December 11, 2004
A John Waters Christmas

Tired of the same old Christmas songs every year? Looking for something new and unusual? John Waters has the CD for you.


"I've always loved Christmas albums. I collect them," Waters said during a phone interview from his home in Baltimore. "Really, this was just an excuse to find some of the Christmas songs I love the most. And these are songs that are completely out of print and hard to find, legally even."

Take, for instance, Santa Claus Is a Black Man. Waters hunted high and low for a copy of the funky song, credited to "Akim & the Teddy Van Production Company." Waters' staff had to hunt down the writer and the publisher of the track, as well as a usable recording of it.

"I ended up bidding on a 45 of Santa Claus Is a Black Man on eBay," said Waters. "At times, it was like a snipe hunt. We literally found some of these people in retirement communities."


Intrigued? John Nova Lomax has more on the A John Waters Christmas CD and a couple of other offerings to check out.

What's your favorite Christmas CD? My four standards are A Christmas Spanking by (who else?) the Asylum Street Spankers, Christmas Caravan by the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Merry Texas Christmas, Y'all by Asleep At The Wheel, and the soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on December 11, 2004 to Music | TrackBack
Comments

Personally, I'll stick with Mojo Nixon and the Toadliquors "Horny Holidays". After hearing "The Night Before Christmas" on the album, the story took on a whole new meaning.

Also, for a realistic Christmas song, try Dwight Yoakam's "Santa Couldn't Stay" or the Pogues "Christmas in New York". These two songs truly capture the holiday spirit for me.

Posted by: William Hughes on December 11, 2004 11:44 AM

OK, I'll be the boring one here: "O Come All Ye Faithful" from the Choir of King's College, Cambridge is hands-down my all-time favorite Christmas album. I just have to hear the soprano start, "Once in Royal David's City," and I'm taken back to Trinity's Vespers service, in the darkened chapel with candles all around. Shivers.

I also like The Blenders' "When It Snows." And that's the closest I'll ever come to recommending a boy-band album.

(I've also got Rhino's "Hipster's Holiday," which I love parts of. Eartha Kitt's "Santa Baby" kicks Madonna's version's ass out on the street and locks the door.)

Posted by: CrispyShot on December 12, 2004 11:24 AM

If I only had one Christmas album to listen to for the rest of my life, it would be It's Christmas, Man by Brave Combo.

Posted by: Retrogrouch on December 13, 2004 10:03 AM