Paul Adams: Listening Theme - Christmas Music Marathon 2011

Listening Theme – Christmas Music Marathon 2011
by Paul Adams on Friday, December 2, 2011 at 1:41pm

Seasons greetings one and all,

Well folks, it’s December so it’s that time of the year when sheer stupidity takes over and I undertake my annual Christmas Music Marathon.

It started 2 years ago when I set myself the daunting challenge of listening to 100 different recordings of Irving Berlin’s Holiday classic “White Christmas” (don’t ask why, it seemed a good idea at the time) and I did it – http://bit.ly/svJwPR Last year I chose “Winter Wonderland” and managed 60 versions – http://bit.ly/rpN5Uj

This years choice is Mel Torme’s “The Christmas Song” (Chestnuts roasting on an open fire… etc.). If you know of any notable recordings please let me know and I’ll listen to as many as I can between now and Christmas Day. I’m looking for established, well known artists, not just someone sitting at home in their bedroom with a guitar on YouTube.

Having said that, if YOU want to sit at home in your bedroom (or recording studio) with a guitar and record a version just for me, I’d be most grateful and I’ll include you amongst the likes of Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Justin Beiber (damn!, I may have just put you off the idea). For the past two years Chris LeRoy has recorded special versions for us – will he take up the challenge this year? we’ll have to wait and see