This is probably total blasphemy, but I'm pretty much over "Little Saint Nick." Originally released as a single in 1963, the song has "run run reindeer"-ed its way past my years for twenty nine Christmas seasons, and while it's a fun little holiday tune (I'd never say it's BAD or anything), I could probably handle giving it a rest for a few years. No, seriously. Of all the songs on The Beach Boys' Christmas Album, it's the one I usually end up skipping.
Released in 1964, the Beach Boys' foray into Christmas music collected five originals and seven standards, and thirty five years later it's still one of the best holiday records around - after all, Christmas tunes and those deliciously Beach-y harmonies go together like sugar cookies and sugar sprinkles. The album has been re-released several times in several incarnations, but I would recommend picking it up as Christmas With the Beach Boys, which pulls together the original tracks with outtakes, treats like PSAs and interviews, and several tracks from an aborted 1977 Christmas album (including "Santa's Got An Airplane," which is poppy and delightful and dizzyingly surround-sound).
My favorite original Beach Boys Christmas tune has to be "The Man With All the Toys" - and you'd better believe it will keep replacing "Little Saint Nick" in all my Christmas playlists.
The Beach Boys - "The Man With All The Toys"
*bonus!* - "Santa's Got An Airplane"
i've been all about their version of 'we three kings' lately...
Posted by: Katie Haas | Friday, December 18, 2009 at 11:20 AM
I agree with you, but I would recommend "Little St Nick's Drive In" from the BB's Christmas box set. They put the words to "Little St Nick" to the tune of "Drive In" from their Little Deuce Coupe album. Very cool.
Sugar Ray has a decent cover of "Little St Nick" and the Smithreens shine on their version of the BB's "Merry Christmas Baby".
Posted by: Multielvi | Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 12:16 PM