To Parody or Not To Parody: "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

When I heard Straight, No Chaser’s version of “12 Days of Christmas” on the radio, I wondered if it would make sense to anyone who had not seen the video.

I love how this a capella groups takes a fairly monotonous song (admit it, you were ready for it to end at 5 golden rings) and segues to “Carol of the Bells” and, finally Toto’s “Africa.” (By the way, “Africa” is available on Freegal.)

Sadly, Straight No Chaser does not have any songs on Freegal. But Freegal does have all kinds of versions.

If you want something traditional, look for Andy Williams, Bing Crosby, Andrews Sister, Perry Como, Burl Ives, or Ray Conniff.

If you want something a little different, you can look for Destiny’s Child, who for some reason cuts the days down in “8 Days of Christmas.”

 This song seems especially susceptible to being toyed around with. (You know that if anyone wants to do a spoof, this is the easiest one.) If you want a punk version, look for a group called Splodge. If you want a hip-hop version, look for Hip-Hop Kids (their album is titled Yo, It’s Christmas.)

And if you wanted it twisted, Twisted Sister has a version, too. Enjoy.

“Oh, the weather outside is frightful”: “Let It Snow” by Glee

Photo: Pollo

This nod to sitting smugly by the fire while the tempest rages outside was penned back in 1945. It was a modern song, mentioning newfangled things like popping corn. (Funny, I thought the Native Americans did it way back.)

Today, in Denver, the snow is falling (finally! –the first we’ve had this year), and it is nice to be sitting inside cozy and warm, though we are making scones instead of popping corn.
Glee has a jazzy version on Freegal.

When it comes to other versions, the question is who doesn’t have a version out. There are over a dozen pages of artists; here is just a sampling:  Johnny Mathis, Doris Day, Harry Connick, Jr., Frank Sinatra, Wynton Marsalis, Andy Williams, Bing Crosby, Jessica Simpson, Kenny G., and Dean Martin. If you are in a country mood, you can listen to Martina McBride, Tanya Tucker, or Austin band Asleep at the Wheel.

If you are in a really different sort of mood, you can listen to the Christmas Jug Band (they whistle the tune—reminds me of the Andy Griffith theme), or you can hear it sung in Polish by Moje Vanoce.

I came across a music box version by Mic Musicbox that I like. It sounds different from all the others.

“It’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together…”: “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson

Photo: Declan Jewell

"Sleigh Ride" has just seemed like one of those songs that is always around during the Christmas season, and no wonder since year after year it is the most-played song on the radio, according to ASCAP.

It was written by Leroy Anderson, he of the songs that feature creative sound effects. My parents had an album of The Boston Pops performing a Leroy Anderson fun fest, and there were songs with typewriters and chickens, and such.

You can find about any style you'd like in Freegal. In addition to traditional orchestra versions, you can find renditions by Johnny Mathis, Ray Conniff, Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick, Jr., Neil Diamond, Mitch Miller, Andy Williams, George Shearing, Clay Aiken, Duke Ellington, Henry Mancini, Columba Minstrals (Celtic), Nashville Superpickers, and Kenny G.
I prefer the orchestral versions by Arthur Fiedler or Christmas Strings.