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Listen To The Sounds Of Halloween 2022

9/30/2022

The new season of the Sounds of Christmas starts November 1. While we get ready for that, we're playing all Halloween music throughout October. We're also trying to make it as easy as we can to listen to the Sounds of Christmas (and the Sounds of Halloween).

There are three pretty simple ways to tune in.

First, simply click on the player on the front page of our website, or on the LISTEN NOW page. This way, you can listen to us as long as you're on that page, even if you open other windows.

Second, you can click on the tree on our front page (between the embedded player and the News Headlines) or on our LISTEN NOW page. That opens a pop-up player, so you can keep listening to us whether you stay on our website, or go to check your email, Facebook, etc. You can keep listening as long as you keep that pop-up player open.

And third, you can download our free app in the Google Play store (for your Android phone), and take us with you wherever you go!

We'll keep the Halloween music going all the way through Halloween night! Then, on November 1, it's back to the best variety of Christmas music, with all your favorite tunes and artists, along with hundreds of brand new songs!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and for listening!

May you always believe in Santa Claus! And the Great Pumpkin!

Creeps

9/19/2022

The creeps I want to talk about today have nothing to do with Halloween, or with the podcast with that same name. It’s actually in reference to what some complaining people like to say, regarding any signs of Christmas that turn up before Thanksgiving (or even before October).

Since you're on this website, there’s a good chance you’re a fan of Christmas and Christmas music, and you’ve run across your share of these particular creeps yourself.

It seems to be that time of year again, I’ve started seeing articles, blogs and posts complaining about what some refer to as “Christmas Creep”. This is supposed to mean that retailers are rushing the season, starting to put Christmas items out earlier and earlier every year.

I think of it more as a “Grinch Creep”. It’s really about the people who like to complain about Christmas music, lights, presents, etc. And, of course, some are just people who like to complain, period. Sadly, we all know the type.

I remember working in the receiving department of a large, box bookstore almost thirty years ago. In early August, customers would start asking about Christmas books. This was not about books to give as gifts, possibly to someone overseas so it would take a long time to get there. This was about books that were about Christmas – decorating, cooking, etc.

And this was not just one or two customers, but multiple customers, asking daily when we would have our Christmas collections out.

I’m sure similar things happen at other retail stores. And while some Grinches like to complain about stores rushing the season, the truth is they’re simply trying to meet their customers’ demand. Seriously, if no one bought this stuff in August or September, would stores continue to give it the shelf space?

Despite these Grinches saying that Christmas is creeping into stores earlier and earlier every year, this is nothing new.

I remember when I was in college (and even high school), one of our local drug store chains always put out the first new batch of Bob’s Candy Canes on September 25. And that would have been back in the early 1980’s.

And it’s not just retail.

Remember the musical version of “Scrooge”? Albert Finney starred. It came out in 1970. A few days after Halloween.

Oh, sure, at least that’s November, right? Well, here are some things you can point out to any of these creeps that you come across, when they start complaining about you rushing the season.

Elvis Presley’s first Christmas album was released on October 15. And that was 1957. People at that time were upset that Elvis would dare perform these sacred songs in his rock and roll style. Irving Berlin himself tried to have the album banned from radio airplay.

No one complained that it was only October. That could be because Frank Sinatra and Gene Autry both released Christmas albums a month earlier. Go back to the previous decade, and you’ll find that Gene Autry released “Here Comes Santa Claus” on October 6. And that was 1947!

So over seventy years ago, no one complained that Gene Autry was rushing the season when his Christmas single hit store shelves in September. Kind of seems silly to be annoyed at Wal-Mart for promoting their new Layaway deals or Target for having a couple rows of Christmas lights (just past the aisles of Halloween costumes).

They wouldn’t do it if people weren’t buying it.

And for those creating Christmas-related things, the season starts even earlier. Mel Torme famously recorded “The Christmas Song” in the heat of summer, decorating the studio with Christmas lights to help get into the spirit. In the summer of 2021, Rob Thomas was working on his first Christmas album, and had a giant TV screen put in the studio, so he could watch Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel to help get into the spirit.

And on previous episodes of this podcast, you can hear Suzanne from Suzanne’s Band, Michael Sinatra and many other artists talk about all that goes into the creation of their Christmas releases.

They aren’t rushing the season. And neither is your local Michaels’ just because they have Christmas decorations on their shelves before Summer has officially ended.

