Every year since 2005 I’ve done a Christmas compilation called “Happy Birthday Baby Jesus” (see our blog to check out years’ past). Dave was kind enough to let me surface from the code mines for a few hours to bring you a collection of some of my favorites from across the years. It wasn’t easy to cull for a “best of,” but here we go and I won’t tell the Advent police if you start listening to these now. Enjoy!

Now Sound of Christmas - The Free Design
White Christmas - He5
Baby Jesus - Matthew Sweet
Jesus Christ - Big Star
Santa Claus, Go Straight to the Ghetto - Belle & Sebastian
Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year, Pts. 1 & 2 - James Brown
Merry Christmas, Baby - Otis Redding
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Jimmy Smith
Purple Snowflakes - Marvin Gaye
Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas? - The Staple Singers
Little Drummer Boy - Lenox Avenue
Please Come Home for Christmas - The Uniques
Christmas for the Free - Argent
Cold White Christmas - Casiotone for the Painfully Alone
Things Fall Apart - Cristina
I Don't Intend To Spend Christmas Without You  - Claudine Longet
A Merry Christmas Everybody - Slade
One Christmas Catalogue - Captain Sensible
A Merry Jingle - The Greedies
Twistin' Bells - Santo & Johnny
We Wish You A Merry Christmas - The Ventures
We Four King (Little Drummer Boy) - The Blue Hawaiians
In the Bleak Mid Winter - Bert Jansch
Suddenly It's Christmas - Loudon Wainwright III
Exotic Night - Martin Denny

[jplaylist]

COMMENTS

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10 responses to “Happy Birthday Baby Jesus: Mbird Edition”

1. Joshua says:

   12/06/2011 at 10:40 pm

   Yes! Big Star song is a must, like to listen to that each Christmas!

   Reply
2. Ethan says:

   12/07/2011 at 10:37 am

   Thanks James, this has been playing on my speakers since it went up!

   Reply
3. John Zahl says:

   12/07/2011 at 2:09 pm

   Awesome set! Thanks James for it (and for all the awesome behind-the-scenes code work; the site is so great because of you!).

   Reply
4. David Browder says:

   12/07/2011 at 4:24 pm

   The Little Drummer Boy is one of two songs that make me cry.

   Reply
   • John Zahl says:

     12/07/2011 at 6:59 pm

     Is the other one by Steely Dan?

     Reply
   • James says:

     12/09/2011 at 11:17 am

     David,

     Do check out Low’s version of Little Drummer Boy if you haven’t heard it. Their whole mini-album “Christmas” turns on the waterworks for me…

     Reply
5. David Browder says:

   12/08/2011 at 2:58 pm

   No. The other one is The Rose by Bette Midler.

   Reply
6. Stephanie says:

   12/09/2011 at 10:20 pm

   Pitch-perfect, as usual!

   Reply
7. Tricia says:

   12/18/2011 at 11:15 am

   Thank you. Consider it as the gift that keeps on giving since I’ve gone and made my own CD to give based on some of your recommendations! BTW, Willie singing Silent Night is one of my favs. Just because you know he doesn’t have that many.

   Reply