Yes, I am starting the vocal countdown, albeit late in the day, with Celine Dion. One could argue that she has one of the greatest and most powerful voices in the world, but you may not expect Celine Dion to show up on a grown-man's Christmas favorites playlist. I'd be surprised. However, her presence on this countdown is simply because of my exposure to her music years ago.
As with most people, the music they grow up with has a large influence on what artists and styles of music they enjoy as adults. Not surprisingly, that fact has had a large influence on the songs I chose for these two playlists. For me, during the Christmas season, a familiar sound in our house was Celine Dion's 1998 Christmas album These Are Special Times (the #1-selling Christmas album that year). My mom played that album every following year during the Christmas season and often as she would decorate the house for Christmas. The songs on that album, apart from being unmistakably Christmas music, became even more synonymous with Christmas for me.
Hearing the songs from that album today still reminds me of those Christmases at home, when life had less responsibility and the unbridled wonder of Christmas as a child was not as many years removed. There were many great songs from that album, but the one that stuck in my memory the most and never faded away from radio stations these 13 years later, was "Don't Save It All For Christmas Day". And that is why Celine Dion made it on the this guy's Christmas favorites playlist. :)
As I mentioned in my introductory post yesterday, I had little control over what the videos for these songs would be. I admit this video is particularly cheesy, not to mention lip-synced. And I expected more from Celine and her powerhouse of a voice. C'mon man! Even still, I maintain my masculinity and nostalgically present...
Celine Dion - Don't Save It All For Christmas Day
Jesse's top 12 favorite Christmas songs (vocal)
1-
2-
3-
4-
5-
6-
7-
8-
9-
10-
11-
12- Celine Dion - Don't Save It All For Christmas Day
There are many versions, vocal and instrumental, of the classic Christmas song "Sleigh Ride". However, there is one version that reminds me the most of an annual Christmas event during my childhood. I attended a K-12 grade school, where singing in the choir was required through the 8th grade. While I did not particularly enjoy choir, there was still something special about the annual Christmas programs as a young child.
The excitement of the Christmas programs that began as a child eventually wore off in those last few years during middle school. But one thing about those programs that never seemed to change was the opening instrumental music that the entire school choir would enter the auditorium to. That song was "Sleigh Ride" and it was most likely the version by the Boston Pops Orchestra, who are known world-wide for numerous movie soundtracks and Christmas albums.
The video below is of Shaquille O'Neal, "conducting" the Boston Pops Orchestra as they play this Christmas classic. This particular video is not the instrumental version, but I couldn't pass up using this unique video of the song. Shaq's presence at the podium makes for a more casual presentation of the song, but it is still a timeless Christmas tune...and at least it isn't as cheesy as Celine's video above.
The excitement of the Christmas programs that began as a child eventually wore off in those last few years during middle school. But one thing about those programs that never seemed to change was the opening instrumental music that the entire school choir would enter the auditorium to. That song was "Sleigh Ride" and it was most likely the version by the Boston Pops Orchestra, who are known world-wide for numerous movie soundtracks and Christmas albums.
The video below is of Shaquille O'Neal, "conducting" the Boston Pops Orchestra as they play this Christmas classic. This particular video is not the instrumental version, but I couldn't pass up using this unique video of the song. Shaq's presence at the podium makes for a more casual presentation of the song, but it is still a timeless Christmas tune...and at least it isn't as cheesy as Celine's video above.
1-
2-
3-
4-
5-
6-
7-
8-
9-
10-
11-
12- Boston Pops Orchestra - Sleigh Ride
0 comments:
Post a Comment