The Sounds of Christmas launches its new season on November 1. I don’t expect everyone to drop what they’re doing and start listening. Likewise, everyone doesn’t have to run to Macy’s for new ornaments just because they’ve been put on display before Thanksgiving, or before Halloween.Or before the first official day of Fall.

But if you want to, you can.

Now, we do have listeners on November 1, hopefully enjoying their favorite Christmas songs alongside new music from singers and bands they may or may not know. And while we haven’t always been on year-round, we have always started our new season on the first of November.

Like the bookstores, Bob’s Candy Canes and even Frank Sinatra, I’m not trying to rush the season. I just love Christmas. And if you aren’t ready for Christmas music the day after Halloween, that’s okay. We’ll be on, ready for you whenever you are. In fact, whenever you need a little musical Christmas spirit, we’re here for you!

The point of all this is that no one is rushing anything. Christmas is ready for you to embrace it whenever you want, and it has been that way for a very long time.

In “A Christmas Carol”, Charles Dickens wrote “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”

Those last three words are All the year. Not just in December. Not just after Thanksgiving. Not just at any particular time someone else decides is appropriate for you.

All the year.

And those words were written in 1843.

That’s why, in the middle of September (which is when I’m posting this) you can watch Jim Carrey’s version of “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” on HBO Max right now. Or It’s A Wonderful Life on Amazon Prime. Or all three of Tim Allen’s Santa Clause movies on Disney Plus.

You don’t have to watch any of those, of course. But if you want to, you can.

No one’s making you buy Christmas decorations or candy canes, either.

So whether it’s December or September, if you feel like reveling in some Christmas spirit, you don’t need anyone’s permission. And you aren’t rushing anything.

It isn’t up to anyone else to determine when you get into the Christmas Spirit. No matter what the creeps say.

May you always believe in Santa Claus!

The Sounds of Halloween 2022

9/2/2022

This is part of a blog I wrote years ago, but I revisit it and try to update it a bit each year.

Like most families, Halloween and Christmas have always been big at our house. Lisa and the kids are on the Halloween side, while I'm with Santa.

I learned long ago not to try and convert any of them. I think what happened at Disneyland once illustrates it best. In one of the studios at California Adventure, you can use this machine to determine which hero or villain you are.

I was Tarzan. All three of them were villains.

Oh, well. They love me, anyway.

So as we move toward October, I'm super-busy working on the new season of the Sounds of Christmas. While the station stays on year-round, it goes through a big change every October. The Sounds of Christmas becomes the Sounds of Halloween from October 1 through Halloween night.

I admit, mostly, it's just for my family, while I kick the tires and otherwise make sure everything is set to go for the coming season. But I've found there are a lot of other people that love Halloween, too, so I've expanded the playlist and hope you have a good time with the Sounds of Halloween.

With all that said, what exactly is Halloween music?

Some of it is pretty obvious. Monster Mash. Purple People Eater. Ghostbusters. Songs about things you associate with Halloween - ghosts, monsters, werewolves, vampires and witches. Some are scary stories, and some are about candy or trick-or-treating.

I also include songs from scary movies and TV shows. Some of those are pretty creepy. And some are funny. Many are in-between.

While there are some kids' songs (like The Count from Sesame Street), a few of the songs do have bad language. And some of the themes of some songs are straight out of horror movies, and those probably aren't for little kids, either.

On the Sounds of Christmas, I play many versions of many songs, so you won't just hear Bing Crosby's version of "White Christmas". You'll hear lots of different singers and bands, old and new, offering their wake on that classic. I do the same thing with the Halloween tunes. For example, I have well over a dozen versions of "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky" (though I may not get to all of them this year, as I try to separate songs and artists so you don't hear the same songs and same voices over and over).

During the Sounds of Halloween, you'll hear from many of your favorite Christmas music singers and bands, including Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Mannheim Steamroller and even Bruce Springsteen!

There are songs about Killer Tomatoes, Black Magic Women and Haunted Houses. There are also songs about Alien Invasions, Invisible Men and over twenty takes on "I Put A Spell On You" (I probably won't get to all of those, either).

I play lots of Disney songs, from movie villains and from spooky shows on Disney Plus. I also have at least half a dozen songs from Mystery Science Theater 3000.

To give you a better idea, here are a dozen of the songs I listened to from the Sounds of Halloween library as I put this blog together...

