MANSFIELD — On Saturday, I authored a column listing some of my favorite Christmas songs, and asked our readers to share those that meant something special to them.
By Saturday night, we had enough responses for another column.
“It’s not Christmas if I don’t listen to Nat King Cole, especially ‘The Christmas Song,’ over and over again,” noted Kathy Thrush Schultheis, of Lexington.
P. Christopher Wilging seconded that thought.
“It’s probably way too obvious, and frankly it may not even be my absolute favorite, but ‘The Christmas Song’ from Nat King Cole always takes me immediately back to our store when I was young and ‘A Nat King Cole Christmas’ 8-track played on a loop,” Wilging shared.
“To my young eyes the bustle of our store on the days leading up to Christmas was something totally different than what I experience first-hand now, and that in itself is something I think that makes holiday memories.
“The way a thought lives in your head vs. the reality of it today when you experience the exact same memory in real time.”
Nauri Hg noted the unique 1977 duet between Bing Crosby and David Bowie, in Crosby’s final TV appearance. It was the first time the two ever met, and they collaborated for this memorable rendition of “The Little Drummer Boy.”
“Absolute favorite. Heard it first on the special, years later it was also my son’s favorite,” Hg said. “I was watching with Mom and Dad. Seeing that rock-and-roll guy with Bing Crosby! On the same show! A Christmas show on TV with a rock-and-roll guy!
“And then they sing and I saw my parents warm up to it and smile. Pure joy.”
Mansfield’s Jennifer Kime shared three of her keepers: “In The Bleak Midwinter,” “Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant,” and “Coventry Carol.“
“For all three my favorite versions are Annie Lennox from her Christmas Cornucopia Album,” Kime said. “This year the Cleveland Symphony played Coventry Carol and last year they played ‘In The Bleak Midwinter’ which was a huge treat for me! Mark (Kime) says I love melancholy Christmas and I think he’s right!
“Another of my favorite Christmas albums is Leslie Odom Jr. — some beautiful songs like Heaven & Earth!”
Doug Jenkins had a number of suggestions, but he started with The King.
“Anything by Elvis is always great! ‘Mistress for Christmas‘ by AC/DC and ‘Santa’s Going South‘ by Sammy Hagar/Toby Keith are good too!” Jenkins said. “‘Because It’s Christmas‘ by Barry Manilow is a good one.”
Reader David Kauf wanted to mention John Lennon’s “(Happy Christmas) War is Over.”
B.A. Owens favors “‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing‘ – because of its meaning and the movie ‘Its a Wonderful Life.’ I can’t sing it without crying,” Owens noted.
Mansfield’s Matt Appleby said his list is “all over the map,” but he’s partial to Darlene Love’s version of “Christmas, Baby Please Come Home,” linked here when it was performed live on the David Letterman show.
“I tend to lean toward the melancholy like The Carpenters “Merry Christmas, Darling,” Appleby said. “Over 40 years ago I became fully entrenched in country music and through the years added to my list of favorites with Dolly Parton’s “Hard Candy Christmas,” Alabama’s “Christmas in Dixie” and The Oak Ridge Boys “Thank God For Kids.”
“Ultimately, it was hearing Kathy Mattea sing ‘Mary, Did You Know?’ live at The Renaissance that solidified its spot at the top of my Christmas list,” he said.
A number of readers pointed to this tune as their holiday favorite.
Dawn Brown nominated “Mary, Did You Know?” too, with the Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Judd rendition probably the most famous.
Sonna Spears also mentioned this song, but preferred the Pentatonix version.
Elizabeth Markoff put a vote in for “Angels We Have Heard on High.” Linked here is Josh Groban singing that holiday classic.
” ‘(Christmas Wrapping)’ is one of my favorite Christmas songs, but I rarely ever hear it,” said Eileen Dempsey Scahill.
My wife Laura was introduced to the Perry Como’ tune “Turn Around” shortly after we were married, and 27 years later it still resonates with her.
“One of my favorites, but also breaks my heart. Hits close to home,” Laura said.
Ed and Lori Romshe pointed us to The Brian Setzer Orchestra’s take on “Hey, Santa.”
I was particularly intrigued by anyone who could direct me toward a song I had never heard. Sherry Carper Neuhardt did just that with “Born in Bethlehem” by Third Day.
“(‘Snowfall,’ by Tony Bennett) is my favorite! Has been since I was young,” Sonni Piper stated.
“It’s not my favorite, maybe, but one of them is ‘Gabriel’s Message‘ from Sting,” said my uncle, Tim Ghezzi, of Dennison.
My aunt Marilyn Dotto liked “Joseph’s Song,” by Michael Card.
“I had never heard this song until today,” she said. “Thank you, Larry, for including this in your article.”
Reader Stan Culler picked “Joseph’s Lullaby” from Mercy Me.
Former News Journal colleague Melissa Ramaley had four suggestions: “Fairytale of New York,” the Pogues; the satirical “Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire,” Bob Rivers; “Christmas Can-Can,” Straight No Chaser; and “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas,” Gayla Peevy.
Frankly, Richland Source Head of Product chief Zac Hiser’s young daughter has voiced the best version of “I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas” that I’ve heard. Still, Zac and his wife Jessica have put their foot down on the beast finding its way under their tree this year.
Doug Edwards had a couple of songs that convey a special meaning for him.
“It’s a tie between ‘The Christmas Song‘ and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” said Doug Edwards. “The first, it was my favorite as a young boy and into my single years, then my young married years.
“The second because as our parents grew older & our grandparents passed the lyrics had a special meeting.”
If you’ve made it this far into the column, I’m going to give you three more songs I rarely if ever hear on the radio that should be holiday staples:
“Christmas Must Be Tonight,” by The Band, simply dazzles me.
“Invisible” by Zara Larsson. It plays over the closing credits in the Netflix movie Klaus, and it’s outstanding.
“Aspenglow” by John Denver. This was released on his Rocky Mountain Christmas album in the mid 1970s.
We want to wish all of our readers a very Merry Christmas!