Music Monday, hurry down the chimney tonight!
Actually do that in fourteen days, and we’ll be good.
Fifteen days and counting until Christmas!
So, let me ask you the important question: how’s your shopping coming? I’ve been getting mine done – just a few more, and I’ll be done. I love finishing my shopping, there is nothing quite like the victory of finishing your shopping, getting it all wrapped, and above all, seeing the people you give gifts to opening them.
My fiancee and I did a few “in advance” gifts, and I have a few smaller ones I’ll be giving to him when we have an early Christmas celebration with our friends/wedding party next week.
I’m actually typing this on my new Christmas present – a laptop. Apparently, my fiancee had been planning to get me one, but he was afraid to wait and forget which one I wanted. So, Merry Early Christmas to me, I got a Dell!
This week, we’re taking a musical trip back to 1987, though the song we’re listening to is from 1953. Our singer just wants some great gifts for Christmas, because she’s been an awfully good girl.
“Santa Baby” is a 1953 song written by Joan Javits and Philip Springer, and was originally released in October 1953, as sung by Eartha Kitt (she of Catwoman #2 on the campy 1960s series Batman, replacing Julie Newmar in 1967), and covered by several notable artists over the years, including Michael Buble (yes, this is a surprising version), Kylie Minogue, Gwen Stefani, LeAnn Rimes, Ariana Grande, Snoop Dog (yes, there is a Hip Hop version of this song – I danced to it in a Christmas showcase!), and a certain Material Girl a la Marilyn Monroe style.
Let’s talk about that version – it is my favorite!
Madonna covered the song (famously) in 1987 for the charity album A Very Special Christmas, and her version was also featured on Now That’s What I Call Christmas (I bought that album in 2002 because I knew it was on there). I first heard it through radio airplay in the mid-1990s, and it became the only novelty-type Christmas song I’ve ever liked. She sings it like Marilyn Monroe (it has been inaccurately attributed to her), and I love it. It’s cute, funny, flirty, and entertaining.
And you can click play below to hear Madonna talking about everything she wants on her Christmas list.
Eartha Kitt originally recorded two versions – the original one in 1953, and a more uptempo version in 1963 – Madonna covered the latter version. Kitt regarded “Santa Baby” as one of her favorite recordings. In 2001, Rankin/Bass produced an animated Christmas special called Santa Baby!, featuring prominent African-American voice actors/singers, as well as Eartha Kitt. Considering I was nineteen years old, and not a huge fan of cartoons (or crappy Christmas specials) at the time, I skipped this one.
Really, I pretty much skip the original version and go right for the Madonna version. It is the one that will always stick with me.
And there you hve it for this Music Monday – we’re fifteen days and counting to Christmas, and I have two more Christmas songs to come, as well as one for New Year’s.
Allison’s Written Words Countdown to Christmas continues on! Have a great Monday, and enjoy the music!
Featured Image (WikiMedia)
Allison's Written Words