Molly Hatchet "Bad To The Bone"
The Cadillacs "The Boogie Man"
John Fogerty "Eye Of The Zombie"
The Who "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"
Buck Owens "(It's A) Monster's Holiday"
The Johnny Otis Show "Castin' My Spell"
Atlanta Rhythm Section "Spooky"
Florence + the Machine "My Boy Builds Coffins"
The Ramones "Pet Sematary"
Bonnie Tyler "I Put A Spell On You"
Johnny Cash "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky"
Tom Petty "Zombie Zoo"

Hope you enjoy this upcoming celebration of Halloween during the month of October! And then the new season of the Sounds of Christmas will be here!

May you always believe in Santa Claus (and also the Great Pumpkin)!

Ken

P.S. - To listen, just go to our home page (or click LISTEN NOW above) and click on the player. For some reason, the player isn't showing up on some browsers, so you can also just click on the tree which will give you a pop-up player. And you can search for us in the Google Play store and get our free app for your Android Phone and take us along with you!

Christmas Auld Lang Syne

12/30/2021

First, and most importantly, Happy New Year! I hope 2022 is your best year yet!

2021 has been pretty terrific for the Sounds of Christmas, and I wanted to say thank you for being a part of that, whether you listened to this station or to the Sounds of Christmas podcast, Or both.

The Sounds of Christmas podcast is set to pass fifty thousand downloads this weekend. While in the grand scheme of things, or at least as far as that goes in the world of podcasting, that may not be a lot. But it seems like a lot to me, especially since I only started the podcast about eleven months ago.

While that milestone might give some the desire to pause and reflect, I’d rather look ahead at the year to come.

For the podcast, I’ll continue posting episodes year-round. I have just posted the third episode this week, after a few weeks in a row that had one new episode each weekday. The frequency of new episodes will ease up now, going back to a similar schedule as last year. I’ll try to get one new one posted every Monday, but there may be a week or two where that just doesn’t happen.

I do have a wish list of people I’d like to have on as guests, including a lot of artists who had advertised on the Sounds of Christmas station over the years, but haven’t necessarily released any new Christmas music lately. I’d like to check in with them, see what they're up to, talk about the Christmas music they did release, and, knowing me, probably ask them about making some new Christmas music, too.

I have a couple surprises in store, at least I hope I do, with some people I’m working on scheduling for the next month or two, but I don’t have anything set, yet, so I can’t reveal anything at this point. I don’t mean to tease; I just want you to know that I am working on some things I think you’ll like.

The Sounds of Christmas station will continue on, playing the Best Variety of Christmas Music, commercial-free, through the end of September. Then, once again, I’ll switch things over for October, and we’ll be playing the Best Variety of Halloween Music.

Then, on November 1, 2022, a brand new season of the Sounds of Christmas will begin.

Between now and October, I’ll do what I can to keep things fresh, including the addition of a bunch of songs that I didn’t get around to playing this past season. Some I just didn’t find in time. Others were released that last week leading up to Christmas. And others I just wasn’t able to fit in.

I’m writing this on New Year’s Eve Eve, and I noticed that we still have people listening all over the United States and in at least forty other countries. And while that’s nice to see, I know full well it probably won’t stay like that. And really, that’s fine.

I know I mentioned earlier that this weekend the Sounds of Christmas podcast should cross the fifty thousand download mark, and I don’t mention that to brag. It’s more out of surprise and gratitude, which is the same feeling I have seeing all those who are listening to the station tonight.

I didn’t start doing any of this for the numbers, and I really hope it doesn’t sound like that’s the case. In fact, I fully expect the numbers on both the station and the podcast to drop significantly over the next week, with neither really going up much again until next fall.

And that is also fine.

My only hope is that, at some point during the next year, when you feel like you could use a little Christmas spirit, that you remember that we’re still on and you can listen any time. And if you love Christmas music enough that you want to hear me and my guests talk about, I hope you remember the podcast is still chugging along, and if you’ve followed or subscribed on whatever podcast service you use, all our new episodes will be there waiting for you when you feel like checking back in.

Thanks so much for listening, to the podcast and to the station. It has been wonderful sharing part of the season with you, and I look forward to sharing more with you, whether it’s later in January, or April or July or next fall once the new season gets underway (or even if you wait to listen until next December).

Thank you for sharing the season with the Sounds of Christmas.

And may you always believe in Santa Claus.

12 Days Of Christmas

12/26/2021

Despite what the traditional radio stations, TV commercials and car dealerships tell you, the Twelve Days of Christmas actually come after Christmas. No, really. Those twelve days mark the time from Christmas Day to Epiphany. I'm not going to get into the weeds of the religious history, though if you're interested, you can check out the info on Wikipedia (among other places).

