Personal Picks Episode Twelve - Must Be Christmas

 

(Art by Ruairí Coleman) 

The nights are getting longer.

The Toy Show has been and gone.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

It is time for my personal picks.

Welcome to our festive edition of Personal Picks. I decided to do it this week to give people a chance to try the songs out. I think it is a nice mix of famous artists and novelty picks. I discovered that a lot of artists I enjoy have Christmas songs / albums. There's also some that feel quite random. Here's ten Christmas albums you may or may not know exist:

• Elvis' Christmas Album - Elvis Presley (1957)
• Christmas Album - Jackson 5 (1970)
• Once Upon A Christmas - Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers (1984)
• Happy Christmas - Boney M. (1991)
• Snowed In - Hanson (1997)
• Songs For Christmas - Sufjan Stevens (2006)
• Christmas In The Heart - Bob Dylan (2009)
• Imagene Peise - Atlas Eets Christmas - Flaming Lips (2014)
• Kylie Christmas - Kylie Minogue (2015)
• Happy Xmas - Eric Clapton (2018)

Dylan's album has been on my list for years but I have now have new favourite songs that include performances from Angela Lansbury, Dolly Parton and Cyndi Lauper. Well here's the songs I picked:

(You can check out this playlist on Spotify).

1. Hey Guys! It's Christmas Time! - Sufjan Stevens

2. White Christmas - Eric Clapton

3. We Need A Little Christmas - Angela Lansbury, Donald Pippin, Frankie Michaels, Jane Connell, Sab Shimono

4. Hard Candy Christmas - Dolly Parton

5. Little Drummer - The Jackson 5

6. A Christmas Duel - The Hives, Cyndi Lauper

7. Christmas In Heaven - Monty Python

8. Christmas Tree - Dustin

9. Merry Christmas Baby - Bruce Springsteen, The E Street Band

10. Must Be Santa - Bob Dylan

I'm off to eat something healthy ahead of my annual feast. Here's some festive flicks to watch.

Recommended reading: Hmmm dig out a comic book annual

Recommended viewing: Home Alone, Miracle On 34th Street, Santa Claus: The Move