On the Right Side of Christmas 2011

It's a little late coming (hey, I was travelling for Thanksgiving), but here's my annual Christmas music compilation (you can still download 2010 and 2009, btw).

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Merry Christmas Baby Otis Redding

No More Pretty Presents Rod Piazza And The Mighty Flyers

Don't Believe In Christmas The Sonics

Come All Ye Faithful Surfer Girls The Chevelles

Rudolph The Manic Reindeer Los Lobos

Xmas Curtain My Morning Jacket

Maybe this Christmas Ron Sexsmith

Old Toy Trains Roger Miller

Gonna Wrap My Heart In Ribbons Hank Thompson

The Christmas Song Jose Feliciano

Perfect Gift Natalie Hemby

Got Something for You Best Coast and Wavves

What Christmas Means To Me Stevie Wonder

Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers The Crystals

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus Eddie Dunstedter

All I Want For Christmas Is You Mandy Barnett

I Wish You A Merry Christmas Big Dee Irwin

The Holy Babe Mahalia Jackson

Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern) Miles Davis

Carol of the Bells The Bird and the Bee

Christmasey Brian Wilson

Christmas Means Love Sam Cooke

Christmas In Harlem (ft. CyHi Da Prynce) Kanye West

Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday The Sweet Inspirations

More Mark Eitzel and George Jones

Hopefully, the first Mark Eitzel-George Jones comp didn't make folks too morose, because here's Volume Two.

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I'm Just Blue Enough George Jones

The Boy With the Hammer in the Paper Bag Mark Eitzel

Cleopatra Jones Mark Eitzel

4033 George Jones

Hello Amsterdam American Music Club

The King Is Gone George Jones

I Broke My Promise American Music Club

Who Will I Be Loving Now George Jones

Diary of My Mind George Jones

Take Courage Mark Eitzel

We Loved It Away George Jones

The Decibels and the Little Pills American Music Club

Then It Really Happens Mark Eitzel

Tomorrow Never Comes George Jones

Everything Is Beautiful Mark Eitzel

Mark Eitzel and George Jones: The Kings of Broken Hearts

When I saw Jim Lauderdale open up for Lucinda Williams back in 1998 (he was also singing backup vocals for Lu), he played the song King of Broken Hearts (from his very fine debut Planet of Love). I can't remember if he said it wrote it as an homage to George Jones or if he wrote it with the intention of George Jones covering it. Either way, I thought of the song when I was putting tonight's Mark Eitzel - George Jones comp. Now Mr. Eitzel may not be quite the king of broken hearts that Mr. Jones is, but I think he'd put up a pretty good fight. :) I'll post Volume two next week.

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How Many Six Packs Does it Take to Screw in a Light Bulb American Music Club

I Just Don't Like This Kind Of Livin' George Jones

You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave) George Jones

Queen Of No One Mark Eitzel

Big Fool Of The Year George Jones

Sleeping Beauty Mark Eitzel

She Knows What She's Crying About George Jones

What Holds the World Together American Music Club

I've Been A Mess American Music Club

I'm A Fool For Loving Her George Jones

Live Or Die Mark Eitzel

Wine (You've Used Me Long Enough) George Jones

I'm All She's Got George Jones

What The Pillar Of Salt Held Up American Music Club

Things Have Gone to Pieces George Jones

Gladys Knight and the Pips: Everybody Needs Love/ If I Was Your Woman

Back in 1977, Richard Pryor hosted his own comedy-variety show on NBC. It only lasted for four episodes, in large part because it was up against Happy Days (or maybe it was Laverne and Shirley). And it even if it hadn't been, it's kind of doubtful Pryor would have wanted to do it for much longer since he wasn't too crazy about NBC's censors. Anyway, on one of the shows, the skit has the Pips singing backup sans Gladys Knight - i.e., the joke is that you have this silence in between brief bits of harmonizing by the Pips. And no, the execution wasn't much funnier than it sounds. :)

I invoke this brief moment of popular culture only because I think that Gladys Knight probably would be remembered more fondly if her backing band hadn't been named the Pips. No offense to any of the Pips (who were good backup singers), but the name, well, I just think it ultimately diminished her status as a soul singer. Which is too bad, because as you can hear from the two out of print albums posted (it was a twofer cd put out by Motown in the early years of cds before they realized they could sell their old stuff as single albums), she has a darn fine emotive style.

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Everybody Needs Love

I'll Be Standing By

Since I've Lost You

I Heard It Through The Grapevine

You Don't Love Me No More

Ain't No Sun Since You've Been Gone

Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me

He's My Kind Of Fellow

Yes, I'm Ready

My Bed Of Thorns

Do You Love Me Just A Little Honey

Just Walk In My Shoes

If I Were Your Woman

Feeling Alright

One Less Bell To Answer

Let It Be

I Don't Want To Do Wrong

One Step Away

Here I Am Again

How Can You Say That Ain't Love

Is There A Place (In His Heart For Me)

Everybody Is A Star

Signed Gladys

Your Love's Been Good For Me