I wonder how many RTHers got the news of the death of John from Howard Cosell on Monday Night Football like I did? Probably not all that many as I know I’m an old-timer here. Shocking to think that it was 33 years ago, the memory is so vivid.
Maybe more amazing than the fact that 33 years have passed since John’s murder is that last week marked 12 years since George died.
Anyway, I’m more prompted to write this by having heard a cover of “Merry Xmas (War Is Over)” the other day on the local radio station that plays all holiday music from Thanksgiving through New Years (there must be one of those stations in every city, right?). I’m not sure who the artist was. A search on amazon shows 15+ covers and I’d guess the one I heard was by Sara McLachlan.
I’ve admitted to being an old-timer but now I’ll admit to being an old fart. I’m sorry, I’ll allow as how this song maybe, maybe, maybe could be covered but there’s no reason for a radio station to play anything other than John & Yoko’s original. It’s sacrilegious.
Agree? Disagree? Any other songs that should only be performed by the original artist?
If you want it…
Just heard some non-Beach Boy version of “Little Saint Nick”.
Amazon lists over 300 versions, although about 30 are by The Beach Boys and there are probably 50 or more labeled Karaoke. The one I heard sounded like a boy band (which I guess you could argue is what the Beach Boys were when they recorded it) so maybe it was Hanson.
Another one to leave be.
That Sara McLachlan version must have been the same one I heard while shopping last week. Terrible – and completely unnecessary!
She & Him did a particularly lame version of “Little Saint Nick” a couple of years ago. I’ve also heard a Hanson version with a really bad “rocking” ending.
Maybe it was She & Him I hear since I remember “lame” but not “rocking”.
I remember getting the news of Lennon’s death at my freshman dorm @ Emerson College.The New England Patriots were one of the teams that played that night.
To get off the topic just a little bit, I picked up Nick Lowe’s new Chrimble album Quality Street & I like it a lot. Has anyone else heard it?
The missus and I both commented on a particularly shitty Xmas tune that popped up on somebody’s muzak over the weekend. It sucked even more than normal Xmas music usually sucks because it seemed to be a cover of the pre-adenoidal Jackson % cover of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” — I mean, the chick singer was aping all of MJ’s 9 year-old shrieks and screams; it was awful.
Have you heard that utterly awful newish xmas song about each day of christmas my baby gives me Cristal, a ferrari and I don’t know, but it’s just a bunch of gross, expensive things. It seems like the relationship is based on him giving her cool things. It must suck to be young these days. As I recall I didn’t have anything then.
I don’t remember where I heard about John Lennon’s death. Probably at work (I worked a lot of nights back then). I remember thinking it was a lot more important than the people I worked with did.
If only someone had put together a definitive list of the Greatest Christmas Songs!
A northvancoveman sighting! Perhaps this is the sign I needed following my recent Saturday Night Shut-In. I was thinking about your work, NVCM, as well as the other Christmas-themed posts over the years. Stay tuned for a Friday Flashback feature on these pieces.
Not definitive, NVCM. Please recall that a usually dormant townsman popped up out of nowhere to railroad that horrible Waitresses song onto the list and then disappeared just as quickly.
Yeah, but they always get me to second it! I like that song. Maybe because they’re from around here and us people in NE Ohio need to stick together.
Ugh. If only this holiday happened just one day a year, like all the others…
The Mouth That Roared also gave me the Lennon news.
I don’t know how it got to be the featured version of Let It Snow, but that Dean Martin take of it ticks me off with all the damned bent notes. Pick a pitch, dude!