Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Toronto Mike'd #59

Episode Date: December 13, 2013

Mike plays his 10 favourite Christmas songs and shares a little story about each performance.

The holiday season is upon us, and I thought I'd do something completely different for this episode of Toronto Mic'd. I'm going to share 10 of my favourite Christmas and holiday songs, and share a story or two about the recording. I'm going to open with my favorite rendition of the excellent O Holy Night. I enjoy Aaron Sorkin's work, loved Sports Night and the West Wing, so I tuned in to watch Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. In December 2006, this short-lived series aired The Christmas Show. Allow me to read the description of The Christmas Show. When Danny discovers that band members from various TV shows intend to call in sick in an effort to help musicians who have been homeless since Hurricane Katrina, who have been homeless since Hurricane Katrina,

he takes the opportunity to create an entire band from New Orleans musicians who play a centerpiece on the show. The band, known as Tipitina's Foundation, played this. um © BF-WATCH TV 2021 © BF-WATCH TV 2021 ¶¶ I'm not ashamed to admit that my first exposure to James Brown was Rocky IV, when he performed Living in America. Since then, I've rediscovered the great James Brown, including A Soulful Christmas, released in 1968. I always enjoy the gritty social consciousness of this track from that album. Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto.

Santa Claus goes straight to the ghetto Hitch up your reindeer Goes straight to the ghetto Santa Claus Goes straight to the ghetto Fill every stocking you find The kids are gonna love you so Leave a toy for Johnny

Leave a doll for Mary Leave something pretty for Donnie And don't forget about Gary Santa Claus Well, darn it, and don't forget about Gary. Santa Claus goes straight to the ghetto. Santa Claus goes straight to the ghetto. Tell him James Brown sent you. Goes straight to the ghetto. You know that i know what you will see because that was once me

hit it hit it you'll see mothers and soul brothers And so, brother Santa Claus Goes straight to the ghetto Santa Claus Oh, Lord Goes straight to the ghetto Fill every stockin' you find The kids are gonna love you so Fill every stocking you find The kids are gonna love you so Fill every stocking you find

They know that they need you so I'm begging you Santa Claus Go straight to the ghetto If anyone Wanna know Tell them Hank Ballot told me so Santa Claus Goes straight to the ghetto

Never thought I'd realize I'd be singing a song With water in my eye Santa Claus Goes straight to the ghetto don't leave nothing for me

I've had my chance you see Santa Claus go straight to the ghetto Santa Claus a soul brother needs a soul Santa Claus Tell him James Brown sent ya The Pretenders released 2,000 Miles back in 1983

when I was nine years old. At that time, I was more familiar with Middle of the Road and Back on the Chain Gang, other cuts from Learning to Crawl. The best thing about including 2,000 Miles on your holiday playlist is the fact it's not really a Christmas song at all. It was written for the pretender's original guitar player who died the year before. Remember, the best Christmas songs are often the saddest Christmas songs, and this is no exception. guitar solo He's gone Two thousand miles He's gone 2,000 miles

It's very far The snow's falling down It's colder day by day I miss you The children will sing You'll be back at Christmas time In these frozen and silent nights Sometimes in a dream You appear

Outside under the purple sky Diamonds in the snow Sparkle Our hearts were singing It felt like Christmas time. 2,000 miles is very far through the snow. I'll think of you wherever you go He's gone 2,000 miles It's very far 2,000 miles

It's very far The snow's falling down It's colder day by day I miss you I miss you. I can hear people singing. It must be Christmas time. I hear people singing.

It must be Christmas time. Speaking of melancholy Christmas songs, does it get any more melancholy than Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas? This song first appeared in the 1944 musical Meet Me in St. Louis, where it was performed by Judy Garland. It's since been recorded by just about everybody, but I quite like this version by Coldplay. Right, you're going to do a Christmas song for us? Yeah.

