The Man Hole Christmas Song Hall of Fame Inductee #31

 

Well, here we are, we've finally arrived to the last day of the year, so of course I feel the need to post a New Year's Eve song for number 31.  There is one song that up until the past few years really didn't catch my attention.  Seth MacFarlane changed all that the moment I heard his performance of this song:

 

 

Originally written in 1947 by Frank Loesser and recorded by The Orioles it reached number nine on the music charts which is the highest spot it has occupied.  It had been recorded by many different acts over the years and I have heard and liked the Harry Connick, Jr. version as well as Barry Manilow's rendition.  None of them really struck me as being Hall of Fame worthy but there's just something about this version that puts it over the top for me.  Enjoy yourselves tonight and have a safe New Year's Eve.

 

     

The Man Hole Christmas Song Hall of Fame Inductee #30

 

Johnny Marks was quite the song writer; specializing in Christmas songs.  Years after writing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, he would write this song which was then recorded by a very mature sounding 13 year old Brenda Lee.  The song was originally released in 1958 but did not receive much attention until two years later when Brenda Lee's career began to take off.

 

 

 

The song charted as high as number three in 1965, over seven years after it was released.  A perennial holiday favorite, Lee's version is the only version worthy of note and is currently ranked at number four on the list of all time selling Christmas song in the world. 

 

 

The Man Hole Christmas Song Hall of Fame Inductee #29

 

Originally written by Johnny Marks based on the 1939 story Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer published by the Montgomery Ward Company.  The song was recorded by Gene Autry, a famous singing cowboy of the 1940's, and released on September 1, 1949.  The song reached number one on the billboard charts and stayed there until the beginning of January making it the first number one song on the 1950's.  Autry's original version alone has sold over 12 million copies.   

 

  Counting all sales of all the cover versions of the song and it is the second best selling Christmas song of all time just behind White Christmas originally recorded by Bing Crosby.  I can remember being in the Christmas Choir back in middle school with (who I believe was) Mr. Fritch as the director.  We performed this song and I can recall how it was the first time I ever heard the extra lines added in (as in "like a light bulb" added in after the "you would even say it glows" line) to the song.  This song IS Christmas.

 

 

The Man Hole Christmas Song Hall of Fame Inductee #28

 

Released in 1981 as the B-side recording to My Kind Of Lover.  I was never much of a Billy Squire fan, I mean his songs were decent rock and roll dace songs but I never went crazy over any of them. 

 

 

 

It took this Christmas song to make me a fan.  This is just one of those songs that can really gets folks in the Christmas spirit and it is a great sing along song as well. 

 

 



The Man Hole Christmas Song Hall of Fame Inductee #27

 

Originally recorded under the pseudonym The Three Wise Men Thanks For Christmas is actually by New Wave Brit Pop band XTC.  The greatest success that XTC ever achieved in the states is with their two hits Dear Madam Barnum and The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead from their 1992 album Nunsuch.    

 

Thanks For Christmas was originally released as a double Christmas single with the B-side being Countdown To Christmas Party Time.  The songs would later be released on the collections of rare recording titled Rag and Bone Collection in 1990.  It's just one of those songs that I absolutely look forward to hearing as soon as the Thanksgiving dishes are cleaned and put away. 

 

 

BONUS Songs

 

After all the presents are unwrapped, the tinsel poop has been pulled out of the dogs butt, and all the relatives and in-laws have gone home, what's left?  Christmas leftovers that's what and there's even some leftovers here at The Man Hole.  What we present to you is a collection of songs that almost made the Hall of Fame but for one reason or another they missed it by that much.  So here, have some leftovers, I'll go get a container.

 

 

If it wasn't for Darlene Love and her yearly performance of this song on Letterman, U2 would have been a shoe in for the Hall of Fame.  Maybe next year. 

 

 

Same goes for this one by Bon Jovi.  The Eagle's version edged out Jon's version but just barely.  Now if it was the 80's Hair Hall of Fame, Jon's first ballot.
 

 Don't usually think of the beach when I think of Christmas.  A definite for next year.  What?  Next year?  No way I'm doing this AGAIN!!

 

And finally we have this classic song done by John Denver and the Muppets.  Love this version and years later after hearing about John Denver's weed habit, I thing he was high for this whole show!  Shout out to my favorite Muppet lover Mike Slawinski Jr.

The Man Hole Christmas Song Hall of Fame Inductee #26

 

Sometimes referred to as Bells Will Be Ringing this song was originally recorded in 1960 by Charles Brown a blues pianist and singer.  The Eagles recorded and released their version in 1978 where it peaked at number 18 on the Billboard charts.

 

 

The choice as to which version to induct went back and forth between this version and the 1992 Jon Bon Jovi version.  In a very close decision this is the version we decided upon. 

 

 



The Man Hole Christmas Song Hall of Fame Inductee #25

 

 Recorded in 1966 and released as a single, this song would be Elvis' last recording of a Christmas song.  Perhaps the best sentiment of all Christmas songs is that the feeling of Christmas staying in our hearts every day of the year. 

 

 

 

Growing up I was exposed to high doses of Elvis Presley by my Aunt Jane.  This is one of her favorite Christmas songs and as she is having a rough go of it this year I wanted to put this on here and dedicate it to her.  God knows she will never read this as the woman does not own a computer and has no intentions of ever owning one but it's more important that all of you reading this know why this song is on the list and how important she is to me.

Merry Christmas

 

 

 



The Man Hole Christmas Song Hall of Fame Inductee #24

 

Written by George Michael, Last Christmas was released in 1984 back when he was still in Wham!.  The song charted at number two only being outdone by Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas.  Wham! would go on to donate all of the monies they received for the Christmas release to the famine relief fund as well.  Last Christmas holds the record for being the song that has sold the most copies but never made it to number one on the charts. 

 

The video for the song marks the last time a clean shaved George Michael would appear in a video.  The next video the group released was for Everything She Wants and he was already sporting his soon-to-be trademark beard.  

The Man Hole Christmas Song Hall of Fame Inductee #23

 

Sometimes Christmas magic comes to us in weird ways.  In 1977 David Bowie was trying to "normalize" his career and only appeared on the holiday TV special because his mother liked Bing Crosby.  The writer of the Peace on Earth half of the song Ian Fraser said it was never clear if Crosby knew who Bowie was either.  "If Bing didn't know him, his kids certainly did.". 

 

 

 

The Piece on Earth part was written for the performance because David Bowie hated the Little Drummer Boy and requested to sing something else.  Even though Crosby was oblivious to what was going on and Bowie was ignorant to how big of a pain in the butt he was being this performance resulted in a duet that became an instant classic.  Sadly Bing Crosby died five weeks after the recording of the Christmas special which aired in the states on November 30, 1977. 

 

The Man Hole Christmas Song Hall of Fame Inductee #22

 

I mentioned in a previous post that I have seen Elton John in concert more than any other musical act so you just had to expect a Christmas song by Sir Elton would appear sooner or later.  But it might not be the one you expected.  Step Into Christmas is the song that gets all the air play on radio stations around the holidays.  Which is fine, I like Step Into Christmas alright but it's not his best Christmas song.  This is:

 

 

Originally recorded and released as the B-Side to Step Into Christmas in 1973 it was always the one I listened to instead since I hear the A-side enough on radio, in stores, on TV etc.