I always mention this fact, year after year, as it seems many people lose their enthusiasm for Christmas a day or two after.

For our first ten years, the Sounds of Christmas stayed on through January 6. And while there was a drop-off in listeners, it was surprising that so many people, in so many different countries, continued to listen.

Also, listeners sent in emails and messages, asking us to stay on all year long. That seemed a bit much, and I went back and forth on that. Finally, a few years ago, I decided to give it a try.

Surprisingly, aside from that initial drop-off after Christmas Day, thousands continued to listen, all over the globe.

Some people don't like the idea of year round Christmas music, and I get that. It's not for everybody. Some don't like it before Thanksgiving, or before December 1. And some don't like it at all. That's okay. No one has to listen.

But, for those who do enjoy it, the Sounds of Christmas is here for you. Any time you need some Christmas spirit, just click on the player (on the website or through the app) and enjoy it as the Sounds of Christmas turns the Twelve Days of Christmas into Twelve Months (well, eleven months plus Halloween).

As far as the song goes, there are lots of versions of "The Twelve Days of Christmas". Not just different artists and different arrangements, but actual different versions, where the twelve items are in different orders, or the items are actually replaced with other things.

The song was originally published over two hundred years ago.

12 Lords A Leaping
11 Ladies Dancing
10 Pipers piping
9 Drummers Drumming
8 Maids A-Milking
7 Swans A-Swimming
6 Geese A-Laying
5 Gold Rings
4 Colley Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
And a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Those lyrics were printed somewhere around 1800. In the early 1900s, the lyrics were published with a few changes. The four colley birds became four calling birds. Colley had meant black, so these were basically blackbirds. The change to calling birds made the subtle shift that these were songbirds, not necessarily blackbirds.

The Ladies Dancing moved from 11 to 9, Lords A-Leaping moved from 12 to 10, Pipers Piping moved from 10 to 11, and Drummers Drumming moved from 9 to 12. No one seems to know why these changes were made.

Briefly, in the mid-1800s, Pipers Piping became Fifers Fifing. Shortly after, the Pipers were replaced with Ships Sailing, the Ladies Dancing became Ladies Spinning, and the Lords A-Leaping became Bells Ringing.

While those all shifted back a few years later, other changes crept in. French Hens became Fat Hens, the Colley Birds became Ducks Quacking and the Gold rings became Hares Running.

Then those changes went back, and the Geese A-Laying switched to Ducks A-Laying, the Maids A-Milking became Hares A-Running, and the Drummers Drumming were replaced with Badgers Baiting.

In the 1870s, the Badgers were replaced with Lambs A-Bleating, and the Lords A-Leaping became Lords A-Leading.

In the 1880s, the final five gifts were Hare’s A-Running, Bulls A-Roaring, Men A-Mowing, Dancers A-Dancing, and Fiddlers A-Fiddling.

In the 1890s, the Partridge was temporarily replaced with a Very Pretty Peacock, and the Lords A-Leading became Lads A-Louping.

In 1900, Squabs A-Swimming, Hounds A-Running, Bears A-Beating, and Cocks A-Crowing were all added.

A few years later, Boys A-Singing and Asses A-Racing were introduced.

In 1909, the standard that we hear today, for the most part, seemed to be accepted.

12 Drummers Drumming
11 Pipers Piping
10 Lords A-Leaping
9 Ladies Dancing
8 Maids A-Milking
7 Swans A-Swimming
6 Geese A-Laying
5 Golden Rings
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
And a Partridge in a Pear Tree

When I mention all these changes that happened in the 1700s and 1800s, I should mention that there have been publications of those verses with those changes, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they were preferred or more in use than other versions.

Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters are credited with recording one of the earliest versions of the song, and that was in 1949.

Perry Como recorded a version of it in 1953, but switched around the Lords A-Leaping, Ladies Dancing and Pipers Piping.

Many other artists have recorded in the years since, and the order of those last four or five gifts is often switched around. Pentatonix did that a few years ago, and I didn’t know the song’s history, and instead, just got annoyed at them for changing it around. I had no idea that all of these changes had been going on for hundreds of years.

So, Pentatonix, if you’re listening, I apologize.

In 1984, the PNC Wealth management bank in the U.S. began publishing the Christmas Price Index, which computed the entire value of all the gifts in the song. However, this was only for the one gift mention on each new day in the song, instead of adding up all of the gifts (meaning that by the end, there were twelve partridges in twelve pear trees, since one was given each day).

They created a second index to reflect those totals, which they called the True Cost Of Christmas.