Okay. You did this live the other night? Yeah. Yeah. I don't know how it'll go, but... We'll get our lighters and all. It's Coldplay. All right. Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Let your heart be light From now on our troubles will be out of sight Have yourself a merry little Christmas Make the yuletide gay From now on Our troubles will be far away Here we are As in olden days Happy golden days gone by

Oldest friends who are dear to us Gathered near to us once more and through the years we all will be together if the fates allow hang a shining

star upon the highest bough And have yourself a merry little Christmas now. From 1989's Brain Drain, Merry Christmas, I Don't Want to Fight Tonight is a fun little Joey Ramone ditty by the Ramones, of course. In typical Ramones fashion, it clocks in at just over two minutes. Merry Christmas, I don't want to fight tonight, please. Merry Christmas, I don't wanna fight tonight Merry Christmas

I don't wanna fight tonight Merry Christmas I don't wanna fight tonight Yeah Where is Santa And the hippie sleigh And tell the wives It always gets way

Where is Rudolph Where is is Blizzin', baby Merry Christmas, merry, merry, merry Christmas All the children are talking their best Sugarplum fairies dancing in their heads It's the whole party, it's so exciting, baby I love you, and you love me And that's the way it's got to be I knew you from the start

Of course Christmas ain't the time for breaking each other's heart Where is Santa and his sleigh? And tell me why is it always this way? Where is Rudolph? Where is Blitzen? Merry Christmas, Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas It's always this way Where is Rudolph? Where is Blitzen, baby? Merry Christmas, Mary, Mary, Merry Christmas All the children are talking their bays Sugarplum fairies dancing in their haze

Snowball fighting, so exciting, baby Yeah, yeah, yeah, I love you And you love me And that's the way it's got to be I knew it from the start Cause Christmas ain't the time for breaking each other's heart Merry Christmas, I don't wanna fight tonight with Merry Christmas, I don't want to fight tonight with

Merry Christmas, I don't want to fight tonight with you. Everyone calls this next song, Baby Please Come Home, but the actual title is Christmas, with Baby Please Come Home in parentheses. The version I'm most familiar with belongs to U2 because it appeared on a Christmas CD I owned as a kid, but it's actually a song from the early 1960s, originally sung by Darlene Love. It's yet another sad Christmas song, drenched in melancholy.

The version I'm going to play is from Death Cab for Cutie. Enjoy. Baby, please come home. With church bells in town, they're ringing a song. What a happy sound. Baby, please come home. They're singing deck the halls, but it's not like Christmas at all I remember when you were here

All the fun we had last year Pretty lights on the tree I'm watching them shine. You should be here with me. Baby, please come home. Baby, please come home guitar solo Baby, please come home They're sitting at the hall

But it's not like Christmas at all I remember when you were here All the fun we had last year There was a way I'd hold back these tears But it's Christmas Day Baby, please come home You either love Tom Waits songs or you hate them.

I happen to love them. His voice is so distinctive and chock full of character, and his songs are always gritty portrayals of the beauty found in reality. Case in point is Christmas Card from a hooker in Minneapolis from his 1978 album, Blue Valentine. Quite simply, it's a letter written by a prostitute to a man named Charlie, and it's beautiful. piano plays softly Charlie, I'm pregnant Living on 9th Street Right above a dirty bookstore

Off Euclid Avenue I stopped taking dope And I quit drinking whiskey My old man plays the trombone And works out at the track He says that he loves me Even though it's not his baby He says that he raised him up Like he was on some

He gave me a ring That was worn by his mother And it takes me out dancing Every Saturday night Hey Charlie, I think about you Every time I pass a feeling station And I count all the griefs You used to wear in your hair

I still have that record Of little Anthony and Imperial Someone stole my record player How do you like that? Charlie, I almost went crazy After Mario got busted I went back to Walmart To live with my folks

Everyone I used to know Was either dead or in prison. So I came back to Minneapolis. This time I think I'm going to stay. Charlie, I think I'm happy. The first time since my accident I wish I had all the money We used to spend on dope

Buy me a used car lot And I wouldn't sell any of them Just drive a different car every day, depending on how I feel. Charlie, if a car's a thing, if you want to know the truth of it, If you want to know the truth of it I don't have a husband He don't play the trombone I need the ball money To pay this lawyer

