It’s lovely Monday for a sleigh ride together with you!
We’ve kicked off December (and the Christmas holiday) on Allison’s Written Words this past weekend, so I’d be remiss if I didn’t kick off Music Monday’s Christmas contributions for the month. We’ve got five Mondays (four of which are pre-Christmas, the fifth being New Year’s Eve), so we’ve got four Christmas songs.
Why don’t we kick off the month with a sleigh ride?
The song “Sleigh Ride,” originally thought of by Leroy Anderson in 1946 during July heatwave, was completed by him in February 1948, and having its first official recording in 1949 by Arthur Fieldler and the Boston Pops (Anderson recorded it in 1950). Lyrics were written by Michael Parish in 1950, and The Andrews Sisters were the first singers to record the vocal version. It has been covered many times, by many artists. But rather than go the traditional route, or with one of those more bizarre covers, I’m going with my favorite version (aside from the Leroy Anderson one, of course), by Earth Wind and Fire.
Earth Wind and Fire covered the song for their 2014 Christmas album, Holiday (which I discovered in 2016). The album was their first Christmas music album (but that’s ok, Chicago didn’t have one until 1998, which was 31 years into their existence), but as the saying goes, better late than never!
And while there is a music video for the song, they’re not in it, but what is in it is pretty to look at…as long as you don’t have to be out in it.
Like this. It’s pretty, but I’ll pass.
So, let’s close out this first Music Monday of December with a little funk, and a sleigh ride together with Earth Wind and Fire!
Beautiful and funky…or beautifully funky?
And there you have it, a lovely Music Monday for a sleigh ride together with you!
We’re 22 days and counting till Christmas!
Have a great Music Monday, and enjoy the music!
Featured Image (Source)