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The Sounds of Christmas 2019

10/31/2019

We’re back!

Actually, we never really left. But the new season of Christmas music has officially begun! I know not everyone is ready for it, yet, but whenever you are, we’re up and rolling and ready for you!

I would like to thank the wonderful folks that have helped get us up and running so we can bring you this new season!

First, thanks so much to Brynn Stanley and Judy Pancoast! Brynn is joining the Sounds of Christmas for the first time this year. And while Judy and her music are familiar to Sounds of Christmas listeners, this year, she's released a novel based on her wonderful song "The House On Christmas Street"!

And I'd also like to thank Engelbert Humperdinck, Kenny Davies and Rick Lang, who are all back again this year to help keep us going!

By the way, you can find each of them on our front page, with links to their websites (or where you can grab their latest holiday release). Please check them out when you get a chance, especially when you hear their music this season!

Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing this very early part of the season with us!
And may you always believe in Santa Claus!

Ken

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This Is Halloween

10/27/2019

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It's hard to believe that Halloween is upon us!

The new season of the Sounds of Christmas starts this Friday, November 1! That's when, once again, you'll hear all your favorite Christmas songs, along with lots of new ones!

Between now and then, we'll continue to play music for the current season, giving you the Sounds of Halloween!

Plus, we have some special programs coming up!

On October 30th, at approximately 7:00pm (Eastern), I'll be playing the original broadcast from 1938 of "War Of The Worlds" as performed by Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre On The Air.

That will be followed by Jeff Wayne's updated version of his musical adaptation of "War Of The Worlds" (which features Gary Barlow from Take That, Joss Stone and Liam Neeson).

And on Halloween night at approximately 7:00pm (Eastern), I'll be playing Jeff Wayne's original musical adaptation of "War Of The Worlds" from 1978, which featured Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues, David Essex and Richard Burton.

Thanks so much to everyone that has already been tuning in! Hope you've been enjoying the Sounds of Halloween, and that you'll stick around when we start the Christmas music again this Friday!

I know not everyone is ready for Christmas music the day after Halloween, and that's fine. We'll be here for you whenever you are ready for it!

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

Ken

P.S. - To listen, just go to our home page and click on the player. Or you can click on the tree for a pop-up player. You can also search for us in the Google Play store and get our free app for your Android Phone!

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Grinch Creeps

10/14/2019

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I’ve noticed this happens every year.

For the last few weeks, I’ve started seeing articles, blogs and posts again, 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 some are just people who like to complain, period.

I remember working in the receiving department of a large, box bookstore about twenty-five 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?

In fact, I remember when I was in college (and even high school), that 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.

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?

Elvis Presley’s 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 had released a Christmas album a month earlier.

So over sixty years ago, no one complained that Frank Sinatra was rushing the season when his Christmas album 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).

As you probably know, I run an online Christmas radio station. My interest in this is obviously not coincidental.

Our new season begins each year on November 1.

Most of our listeners tune in between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Of those, most actually listen the two weeks before Christmas.

That said, we do have listeners on November 1. In fact, we’ve grown to the point where we usually have listeners in all fifty states, and in another 20-30 countries, within the first week 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.

And unlike some stores, there’s no danger of our running out if you don’t show up early. Just don’t let the Grinch Creeps get you!

And just so you know...

The bookstore I worked for no longer exists, so I didn’t see the point in mentioning it. You probably know what a big box bookstore is like (or was like), and I doubt my experiences there were so very different from others.

I have no financial interest in the movie “Scrooge”; that was just one particular Christmas movie that I know the release date for. Other holiday movies have certainly been released later in the season, and others have been released before. The original "Miracle On 34th Street was released in June, and that was 1947.

The Sounds of Christmas does, of course, play songs by Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. Sometimes, I even listen to them early. Along with many others.

I am not aware of any kind of official release schedule for Bob’s Candy Canes. You can find out more about them HERE. They do not pay for any advertising on my station. In fact, I had heard that a big candy company had bought them. Nevertheless, they are my personal favorite, which would make them the unpaid Official Candy Cane of the Sounds of Christmas.

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I Put A Spell On You

10/6/2019

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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 certainly play Screamin' Jay Hawkins' original version of "I Put A Spell On You" (which he wrote and released in 1956). We also play versions by Nina Simone, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Bryan Ferry (who all had hits with this song). And we play lesser-known versions, including Joe Cocker, Leon Russell and Manfred Mann. Plus, we have more recent versions, including duets with Buddy Guy and Carlos Santana, and Jeff Beck with Joss Stone.

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 four other versions of "Ghostbusters" besides the huge hit by Ray Parker Jr. We also have at least nine versions of "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky", including Johnny Cash, the Outlaws and Peggy Lee. And also Dean Martin, Burl Ives and 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 Dove Cameron's "Good To Be Bad" from the latest season of Disney's "Descendants".

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 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!

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Listen To The Sounds Of Halloween 2019

10/2/2019

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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. 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). 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 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! And the Great Pumpkin!

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The Sounds of Christmas 2019

This Is Halloween

Grinch Creeps

I Put A Spell On You

Listen To The Sounds Of Halloween 2019

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