ReGift for Christmas 2009 - Christmas Covers 2008 (Re-Post)

Horrible photo, I know, but I wanted to show you what my neighbours house looks like. We have tour buses, cars, police cars, and pedestrians on our street just to see this Christmas display. They do it for charity, I think they are raising funds for Sick Kids Hospital. It is overpowering but not to bad, it's just that when you drive up to the house your blinded by the lights of the display and cars that are parked looking at the house.

Anyway, I wanted to regift from last year one of my favorite Christmas songs and covers of it.

Enjoy:

FairyTale of New York @ FairyTale of New York @ FairyTale of New York @ Fairytale of New York  FairyTale of New York @ FairyTale of New York

This year I have decided to be the evil dad who wraps the gifts so no one can figure out what they got.  Each one of the links above is a cover of Fairytale of New York, in my opinion one of the most powerful Christmas song to come out of the last thirty years.  It expressed the love/hate that we all have for this time of year.

Enjoy the season, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and whatever else you might be celebrating.

Give it all you got, or forget about it - Joe Strummer (1952-2002).

Damn, I say this every year. We are supposed to be happy and getting ready for the holidays, but December sucks.

Bhopal disaster, Montreal Massacre, the 2004 Tsunami, John Lennon's death and the death of Joe Strummer.  I know, I know, their deaths can't compare to these horrible tragedies, but they were turning points on how people looked at the world and defined were they stood at that time.

All I can say is I miss Joe's talent.

When you listen remember Joe.

The Clash - Hateful
Kid Dynamite - Hateful

The Clash - Career Opportunities (Live)
? - Career Opportunities

The Clash - London's Burning
Silverchair - London's Burning

The Clash - Spanish Bombs
We Have Ears - Spanish Bombs


Strummerville.com Winter Sessions - Free Download, Check the website

John Lennon

This is a day that sucks, 29 years ago .. John Lennon was shot and killed, a normal guy who got famous because he was a poet. A nutcase became jealous of him , a stalker who shot John for no better reason than he wanted to be more famous then his victim.

John Lennon was a poet, an artist, a catalyst for a generation/generations to question the ways and whys of how things are supposed to be done. He was no saint, he was a regular guy who was able to find words what we all felt.

It just sucks that he is no longer here.
Take a few minutes and remember the first time you heard a Lennon song.

Los Lonely Boys - Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign To Save Darfur Whatever Gets You Thru The Night

Television Personalities - Fashion Conscious: The Little Teddy Years Whatever Gets You Thru The Night

John Lennon and Elton John - Walls And Bridges (2005 Re-Master) Whatever Gets You Thru The Night [Live]

The Originals & The Covers

(9:03 am all broken links are fixed, sorry about that.)

I just finished watch The Ed Sullivan Show (the show - Ed Sullivan Rock 'n Roll Classics: the 60's) was on PBS, they are on their cash drive again. So of course they have programs I want to watch. Anyway they showed Tommy James and the Shondells doing Crimson & Clover and how the next day it hit #1 on the US music charts. This got me thinking of a bunch of different things. Programs like Sullivan's really did promote record sales, it was free publicity for the artist and the record company. The program would draw a large audience, especially if they promoted the hell out of it during the week, and the advertiser sponsoring the show would be happy with the reach of their adds. The audience would get their fix of the favorite rock acts. A nice complete circle where everyone gets what they want.

Do we have any variety shows like this now. In Canada we don't, I don't think the states does either. Not sure of the rest of the world. I know, I know ... Saturday Night Live, Letterman, Jimmy Fallon and the other late shows have bands on. But not like it was with Sullivan, Sonny and Cher or Donny and Marie. We sat around the TV as a family watching these shows and the music reached a larger audience, it wasn't narrow casted to a limited audience. I think the TV market has become to saturated with shows to have the kind of effect that Sullivan once had on the music industry. It's a shame.

Also while watching the show I got to thinking... Damn, Joan Jett covered most of these tunes. So for your listening pleasure, The Originals & The Covers.
Enjoy.

Tommy James and the Shondells - Crimson & Clover
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts - Crimson & Clover (live in NY 1982)

Sly & The Family Stone - Everyday People
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts - Everyday People

The origional is not from the Ed Sullivan show time period, I just like it a lot.
The Arrows - I Love Rock & Roll
Joan Jett - I Love Rock & Roll