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The Best Variety Of Christmas Music

11/1/2020

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 Jarreau Aloe Blacc, Amy Grant, Andra Day, Andy Williams, Anne Murray, Annie Marie Lewis, Band Aid, Barbara Mandrell, Barenaked Ladies, Barry Manilow, Beach Boys, Billy Joel, Billy Mack, Billy Squier, Bing Crosby, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, Bobby Goldsboro, Bobby Helms, Bootlegger, Boyz II Men, Bret Michaels,

Brett Eldredge, , Brian Setzer Orchestra, , Britney Spears, Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Adams, Brynn Stanley, Bunny Sigler, Canadian Brass, Carnie and Wendy Wilson, Carpenters, CeCe Winans, Charleene Closshey, Charles Billingsley, Charlie Sayles, Cheap Trick, Chicago, Chipmunks, Chris Young, Chuck Cape, Cimorelli, Classical Blast, Courtney Rau, Cyndi Lauper, Darlene Love,

Dave Edmunds Band, Dave Stewart, David Archuleta, David Bowie, Dean Martin, Def Leppard, Dennis DeYoung, Donny Hathaway, Eagles, Echosmith, Eddie Money, Elizabeth Chan, Elton John, Elvis Presley, Emily Rath, Empty Pockets, Engelbert Humperdinck, Eric Clapton, Expose, Eydie Gorme, Faith Hill, Florin Street Band, Francesca Battistelli, Frank D'Angelo, Frank Shiner,

Frank Sinatra, Garth Brooks, Gene Autry, George Thorogood, Gloria Estefan, Gold Coral, Greg London, Greg Pope, Gwen Stefani, Harry Connick Jr., Huey Lewis and the News, Jack Johnson, James Brown, James House, James Robert Webb, Jane Kramer, Jane Lynch, J.D. McPherson, Jean Watson, Jennifer Cella, Jennifer Nettles, Jenny and Tyler, Jewel, Jim Brickman, Jimmy Buffett,

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Joel Kopischke, John Legend, Johnny Cash, Johnny Mathis, Jonathan Butler, Jordan Smith, Judy Pancoast, June Carter Cash, Kanisha K, Kate Garibaldi, Katrina Woolverton, Ken Wank, Kenny Davies, Kenny Loggins, Kevin Virnelson, Kristen Bell, Krysta Youngs, Lance Galgon, Larry Carlton, Larry King Orchestra, Lauren Daigle, Laurence Juber Trio,

Laurie Berkner Band, LeAnn Rimes, Leigh Nash, Leroy Anderson, Lily Lambert, Lisa Kessler, Lisa McClowry, Lois Mahalia, Lou Rawls, Louis Colaiannia, Luke McMaster, Madison Taylor Baez, Mark Ronson, Martina McBride, Matt Nathanson, Matthew and Gunnar Nelson, Meghan Trainor, Memphis Ukulele Band, Michael Bublé, Miley Cyrus,

Mindi Abair and the Bone Shakers, Miracles, Mitch Miller, Monkees, Nat King Cole, Natasha Miller, Neil Diamond, New Christy Minstrels, Norine Braun, O'Jays, Olivia Rox, Otis Redding, Peggy Lee, Percy Faith, Perry Como, P.J. Morton, Ray Conniff, Richard Marx, Ringo Starr, Robbie Williams, Roger McGuinn, Ron Dante, Ronettes, Rosalie Drysdale, Rosebuds, Roy Orbison,

Royal Guardsmen, Russ Lorenson, Salsoul Orchestra, Sammy Davis Jr., Sheena Easton, Sheryl Crow, Sia, Smokey Robinson, Southside Johnny Lyon, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Steve Lawrence, Steve Miller Band, Stevie Wonder, Straight No Chaser, Styx, Supremes, Susan Egan, Suzanne's Band, Thurl Ravenscroft, Tina Guo, Tina Lambert, Tobymac, Tokens, Tommee Profitt, Tony Bennett, Train, Trouvere, Vince Guaraldi Trio, Vonda Shepard, Wham, Whirling Dervishes, Willie Nelson, Wilson Phillips, Wilson Pickett, Wizzard, XTC, 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

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Listen To The Sounds Of Christmas 2020

11/1/2020

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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.

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!