In 1984, the True Cost Of Christmas was determined to be $61,318.94.

In 2021, the True Cost Of Christmas has risen to $179,454.19.

Regardless of how much you can spend on partridges and pear trees, or if there are pipers or fifers, the main thing I hope you take away from all of this is that the 12 Days of Christmas come after Christmas.

So don’t let anyone tell you that you should stop listening to Christmas music, even though traditional radio stations, and most stores and other places where music is played, have stopped.

In fact, since we’re on year-round, you don’t ever have to stop. If Christmas music brings you joy, we’re here for you, anytime you want to listen and get a little Christmas spirit, whether it’s December 29th or January 5th or, for that matter, March 5th or June 5th.

The Sounds of Christmas will keep playing the Best Variety of Christmas music, all year long. Well, except in October, when we play the Best Variety of Halloween music.

Everybody Loves Christmas

12/18/2021

I came across this song this week, and I decided I wanted to write something about Eddie Money, his Christmas music and this new single that just came out.

Eddie left us just over two years ago. Everybody knows “Take Me Home Tonight”, of course. He had about a dozen top forty hits, and that one was his biggest (though he had several number ones on the rock charts). He also had four platinum albums, the first of which actually went double platinum.

Eddie Money wasn’t really known as a Christmas music guy, though. Still, I have half a dozen songs from him in the Sounds of Christmas library.

In the 80s, there was a Classic Rock Christmas collection that came out with Eddie’s version of "Merry Christmas Baby". This one resurfaced again about 10-15 years ago, but is currently out of print.

In the 90s, Eddie released a live album called “Shakin’ With The Money Man” and that included four new songs, one of which was a Christmas song, “Everybody Loves Christmas”, which also featured Ronnie Spector on backing vocals.

That song also showed up in the movie “The Santa Clause 2” a few years later.

About ten years ago, Eddie performed on a version of “The Little Drummer Boy”, with Corey Glover and the Counterfeiters.

There was a version of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” with singer Carmel five or six years ago. And that was quickly followed by “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” either later that year or the next.

A nice Christmas catalogue from someone not really known for Christmas music. But that’s all in the past. I want to talk about a new single that’s just out.

Eddie’s kids have re-done his song “Everybody Loves Christmas” and I think it’s pretty terrific. The title of their version is actually “Everybody Loves Christmas: A Song For Dad”. They’ve changed the lyrics, to reflect on something many of us have become all too familiar with - a Christmas without a loved one.

But this is not a sad song. It’s warm and hopeful, and reminds us that we should think about all those happy Christmases we were fortunate to have together. And Eddie’s vocals appear in the chorus, singing along with his kids.

Dez Money and Jesse Money, who are singers in their own right, have re-written this song in a way that anyone who has experienced this kind of loss can relate to. I'm not going to post the lyrics here, but if you check out the song on Dez' YouTube channel, you can read them there yourself (and I'll post that link and the video down below).

This song touches me on a very personal level, as I lost my father almost two years ago. I have lots of wonderful memories of my Dad, even at this time of year when we lived on opposite coasts.

While I run the Sounds of Christmas like a traditional radio station, there isn’t much talking. There aren’t a lot of commercials, and my voice only comes up once or twice an hour (and even then, it’s only for about ten seconds). But my Dad used to listen, and he would message me as soon as he heard my voice.

It was silly and sweet, and I sure miss getting those messages this time of year. But listening to this song helps me to think back on these memories with love, and to feel like he’s still around, waiting for my little ten-seconds to come up so he can tell me heard me and he’s so proud of me.

Anyway, I really don’t want to make this all about me. I just wanted to share my experience with this song. And since it’s just come out so close to Christmas, I wanted to share that here, in case you didn’t know about it, so you could go listen to it yourself (either on the Sounds of Christmas, or on Dez’ YouTube channel, or on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and all the rest of the digital music streaming services).

For the Scrooges out there, I feel like I need to say that I don’t know any of the members of the Money family, and I didn’t know Eddie. This is not a paid advertisement. I simply felt, very strongly, that I had come across something that was pretty special, and I wanted to share it with you as we all get very busy moving through this final week leading up to Christmas.

Anyway, here's the video...

If you want to read the lyrics, you can find them on the original post on Dez Money's YouTube channel right here --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N7Hira81G4

Thank you for reading this far, and for listening! And may you always believe in Santa Claus!

Ken

The Best Variety Of Christmas Music 2021

11/7/2021

This is a variation of a blog I posted last year. I always say that the Sounds of Christmas plays the best variety of Christmas Music. But I think the word "variety" has been so over-used these days that it no longer means anything.

