

ROU_Xenophobe — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 13:31:22 -0800

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.

By: kimdog

kimdog — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 13:47:25 -0800

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.

By: paleography

paleography — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 14:50:38 -0800

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..."

By: phrontist

phrontist — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 15:09:20 -0800

Mele Kalikimaka!

By: Cranialtorque

Cranialtorque — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 15:22:27 -0800

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

A John Waters Christmas

By: smallerdemon

smallerdemon — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 15:35:03 -0800

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.

By: kjs4

kjs4 — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:00:15 -0800

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.

By: Methylviolet

Methylviolet — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:12:36 -0800

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.

By: dog food sugar

dog food sugar — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:14:52 -0800

Petty Booka has a cute Christmas album ala ukulele. Very sweet. Very fun.

By: wryly

wryly — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 18:08:37 -0800

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Chipmunk Christmas Song.

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 18:27:43 -0800

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....."

By: Cricket

Cricket — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 21:32:58 -0800

"I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas"

I love that one.

By: booksandlibretti

booksandlibretti — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 21:36:47 -0800

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.

By: Typographica

Typographica — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 08:48:50 -0800

Font: Kon Tiki Lounge. $49 and worth it.