Charlie Hay I'll be eligible for parole come Valentine's Day. I Wish It Was Christmas Today is actually from a Saturday Night Live skit, but it was covered by The Strokes' Julian Casablancas in 2009. I used to think Julian Casablancas was here to save rock and roll. Now I think he's here to save Christmas. I don't care what the neighbors say

Christmas time is near I don't care what anyone says. Christmas is full of cheer. All I know is Santa's way is making its way to the USA. I wish it was Christmas today. I wish it was Christmas today. I wish it was Christmas today. I wish it was Christmas today All I know is a Santa Claus

Don't care about flagging or flying off I wish it was, I wish it was I wish it was, I wish it was, wish it was I don't care about anything else Christmas is almost here And I don't care what the newsman said Christmas is full of cheer I don't care what the newsman said Christmas is full of cheer I don't care about anything Except hearing those sleigh bells ring a ding-ding

Wish it was Christmas today And the good old U.S. of A I wish it was Christmas today I wish it was Christmas today I wish it was Christmas today I wish it was Christmas today Oh, oh I wish it was Christmas today I wish it was Christmas today Oh, oh Telling things we can do this to the boys and girls

And every nook and cranny in this crazy ass world On air, on air, on air, on air guitar solo We'll be right back. I'm now going to play my second favorite Christmas song. In 1991, Pearl Jam created The Ten Club, and every Christmas since then, they've sent members a vinyl-only Christmas single. Let Me Sleep was the first. It's subsequently been released on their Lost Dogs rarity album, but prior to that I enjoyed it on bootlegs I'd copy from my favorite band.

Now relax and lose yourself in these wonderful lyrics. The cold wind blows on the soles of my feet Heaven knows nothing of me On me And I'm lost Nowhere to go Oh, when I was a kid Oh, how magic it seemed. Oh, please let me sleep, it's Christmas time. Flowered millions was where I lived. But wind was where I lived Bought you burn

Out of those for your sins And sometimes I'm cold Oh, when I was a kid Oh, how magic it seemed Oh, please let me sleep It's Christmas time Oh, when I was a kid Oh, how magic it seemed Oh, please let me sleep

It's Christmas time Oh, and if I was a kid Oh, how magic it seems Oh, please let me dream It's Christmas time My favorite Christmas song will be no surprise to anyone who's been paying attention to my blog the past 11 years. Take that classic Shane McGowan delivery and mix it with the melodious vocals of Kirstie McColl,

and you have a holiday classic from the Pogues. There are no snowmen, no Santa, no miracles, just youthful hopes crushed by alcoholism and drug addiction. It's reality and I love it. Merry Christmas everybody Merry Christmas everybody the drunk tank An old man said to me Won't see another one

And then he sang a song The rare old mountain you I turned my face away And dreamed about you Got on a lucky one

Came in late into one I've got a feeling This year is for me and you So happy Christmas I love you baby I can see a better time When all our dreams come true. They got cars big as bars, they got rivers of gold.

But the windows right through you, it's no place for the old. When you first took my hand on a cold Christmas Eve, you promised me Broadway was waiting for me You were handsome You were pretty clean up New York City When the band finished playing They held out for more Sinatra was swinging All the junk they were singing

We kissed on the corner Then danced through the night The boys of the Amble and Penny coil Were singing go away babe And the bells were ringing now For Christmas Day The boys of the anvil and pinny coil were singing, Go away, babe. And the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day. You're a bum, you're a punk, you're an old slut and joker. They're almost dead on a trip in that bed. You scumbag, you mugger, You're an old slut and juggler And I'm a stud on a trippin' I bet You scumbag, you mugger

Cheap, cheap, lousy faggot Happy Christmas, you're all so great God, it's out of love The boys in the NYPD chorus Still singing, going black And the bells are ringing out For Christmas Day I could have been someone

Well, so could anyone You took my dreams from me When I first found you I kept them with me, babe. I put them with my own. Can't make it out alone. I built my dreams around you. The boys in the NYPD chorus are singing, Go away, babe.

And the bells are ringing out for Christmas Day. Thank you.