So I thought I'd show you what I mean.

While I probably won't do this again any time soon, here's a list of the artists we played on the first day of our new season, since we switched back to all Christmas music on November 1.

A Great Big World, Aaron Neville, Air Supply, Al Green, Alarm, Alternate Routes, Amanda Shires, America, Amy Grant, Ana Gasteyer, Andrew Gold, Andy Williams, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Annie Marie Lewis, Aretha Franklin, Ariana Grande, the Association, B.B. King, Ball & Chain, Barry Manilow, Beach Boys, Beatles, BeBe Rexha, Ben Rector, Bernie Martini, Bette Midler, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Boxmasters, Bing Crosby, Blackmore's Night, Blues Traveler, Bob and Doug McKenzie, Bob Dylan, Bob Sirois, Bobby Helms, Bobby Vinton, Bon Jovi, Boots Randolph, Brenda Lee, Brett Eldredge, Brett Young, Brian Hyland, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Brian Wilson, Bruce Springsteen, Brynn Stanley, Burl Ives, Cameos, Canadian Brass, Canned Heat, Carnie and Wendy Wilson, Carolyn Sills Combo,

Carpenters, Celtic Woman, Charles Brown, Cheap Trick, Chicago, Chris Isaak, Chris Kamara, Chris Standring & Kathrin Shorr, Chrisopher Cross, Chuck Negron, Cimorelli, City Harbor, Classical Blast, Cliff Beach, Conan O'Brien, Corinne Cook, Crystals, Curtis Grimes, Cyndi Lauper, Dan Ashley, Darlene Love, Darren Criss, Daryl Hall, Dave Barnes, Dave Edmunds Band,

David Cassidy, Davy Jones, dB's, DC Anderson, Dean Martin, Death Cab For Cutie, Dennis DeYoung, Diahann Carroll, Dion, Dolly Parton, Don Cornell, Doris Day, Eartha Kitt, Echosmith, Eddie Floyd, Eddie Money, Edwin McCain, Elizabeth Chan, Elton John, Elvis Presley, Emmy the Great, Engelbert Humperdinck, Eurythmics, Faith Hill, Fiona Apple, Five For Fighting,

Florin Street Band, Fountains Of Wayne, Four Aces, Francesca Battistelli, Frank Sinatra, Franklin McKay, Freda Payne, Gene Autry, Glen Campbell, Goo Goo Dolls, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Grass Roots, Greg London, Gwen Stefani, Hanson, Harry Belafonte, Harry Connick Jr., Herb Alpert, Hilary Duff, Huey Lewis and the News, Idina Menzel, Ike & Tina Turner, Imaginaries,

Ingrid Michaelson, Isley Brothers, J.B. Summers, Jackson 5, James Robert Webb, Jamie Cullum, J.D. McPherson, Jeff beck, Jennifer Warnes, Jesse Belvin, Jewel, Jim Carrey, Jim Croce, Jimmy Durante, Joel Kopischke, John Cougar Mellencamp, John Legend, Johnny Maestro, Johnny Mathis, Jon Bon Jovi, Jon McLaughlin, Jonas Brothers, Jonathan Butler, Josh Groban, Justin Bieber,

Karla Bonoff, Katey Segal, Katy Perry, Kellie Pickler, Kelly Clarkson, Kenny Davies, Kenny G, Kenny Loggins, Kimberley Locke, Kirk Whalum, Klea Blackhurst, Kristin Chenoweth, KT Tunstall, Lauren Daigle, LeAnn Rimes, Lee Ann Womack, Lena Horne, Leroy Anderson, Les Brown and His Band Of Renown, Letters To Cleo, Linda Imperial, Lindsey Stirling, Lisa Donahey,

Lisa Kessler, Liz Callaway, Liz Kennedy, Lorrie Morgan, Los Lobos, Lou Rawls, Luanne Hunt, Luke McMaster, Luther Vandross, Lynn Anderson, Maddie Poppe, Madison Taylor Baez, Madonna, Mannheim Steamroller, Mantovani, Margaret Dorn and the Accidentals, Mariah Carey, Mario Lanza, Marshall Crenshaw, Martha Reeves, Martina DaSilva and Dan Chmielinski, Martina McBride,