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Grinch Creeps

10/21/2020

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I was starting to think I wouldn't need to post this blog this year. It seemed like in 2020, with the general state of things, most were looking forward to Christmas, and even excited about it, even though it was months away.

Then, the complainers found their voices and started making noise again.

For the last few weeks, I’ve started seeing articles, blogs and posts once 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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Ghost Riders

10/5/2020

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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 play Burl Ives' version of "Ghost Riders In The Sky". Released in 1949, that was one of the first versions of that song (the original by Stan Jones was first). We also play versions by artists very familiar to Christmas music fans, like Bing Crosby and , Dean Martin. And we more recent covers by Concrete Blonde, Spiderbait and the Blues Brothers. And we play everything in between, including versions by the Outlaws, Scatman Crothers, Marty Robbins, Jeff Bridges and the Tubes.

As another example, we 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 five other versions of "Ghostbusters" besides the huge hit by Ray Parker Jr., including versions by Pentatonix, Run DMC and Fall Out Boy. And we have at least nine versions of "Bad Moon Rising", including versions by Bo Diddley, Ann Wilson of Heart, Jerry Lee Lewis, Storyville and Juliana Hatfield.

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 the Rolling Stones' "Ghost Town" from earlier this year.

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 or Judy Garland).

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 2020

9/30/2020

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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, 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 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!

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The Sounds of Halloween 2020

9/16/2020

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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 I've kept the station on year-round, it goes through a big change in October. The Sounds of Christmas becomes the Sounds of Halloween 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 some songs, so you won't just hear Bing Crosby's version of "White Christmas". I do the same thing with the Halloween tunes. I have at least 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).

You will 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 Aline Invasions, Invisible Men and over twenty takes on "I Put A Spell On You" (I won't get to all of those, either).

I play lots of Disney songs, from movie villains and from spooky shows on the Disney Channel. 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 as I put this blog together...

George Thorogood "Bad To The Bone"
Percy Sledge "Spooky"
Heaven 17 "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"
Aurelio Voltaire "Raised By Bats"
Bryan Ferry "Sympathy For The Devil"
Moody Blues "Forever Autumn"
Sofia Carson "Rotten To The Core"
The Tubes "Attack Of The Fifty Foot Woman"
Blue Oyster Cult "Godzilla"
Motorhead "I'm Your Witch Doctor"
Peggy Lee "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky"
Manfred Mann "I Put A Spell On You"

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 about) 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!

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Special Programming

12/9/2019

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Hi All!

We're very excited to be bring back some fun shows for this weekend (and introduce a new one)!

First, we invite you to Wolfman Jack's Christmas Party! This is a two-hour Christmas special that Wolfman Jack hosted, featuring some of his own holiday thoughts and skits, along with some of his favorite seasonal songs!

You can tune in to Wolfman Jack's Christmas party Saturday night at 10:00pm (Eastern). And if you aren't able to catch it this weekend, we'll be airing it again next Saturday at 7:00pm (Eastern).

Leading up to Wolfman Jack's Christmas Party this Saturday is a very special treat from Casey Kasem. We'll be airing Casey's original Christmas Countdown from 1971, featuring the top forty Christmas songs of all time (at least up until that point).

You can tune in to the Christmas Countdown this Saturday at 7:00pm (Eastern). We'll air it again next Saturday at 9:00pm (Eastern), so you'll have one more chance to catch it next weekend!

And this Sunday at 8:00pm (Eastern), we'll be airing a special edition of Dick Clark's Rock, Roll and Remember, featuring stories and some of your favorite Christmas songs from the Rock and Roll era!

Hope you can join us for some fun, holiday nostalgia this weekend!

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New Music Weekend On The Way

12/2/2019

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This coming weekend we're doing something special on the Sounds of Christmas!

Part of the reason I originally started this station was because I felt that, year after year, there are lots and lots of great Christmas music that never gets on the radio. Instead, it's often the safe list of songs you know by heart (and that you're sick of by the first of December).

So far for 2019, I've added over 500 new songs to our library. And there's new stuff coming out every day!

I've taken some of the best of it and am going to showcase it this coming weekend for a New Music Weekend! All day Saturday and Sunday, you'll get nothing but newly released songs. Some are from artists you know and love, and some are from singers and bands you may not have ever heard of. Some songs you'll know, and some will be new to you.

