Friday, December 9, 2011

On The Fifth Day of Christmas ...

How about five golden versions of the Christmas Classic "The Twelve Days Of Christmas" ... the track that inspires our whole holiday series!
(Interesting to see that, despite its best original intentions, virtually EVERY popular version of "The Twelve Days Of Christmas" released ever since has been a parody of some sort!  Now THAT's the Christmas spirit!!!)


We were quite thrilled to see Paige's High School Choir perform THIS song at their recent holiday concert.  We weren't previously familiar with "The Twelve Groovy Days Of Christmas" so it was pretty neat to see this little updated salute to the '70's!  (I can't stop picturing The Brady Bunch doing something like this ... breaking into song in full gear at the shopping mall or something!!!  lol)

Here's a YouTube clip I found that gives you a pretty good idea as to what the whole song is all about:  Click here: 12 Groovy Days of Christmas - YouTube


Allan Sherman had a little bit of fun with this track back in 1963 ... in fact, most of the newer versions of "The Twelve Days Of Christmas" that you're going to hear are of the parody nature.  Sherman called his version "The Twelve Gifts Of Christmas" ... and this one actually charted, going to #8 on Billboard's special Christmas Chart while reaching #93 (for all of one week) on Cash Box's singles chart, too!



A more recent interpretation (albeit already nearly 30 years old!) belongs to Bob and Doug McKenzie, the SCTV comedians Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas who created these loveable characters for their SNL-like television series back in the early '80's.  Their "Twelve Days Of Christmas" has a bit of a Canadian slant to it ... but still manages a universal appeal.



Comedian Jeff Foxworthy made a fortune off his "You Might Be A Redneck" routine ... but lately he's been trying to stay smarter than a fifth grader!  His "Redneck 12 Days Of Christmas" single first came out in 1995 and charted during the holiday season nearly every year since.  It reached #18 in its initial run on Billboard's Country Christmas Singles Chart ... but incredibly eight years later ... in 2003 ... it went all the way to #1!



And finally, a flashback to David Seville and the Chipmunks with THEIR version of "The Twelve Days Of Christmas".  (These rodents know a thing or two about hit Christmas singles ... their very first, "The Chipmunk Song", topped Billboard's Pop Singles Chart for four weeks in 1958!  It's another one of those that has re-charted for many years since and it's STILL a popular Christmas radio staple. 

And, since Alvin, Simon and Theodore have a brand new hit movie out in theaters an incredible 53 years later, we figured they'd be the PERFECT artists to round out our Five Golden Rings Salute here today!