Mary J. Blige, Meghan Trainor, Memphis Ukulele Band, Michael Ball and Alfie Boe, Michael Bublé, Michael Jackson, Michael Sinatra, Mindi Abair and the Bone Shakers, Mitch Miller, Monkees, Morgan James, Murphy's Law, 'N Sync, Nancy White, Nat King Cole, Natalie Cole, Neil Diamond, New Christy Minstrels, New Kids On The Block, Nick Lowe, No Doubt, NOLA Players, Norah Jones,

Norine Braun, NRBQ, O'Jays, Olivia Newton-John, Orla Fallon, Orleans, Osmonds, Otis Redding, Paul Kelly, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Paul Young, Payolas, Peggy Lee, Pentatonix, Percy Faith, Perry Como, Plumb, Polyphonic Spree, Pomplamoose, Pretenders, Ramsey Lewis Trio, Rascal Flatts, Ray Charles, Rebecca Angel, Regrettes, Rehya Stevens, Richard Kincaid,

Richard Marx, Rick Astley, Robert Lund, Robin Trower, Roger McGuinn, Ronettes, Ronnie Spector, Rosalie Drysdale, Roy Holliday, Royal Guardsmen, Russ Lorenson, Ryanhood, Ryland James, Sammy Kaye, Sarah Pierce, Sarah Reeves, Sarah Smith, Scotty McCreery, She and Him, Sheryl Crow, Sia, Sidewalk Prophets, Simpsons, Smalltown Poets, Stephen Bishop,

Steve Lawrence and Edie Gorme, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, Steve Wariner, Stevie Mackey, Stevie Wonder, Straight No Chaser, Survivor, Suzanne's Band, Taylor Swift, Tequila Hounds, Terence P. Minogue, Teresa Brewer, Thisbe Vos, Tina Lambert, Tokens, Tom Hanks, Tommee Profitt, Tony DuPuis, Tori Kelly, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Trouvere, twenty one pilots,

U2, Vanessa Williams, Vera Lynn, Vince Guaraldi Trio, Vince Vance and the Valiants, Vintage Wednesday, William Shatner and Zoe Bentley.

Whew!

Of course, that's not close to everything we'll be playing. Not by a longshot. But it gives you an idea of what we mean when we say, "The Sounds of Christmas plays the best variety of Christmas music!"

And if you don't see your favorites here, don't worry. This is just the line-up of artists that we played on the first day of this new season. There's a lot more to come!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and for sharing this early part of the season with us!

May you always believe in Santa Claus!

Ken

Listen To The Sounds Of Christmas 2021

11/1/2021

The new season of the Sounds of Christmas has begun, and we're trying to make it as easy as we can to tune in!

There are three pretty simple ways to tune in.

First, simply click on the player on the front page of our website. This way, you can listen to us as long as you're on that page, even if you open other windows.

Second, you can click on the tree on our front page. That opens a pop-up player, so you can keep listening to us whether you stay on our website, or go to check your email, Facebook, etc. You can keep listening as long as you keep that pop-up player open.

You can also do either (or both) of these steps on the LISTEN NOW page.

And third, you can download our free app in the Google Play store (for your Android phone), and take us with you wherever you go!

We know that you may not be ready for Christmas music, yet, but when you are, we're ready for you! We're playing the best variety of Christmas music, with all your favorite tunes and favorite artists, along with hundreds of brand new songs!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and for listening!

May you always believe in Santa Claus!

Best New Christmas Podcast

10/25/2021

Okay, this is a little different from the things I usually post here. But I felt like I had to say something. And that something is...

THANK YOU!

The Sounds of Christmas podcast has been selected as the best new Christmas podcast of 2021 in a survey from the folks at MyMerryChristmas.com.

I am so grateful and honored.

You can read more about the process, and see the Christmas podcast winners in other categories, by visiting MyMerryChristmas.com RIGHT HERE.

I don't want to make this too self-serving, or go on and on about it, so I'll wrap this up here. I just couldn't let it pass by without acknowledging it, and saying, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!

May you always believe in Santa Claus!

Screamin' Jay Hawkins and I Put A Spell On You

10/3/2021

If you've listened lately, you've probably noticed the music's much different than what is normally played on the Sounds of Christmas. Throughout all of October, we're the Sounds of Halloween, playing spooky songs for the current season while we get hundreds of new Christmas songs loaded and ready to go.

The philosophy behind the Sounds of Christmas is that there is a lot of great Christmas music out there, and most traditional radio stations stick to a tired, short list of songs that get played over and over. We play a very wide variety, and in addition to your favorites, we also play some artists and some versions of songs that you may not be familiar with.

We also do the same thing in October with Halloween music.