While everything we play this coming weekend will be new, some of it may not seem so new. There's a Stone Temple Pilots song that they recorded live over twenty years ago, but it now getting an official release (on the anniversary edition of "Purple"). Also, you'll hear Bing Crosby, Dean Martin and Doris Day (among others) - they're all featured on new releases where their original vocals have been used with newly-arranged music performed by the London Symphony Orchestra (for Bing) and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (for the others).

You'll also hear new songs from artists a little more current, the Jonas Brothers, Adam Lambert and Idina Menzel. Plus artists that fall somewhere in between, like Chicago, Mariah Carey and Robbie Williams. And many others that you may be hearing for the first time!

I hope you like what you hear. And if you come across something that you really love, I hope you click on it and buy it (or Shazam it so you can go grab it later)!

Thanks so much for spending part of your holiday with us! Hope you always believe in Santa Claus!

Ken

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Thank You

11/28/2019

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Thank you.

I'm writing this on Thanksgiving night, just before we play the 50th anniversary edition of Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant, and I'm feeling very grateful.

Running the Sounds of Christmas is a labor of love. It's not a big money-maker, nor was it ever intended to be. I love Christmas music, and felt that there was so much great Christmas music out there, and most of it was being ignored by traditional radio. And judging by the traffic this site gets, and the increasing number of listeners that find us and tune in each year, I'm not alone.

Lots of artists find us, too, and I am very grateful for that. Some record special announcements for us. Some simply send us their music for airplay consideration. And some elect to pay us to advertise their latest release. Some names you may know. Some you may only know because you've heard them regularly on the Sounds of Christmas. And some may be completely new to you.

I'd like to take a moment here to thank those that have chosen to support us this season.

Kenny Davies says his song "Christmas Rap" is the "true story" about Santa. He recorded it and posted it to YouTube around Thanksgiving 2012. And he's been sponsoring us season after season. In fact, he is almost always the first one to sign on for the next season, sometimes as early as Spring! You can click on the picture and download his song from iTunes.

Engelbert Humperdinck is a name you probably already know. He's sold over 140 million records worldwide. Last year, he released a new Christmas album. This wasn't his first Christmas album, but it was his first in over twenty years. And he was so happy with us, that he came back again this year, even though he had no new holiday release. He just wanted to continue promoting his album from last year, and continue supporting us. There's a pretty cool set that his record label has put together this season, and as long as supplies last, you can get one for yourself (or as a gift). Just click on the picture for more details (and to grab one before they're gone)!

Rick Lang is an award-winning singer/songwriter who's up for a Grammy this year! "That's What I Love About Christmas" came out in 2014. Like Engelbert, this wasn't Rick's first Christmas outing. He also had a single a few years before, and another Christmas album almost ten years before that. But Rick chose to advertise with us in 2014, and he's been back several times (when he isn't out on the road). You can find out more about all of Rick's releases by clicking on the picture.

Grammy-nominee Judy Pancoast has been with us for years, as well. In fact, back in 2009, I tried my hand at launching a record label, and Judy generously gave me her wonderful song "The House On Christmas Street" to add to our compilation that year. While the label didn't work out, that song continues to grow in popularity. This year, Judy has released a novel based on this song! You can find Judy's music everywhere you buy CDs and digital music. And you can check out her new novel by clicking on the picture!

Award-winning singer/songwriter Rehya Stevens released her Christmas album "Celebrate" just last year. Previously, she had a Christmas song featured in "A Prince For Christmas" (among others). This year, Rehya is back with us, promoting her new single, "'Tis The Season", which is featured in the new Disney movie "Noelle" (along with another of her songs from "Celebrate". You can check out all of Rehya's music by clicking the picture!

Actress and vocalist Brynn Stanley released "Classic Christmas" this year (though Sounds of Christmas listeners may remember her earlier single "Selfie With Santa" from a couple years ago, though it's also included on this new album). She also recorded a version of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" a few years ago, singing with the Tony Guerrero Quintet. "Classic Christmas" is getting great reviews all over the place, and her video for the first single "Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)" was just voted the number one holiday video on Hip Video Promo. You can check out all of Brynn's music by clicking on the picture

Mia Suzanne Walker was in a group backing up Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith before setting out on her own, forming Suzanne's Band. "One More Night Of Christmas" is new, and it's their first Christmas single, obviously making this their first season with the Sounds of Christmas. Her first album received great reviews all over, including in the Indie Source, and her new single is quickly gaining popularity (including on the Sounds of Christmas). You can check out Suzanne Band and their music by clicking the photo!

