The Gems - Love For Christmas

Oh how I love the song Love For Christmas by The Gems. The Gems was a Chicago-based group from the early 1960s and featured a very young Minnie Riperton. Minnie went on to have a number one hit with Lovin' You in 1974. The Gems were on the Chess Records label, started by a couple of Polish immigrant brothers with the last name of Chess. Go figure. Love For Christmas was written by Raynard Miner, who also wrote the Jackie Wilson hit (You're Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher.

 All that said, Love For Christmas is a terrific holiday song.

 You can buy the song on iTunes here.

 Get it at Amazon here.
 

The Raveonettes - The Christmas Song

I really dig The Christmas Song by the Danish band The Raveonettes.

This is such a great song. I don't have much to say about this song other than it's lovely and should be on your playlist.

Get it at iTunes here.

Get it at Amazon right below.
 

The Beginning of the End - Gee Whiz, It's Christmas

What's Christmas without a Christmas song with a Junkanoo beat? Exactly. So here's Gee Whiz, It's Christmas by The Beginning of the End. The Beginning of the End was a band from Nassau, Bahamas.

They formed in 1969, released their Funky Nassau album in 1971, hit number 15 in the Billboard Top 100 Chart, and then abruptly dropped out of sight. But this version of Gee Whiz, It's Christmas is the one that rings my bell.

Buy it on iTunes here.

The Pogues - Fairytale of New York

While a lot of popular Christmas songs are about presents, family, and various snow-related activities, Fairytale of New York by the Pogues is about an alcoholic sleeping off a binge in a drunk tank. And how about these lyrics to warm your cockles:

You're a bum 

You're a punk

You're an old slut on junk

Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed

You Scumbag, you Maggot

You cheap lousy faggot

Happy christmas your ass

I pray God it’s our last

This song definitely puts the "Merry" in "Merry Christmas." But here's the thing: it's an awesome song. It's been covered by a bunch of artists and the song has consistently been on various "Greatest Christmas Songs of All-Time" lists in the UK. Figures the UK would put a song about a alcoholism and drug addiction in the number one spot. But I have to agree with them. This song is wonderful.

 Buy the song on iTunes here.

Sufjan Stevens - Christmas in the Room

Let's face it, Christmas is a time for bittersweet songs. For every kiss stolen under the mistletoe, there's grief from the memory of family and friends no longer with us. Christmas in the Room captures the bittersweetness of the holidays and life. But the song by Sufjan Stevens (He has a brother named Marzuki. What up with those names?) hits on what's really important: being together. No gifts. No crap. Just the joy of being together.


Buy the song at iTunes here.

Buy it at Amazon by clicking below.