For example, we play Screamin' Jay Hawkins and his original version of "I Put A Spell On You". He wrote it and recorded the first version of it in the mid 1950s.

That recording was selected as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It was also ranked on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It was his greatest commercial success, reportedly surpassing a million copies in sales, even though it failed to make the Billboard pop or R&B charts.

Hawkins had originally intended to record "I Put a Spell on You" as "a refined love song, a blues ballad". However, the producer (Arnold Maxin) "brought in ribs and chicken and got everybody drunk, and we came out with this weird version...I don't even remember making the record. Before, I was just a normal blues singer. I was just Jay Hawkins. It all sort of just fell in place. I found out I could do more destroying a song and screaming it to death."

Hawkins first recorded "I Put a Spell on You" as a ballad during his stint with Grand Records in late 1955. However, that version was not released at the time (it has since been reissued after Hawkins became famous. The following year, Hawkins re-recorded the song for Columbia's Okeh Records – the notorious screaming version, which was released in October 1956. However, this version was banned from most radio programming for its outrageous 'cannibalistic' style. A shortened, edited version was later released omitting the grunts and moans from the ending of the song, but the ban generally remained.

Despite that restriction, the record still sold over a million copies.

"I Put a Spell on You" has been covered by hundreds of other artists. Most of the covers treat the song seriously; few attempt to duplicate Hawkins' performance.

Soon after the release of "I Put a Spell on You", radio disc jockey Alan Freed offered Hawkins $300 to emerge from a coffin onstage. He accepted and created an outlandish stage persona in which performances began with the coffin and included "gold and leopard-skin costumes and notable voodoo stage props, such as his smoking skull on a stick – named Henry – and rubber snakes." These props were suggestive of voodoo, but also presented with comic overtones that invited comparison to "a black Vincent Price."

Despite the commercial success of the gimmick, Hawkins resented the schlock-factor that made him famous. He found it exploitative, and believed it undermined his sincerity as a vocalist and a balladeer. In a 1973 interview, he bemoaned the Screamin' epithet given to him by his record label, saying "If it were up to me, I wouldn't be Screamin’ Jay Hawkins...James Brown did an awful lot of screamin’, but never got called Screamin’ James Brown...Why can't people take me as a regular singer without making a bogeyman out of me?"

From 1962 to 1971, Hawkins lived in Hawaii. He returned to New York after purchasing a home in Hawaii and established his own publishing company, sustained by the royalties from covers of "I Put a Spell On You".

Although Hawkins' own version never charted, several later cover versions have.
Nina Simone's version reached No. 23 on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart in 1965; it also reached No. 49 on the UK singles chart that year, and No. 28 when it was reissued in 1969.

Creedence Clearwater Revival’s version reached No. 58 on the U.S. Hot 100 in 1968. The band later performed it at the Woodstock Festival in 1969.

In the UK, Bryan Ferry's version reached No. 18 in 1993.

Jeff Beck, with vocals by Joss Stone, covered the song in 2010. It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 53rd Grammy Awards.

We play about two dozen versions during the Sounds of Halloween. In addition to those I’ve already mentioned, we play lesser-known versions, including Joe Cocker, Leon Russell and Manfred Mann. Plus, we have more recent versions, including Annie Lennox, William Shatner and a duet with Buddy Guy and Carlos Santana.

So it's quite possible that you'd tune in and hear a version of "Monster Mash" that sounds different than what you were expecting. You may not even know that the Beach Boys used to perform it in concert. Or that Stephen Bishop recorded it (with Andrew Gold and Linda Ronstadt).

We have five other versions of "Ghostbusters" besides the huge hit by Ray Parker Jr. We also have seventeen versions of "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky", including Johnny Cash, the Tubes, Concrete Blonde, Dean Martin, Burl Ives, Bing Crosby and Spiderbait.

There are lots of songs from Disney movies and shows. And lots of songs from horror movies and scary TV shows, alongside sillier songs from parodies and comedies. Even some Broadway showtunes.

I think the oldest song in rotation this October is Robert Johnson's "Cross Road Blues". The newest might be Whitney Avaolon’s Addams Family Style version of “Bad Guy".

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that I hope you enjoy listening, and that you don't have to worry about hearing "Purple People Eater" over and over (either by Sheb Wooley, Judy Garland or George Thorogood).

I'm looking forward to the new season of the Sounds of Christmas, and sharing tons of new music with you. But for now, I hope you have fun with the Sounds of Halloween!

May you always believe in Santa Claus! And the Great Pumpkin!