Irving Berlin’s beloved Christmas classic was first introduced in the 1942 film HOLIDAY INN, starring Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds, and Virginia Dale. Bing and Marjorie (dubbed by radio singer Martha Mears) croon the perennial yuletide tune by the fire, which forever became associated with Crosby. Though many have covered it, nobody sings “White Christmas” like Bing! Enjoy “White Christmas”, and Merry Christmas to all!:
Around the time he was making SPIDER BABY, horror movie icon Lon Chaney Jr. recorded “Monster Holiday”, a cover of Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s yuletide follow up to “The Monster Mash”. Chaney’s certainly no Bing Crosby, but he sounds like he’s having a lot of fun! Backed by LA session musicians The Wrecking Crew, enjoy Lon croaking “Monster Holiday”!:
1964’s SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS ranks up there with the all-time greatest films, alongside giants like Ford, Welles, Kubrick, Hitchcock… okay, so that’s not entirely true. The low-budget kiddie movie consistently ranks among the worst films ever made, though I kinda like it myself! And I absolutely LOVE the title theme written by Milton DeLugg, “Hooray for Santa Claus”, though I still can’t figure out why the kid chorus sings it as ‘Santy’, not Santa. Oh well, enjoy this classic slice of Christmas cheese:
Judy Garland introduced the world to the Hugh Martin/Ralph Blane classic “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” in the 1944 film MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, directed by her then-husband Vincente Minnelli. There have been countless cover versions over the decades, but no one does the tune quite like Judy! Bask in the glow of her warm voice and enjoy!:
Like yesterday’s “Green Chri$tma$”, “Santa Claus and His Old Lady” isn’t technically a ‘Christmas song’. Instead, it’s a far-out piece of comedy as Cheech Marin explains to Tommy Chong all about Santa Claus… and his “magic dust”. From 1971, enjoy America’s favorite stoner duo doing “Santa Claus and His Old Lady”, man!:
Boston’s Dropkick Murphys are an Irish punk-rock band whose foot-stompin’, hell-raisin’ concerts are always a rowdy good time! Their 2013 release “Signed and Sealed in Blood” features the holiday tune “The Season’s Upon Us”, celebrating a typical family Christmas, South Shore style. If you’ve never heard them, you’re in for a treat! Enjoy, and Nollaig Shona!:
The holiday classic “Silver Bells” by songwriters Jay Livingston & Ray Evans has been covered by everyone from Dean Martin to Perry Como, The Supremes to Bob Dylan, Blake Shelton to Sarah McLachlan, but it made it’s debut in the 1951 film THE LEMON DROP KID, starring Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell. See how many Familiar Faces you can spot as Bob and Marilyn stroll down the snowy New York street and introduce the world to “Silver Bells”!:
Dee Snider and his band released “A Twisted Christmas” in 2006, a heavy metal rendering of Christmas classics. The best of the bunch is “O Come All Ye Faithful”, using riffs from their hit “We’re Not Gonna Take It” to rock the traditional holiday hymn. There’s even an official video, and here it is! Enjoy “O Come All Ye Faithful”… and rock on, Dee!:
Florida rockers The Royal Guardsmen soared up the charts like a Sopwith Camel with their 1966 hit “Snoopy Vs The Red Baron”. A year later, the band released ‘Snoopy’s Christmas”, a holiday follow-up featuring everyone’s favorite WWI flying ace and his arch enemy The Red Baron calling a yuletide truce on Christmas Eve. The song went to #1 on Billboard’s Christmas specialty charts, and still gets airplay around this time of year! Enjoy “Snoopy’s Christmas”!:
Through the Shattered Lens 