Let's hope there will be a White Christmas

I don't think we will have a White Christmas this year, but there is always a possibility of celebrating with the classical version of White Christmas with Bing Crosby together with Marjorie Reynolds from the movie "Holiday Inn" 1942.



The second videoclip is from the finale of the movie "White Christmas" 1954. I was lucky to just get it almost for free on DVD.



I will also share a couple of Swedish versions of the song. Last time I did it was 2006 but these are slightly different. Hope you enjoy it:

* "Jag drömmer om en jul hemma" (I'm dreaming of a Christmas at home") - Bertil Boo, "the singing farmer" known in Sweden from the films with Åsa Nisse. I think this is from the end of the 40ies or possibly beginning of the 50ties.

* "Jag drömmer om en jul hemma" - Bengt Westin, should be about the same time as Bertil Boo but I don't know anything about the singer.

* "Jag drömmer om en jul hemma" - Lasse Lönndahl, wellknown singer in Sweden, this recording is from the 60ties.

* "White Christmas" - Hep Stars, popband from the 60ties. Benny Andersson, the organist, later was known as one ot the members of ABBA.

* "White Christmas" - another popversion with Lena Maria and Sweet Wine from the 70ties.

* "White Christmas" - Vikingarna (The Wikings), thypical Swedish dancemusic, I think this recording might be from the 70ties.

* "White Christmas" - Vit Aggression (White Aggression). The last one is probably the most disgusting version there will ever be. This is a White Power-band and they put a racist message into the song. Remember I warned you: This is certainly not very nice.

Christmas Music in Swedish Channel Four

This morning I visited the morning program in Channel 4 and played some of my Christmas records. This is of course in Swedish but the rest of you might still be able to listen to some music and look at some of my covers.

They had some severe technical problems and I didn't get any information at all about what they wanted from me. I was spending the whole morning in the studio and played music 4 times. They show the first three times at their websajt:

First time

Second time

Third time, together with Triad

Nostalgic Christmas in Denmark

This is a nostalgic videoclip from Denmark. I never heard of "Julebal i Nisseland", but it looks like a traditional TV-show to me. I found it quite amusing. Hope you like it as well. And I would be grateful if anybody happens to have information about the film.

This is some information I got from "Anders":

Anders said...
The clip is from the film "Far til fire i sneen" (1954). It's the second film of a whole bunch of "Far til fire" films. They're hugely popular in Denmark and are still being produced today (but obviously with a different cast.)

The original "Lille Per" (the brat who sings the song) was a popular child actor, and they continued to use him for way too long, which made him look totally ridicolous in his boyish outfit. And as the story goes with child actors, he developed an addiction for hard narcotics, tried his luck as a pop singer, and ended up as a photographer for a hard porn magazine.

More info here:
http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Far_til_fire

and here:
http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Far_til_fire_i_sneen

Six different versions of Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer is of course one of the most well known Christmas Songs. Interesting also because the invention of the song is so closely linked to the commercial side of Christmas celebration. The poem was printed in a book that was distributed to customers visiting Montgomery Ward, a big American warehouse, 1939. The author was a copy writer named Robert L.May.

A few years later May came up with the idea of composing a melody and asked his brother in law who was a composer, Johnny Marks. The record was an immediate success; 2 million copies were sold more or less at the same time as the records hit the stores. The first Swedish versions appeared in 1950.

I share six versions of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and as a bonus you also get a different Swedish song about a Reindeer:

• “Rudolf med röda mulen”, Lou Sandy, the first Swedish version from 1950.

• “Rudolf med röda mulen”, Alice Babs, famous and brilliant singer, also recorded during the 50ties.

• “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”, Melodeers, recorded at the dance hall Nalen in Stockholm during the mid 50ties.

• “Rudolf med röda mulen”, recorded for Indiska, a Swedish chain of shops selling clothes and other stuff from India, a modern instrumental version with traditional Indian instruments.

• “Rudolf med röda mulen”, Janne Andersson, Swedish popstar. The song is from the album “Glitter, Glögg and Rockn’roll” (Glitter, Glühwein and Rockn’roll) recorded during the 70’s as a Swedish answer to Phil Spectors legendary Christmas Records. The result? Judge for yourselves!

• "Rudolf med röda mulen", Micke B Tretow, legendary producer that used to work with ABBA. This is a strange experimental version that might amuse somebody. I don't think it was ever sold in ordinary records stores.

• “Rolf Ren” with Torsson, a different song about a reindeer by a slightly ironic but very charming band from southern Sweden. The story is basically that the reindeer has too short legs but in the end of the song they will still bring him along because they need someone to carry the youngest son of Father Christmas. From the middle of the 80ties.

Christmas Special with German favourite Heino

Almost 24 minutes with the German singer Heino is maybe more than most people need. But here is a film that I found at You Tube that will certainly provide a German touch to your Christmas celebration. Heino is walking around in a wintry landscape surrounded by well behaved and singing German children; together they present a number of Christmas Songs. He sings German translations of the most well known songs as well as local German favourites. I've tried a few times to upload it to the blog but didn't have any success, probably because it' too big. I also had problems with uploading this Medley with Christmas songs, so I might as well give you the links instead.

Until Yesterday I only had one Christmas-song with Heino but then I discovered a full album that was shared at falalalala.com, a Mecka for people that are interested in Christmas Music.

Four versions of Frosty the Snowman

"Frosty The Snow Man" is one of the most silly Christmas-songs that I know of. Still you find it in so many different versions. I want to share some very different Swedish versions. Two of them are old, I particularly like Margret Jonsson when she flips out in the "hopp lalalala hopp lalala..." towards the end of the song. The Spotnicks were quite famous during the early 60ties, partly becouse of their costumes (se picture, this is not their Christmas Album - it's the small green cover - but the other one I show just to give you an idea of what they looked like). Ultima Thule is a patriotic skinheadband. They made at least two Christmas Records with different skinheadband and both contains this version of Frosty The Snowman. As I said last time I shared something with Ultima Thule: Not very enjoyable but maybe of some interest. Last I want to share another song about a Snowman. Cacka Israelsson was Swedens first artist performing in a country style.

Four different versions of Frosty the Snowman and one bonus song:
Snögubben Froste - Monica Lind (from the 50ties)
Snögubben Froste - Margret Jonsson (from the beginning of the 60ties)
Frosty The Snowman - Spotnicks (60ties, instrumental)
Frosty the Snowman - Ultima Thule (skinheadsband)
Snögubben (The Snowman) - Cacka Israelsson (50ties)

Norwegian version of Yngve Stoor

Can't help sharing this video that I found at You Tube. Sputnik is is a musician and truck driver from Telemark in Norway. He plays country music, but in this video he sings a popular Swedish Christmas Song that I shared just recently: "Sjömansjul på Hawaii". And he does it in a lovely and unexpected way. Enjoy!

For more information about Sputnik, visit his website.