Martina DaSilva and Dan "Chimy "Chmielinski has been performing together for the last few years, and they've made many videos on YouTube as ChimyTina. Martina's vocals and Dan's bass make for some unique and fun recordings, which you can check out on their new Christmas album "A Very ChimyTina Christmas" (due out next Friday, 12/6). By the way, if Martina's voice sounds familiar, she was also part of the group The Ladybugs, who gave us an EP called "Blue Christmas" a couple years ago. You can pre-order "A Very ChimyTina Christmas" on their Bandcamp site by clicking on the photo (and while you're there, you can stream their very cool version of "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch"!

I am so grateful to all these artists for helping the Sounds of Christmas get on the air, and stay on the air this season. And while I do play songs from all of them, I also play lots of other songs (our library is over 13,000 and growing every day). Saying thanks to them all here doesn't seem enough, so I've set aside special hours each weekday to feature music from all of the artists that have been so kind as to support us this year, and in year's past (and you can find all of those on our links page above).

Anyway, each weekday at 1am and 7am, and 1pm and 7pm (Eastern), you'll hear an hour's worth of music featuring those singers and bands that have been instrumental in keeping the Sounds of Christmas going.

I also want to thank those that have been so kind as to donate to us through the PayPal link. I wasn't going to mention this, as I didn't want to sound like I was seeking donations, but there have been so many lately, that I couldn't let it go by without acknowledging and expressing my gratitude. I'm adding the link here because some have asked, but I really don't want anyone to feel like I'm asking for donations, or expecting them. The Sounds of Christmas is a free online Christmas music station, and you can listen without every giving us a nickel.

And now I've saved the best for last.

Thank you for listening. When I started the Sounds of Christmas back in 2007, I had no idea that it would still be going strong so many Christmases later. And it wouldn't be if you weren't tuning in.

Truth is, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed as I take a look at where listeners are tuning in on this Thanksgiving night...

Thank you for the kind words, messages, Facebook posts and Tweets. It is a pleasure and an honor to get to spend at least part of the holiday season with so many all over the world.

I hope the Sounds of Christmas brings you joy, makes you smile and enriches your holiday. Knowing you're out there listening certainly does that, and more, for me!

Thank you again. Thank you a million times. And then a million more.

And may you always believe in Santa Claus.

Ken

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Alice's Restaurant

11/25/2019

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I grew up with Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant" as a Thanksgiving tradition. The rock station I listened to as a teen played it every year. I understand other rock stations around the country did this, as well, at least from time to time. So I like to think I'm not alone. To be honest, though, I have no idea how this song became a rock staple (and I believe some classic rock stations continue to play it annually).

I get that not everyone shares this tradition. My wife had no idea this song even existed before she met me. She puts up with it each November, with her characteristic good humor. Come to think of it, other members of my family do that, too.

And if you aren't familiar with "Alice's Restaurant", I hope you'll do the same.

I'm continuing the Sounds of Christmas tradition of playing this song once again this year. Actually, twice again.

I'll be airing the original version of Arlo's tune on Thanksgiving Day at approximately 4:00pm (Eastern). And later on Thanksgiving night, I'll be playing Arlo's 50th anniversary edition of that same song (around 10:00pm Eastern).

Whether you've enjoyed this as part of your own Thanksgiving tradition, or it's something brand new to you (or you're somewhere in between), I hope you can tune in this Thursday. Even if you're listening outside the U.S., and none of this makes any sense at all to you.

Thanks so much for spending part of your holiday season with us!

And may you always believe in Santa Claus!

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The Best Variety Of Christmas Music

Listen To The Sounds Of Christmas 2020

Grinch Creeps

Ghost Riders

Listen To The Sounds Of Halloween 2020

The Sounds of Halloween 2020

Special Programming

New Music Weekend On The Way

Thank You

Alice's Restaurant

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