Readers Pick Their Own Christmas Song Faves

Quite a group, from the sacred to the sexy, with Sheryl Crow, the Kinks, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Woody Guthrie, Tom Petty, Clarence Carter, The Eurythmics, The Pretenders, The Band, and more.

Greg Mitchell is the author of a dozen books, including “Hiroshima in America,” “Atomic Cover-up,” and the recent award-winning “The Beginning or the End: How Hollywood—and America—Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.” He has directed three documentary films since 2021 for PBS (including “Atomic Cover-up”) . He was #2 editor at the legendary Crawdaddy during the 1970s. You can subscribe to this newsletter for free.

After posting a few of my favorite Christmas songs over the weekend, I asked for your picks and here’s some of what rolled in. I may do another edition if more such gifts arrive via Comments or email….Some familiar tunes but many not known even to me. Enjoy, if these spirits move you!

From 1968 and Bob Marley and the Wailers, quite obscure, “Sound the Trumpet.”

A little more sexy, selected by my old Crawdaddy colleague, Peter Knobler: Albert King, “Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin’

Even more so, Clarence Carter’s funky “Back Door Santa,” picked by Joe Farmer

In a different mood, The Eurythmics, “Winter Wonderland,” via David Stone

The Band, “Christmas Must Be Tonight,” from oft-overlooked final album, selected by Long Live the ABB

The Pretenders, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” picked by Orin Domenico

Give yourself 3 1/2 minutes and appreciate the genius of Woody Guthrie as he spins out his classic “1913 Massacre.”

The late Dwight Twilley in true Tulsa Twilley mode, “Christmas Night,” picked by Kevin Dunn

The Kinks’ hit, “Father Christmas,” proposed by “Warren”

A truly haunting rendition by Ms. Sam Phillips, “Cold Dark Night,” don’t miss it, thanks to Tom Hilton

Tom Petty live with “Christmas All Over Again.”

Ringo, who might be Father Christmas by now, with 1999’s “Come on Christmas, Christmas Come On,” thanks to Jeff Manghera.

Mike Finnigan, “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” picked by Libby Spencer

Carpenter Ants, a rocking “Go Where I Send Thee,” via Nancy Alenier

Sheryl Crow in fine form live with “Merry Christmas, Baby”

From Seth Gordon of the band The Mockers—submitting his own group’s power pop “(There’s No War on Christmas) When Christmas Is In Your Heart”

As We Hope for Peace Today