Last night, we watched the fab holiday movie musical, White Christmas, after Michael shared he’d NEVER seen the full movie!
How is that possible???
Of course, it’s completely wonderful.
Steve Hayes of Tired Old Queen at the Movies just happens to feature it on his YouTube channel this week.
Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen have a musical filled day singing and dancing to the tunes of the legendary Irving Berlin in Michael Curtiz’s WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954). Along for the festivities are Oscar winner Dean Jagger and the irascible and hysterical Mary Wickes. It’s a Technicolor, musical extravaganza that will have your holiday hearts singing into the New Year!
As we head into the final stretch of the 2018 holiday season, I thought it would be helpful to share this ‘tips-palooza’ episode from The Randy Report podcast because it’s never too late for holiday tips.
Author and lifestyle expert Candi Fox joins me for tons of decorating, travel, cooking and entertaining ideas to make your holiday season the very best it can be.
Some ideas to help save money, and some to help celebrate the holidays in new ways.
We also have suggestions for taking care of yourself and ways to reduce stress throughout the season.
Plus, we share some Christmas music from out musicians Ann Hampton Callaway, Bright Light Bright Light and Matt Zarley to make your season bright. Take a listen then go support these awesome out artists.
For over two years, Candi and I were The Candi & Randy Show on BlogTalkRadio, where we racked up over a million downloads of talk radio episodes.
Some of our most popular episodes were our annual roundup of holiday ideas woven in between some of our favorite Christmas songs. I’m thrilled to have Candi join me again.
Hit the play button below and listen as we share new ideas to celebrate the holiday season.
Acclaimed singers Tom Goss & Liz DeRoche celebrate 200th anniversary of ‘Silent Night’
For a song to cross borders and oceans, cultures and languages, epochs and genres, one might imagine complex melodies and immense lyrics, not a lullaby for a troubled world.
An internationally recognized masterpiece would certainly be the work of profound composers, not a humble assistant priest and school teacher who played guitar.
And yet, this is the origin of one the world’s most cherished carols, “Silent Night,” celebrating its 200thanniversary on Christmas Eve, 2018.
Reminiscent of our own troubled times today, “Silent Night” was written in 1816 as a poem by Joseph Mohr under Austria’s oppressive rule, limited freedom of expression, and despair.
Two years later, Mohr asked Franz Gruber to set his words to music as an expression of solace, hope, and peace to be performed in Oberndorf near Salzburg, Austria.
Accompanied only by the guitar, during Christmas Eve mass at St Nickola Church in 1818, the pair performed their composition, “Silent Night.”
Over the last 200 years, “Silent Night” become known as ‘the song of peace,’ having been translated into more than 300 languages and dialects
It’s the holiday hymn which brought a “day of peace” to the Western Front of WWI on Christmas 1914. It reminded soldiers of home and inspired the liberation of Austria from the Nazis during WWII.
Bing Crosby’s iconic recording of the song, released in 1935, is the 3rd best-selling recording of all time.
Recognized and listed by UNESCO as a work of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011, “Silent Night” has become a gentle anthem for world peace. Now, and for our future.
“I feel most inspired by being around those I love,” says Goss. “I wanted to honor the holidays, family, friends and love with Liz DeRoche, someone who’s musical light and tender heart always inspire me. And, of course, what better way to do that then with ‘Silent Night?’ A song that has been moving people for 200 years.”
Tom Goss & Liz DeRoche celebrate 200th anniversary of ‘Silent Nig
Tom and Liz bring their considerable musical powers to bear on the quintessential Christmas song in classic ‘Goss’ style.
Never veering from thoughtful, pensive attention to the lyrics, the two artists blend their voices in quiet homage that is sensitive, yet simultaneously brimming with emotion.
Ethereal and light, Tom and Liz find the heart of a delicate melody that is literally celebrated around the world without resorting to heavy-handed production or studio trickery.
The musical duo echo here the same peaceful sentiment born 200 years ago in Austria.
Speaking of ‘around the world,’ you can be a part of a global sing-a-long of “Silent Night” by clicking over to www.stillenacht.com on the 24thof December (5.00 p.m. MEZ; 4.00 p.m. UTC; 11.00 a.m US EST – east coast; 8.00 a.m. US PST – west coast).
Thanks to my friend and fellow blogger Larry at the LGBTQ blog, theOUTfront.com, for collaborating on this post.
It’s not often one of the newer holiday songs comes along and actually sticks with me, but I’ve been smitten with “Every Time It Snows” from my first listening.
But the romantic nature of the lyrics and the soaring vocals by Grammy winners Olivia Newton-John and Jon Secada just kill me.
I love the little moment at the end between the two superstars 🙂
Richard Carpenter composed the music for this song when he was a mere 19 years old.
He and his sister Karen were singing in the choir at California State University Long Beach, and they had grown tired of the same holiday songs, year in year out.
Richard asked his choir director is there were something else to sing, and his director – Frank Pooler, recalled a lyric to an unfinished song he’d begun 20 years earlier for a girlfriend. Remembering the lyrics, he gave them to Richard to work on for a new Christmas song.
The legend goes that it took Richard Carpenter only 15 minutes to come up with the melody that would become a holiday classic.
First released as a single on November 20,1970, the song was the inspiration for a Christmas album by The Carpenters, and on October 13, 1978, “Christmas Portrait” was released with a newly recorded version of the song. The song was also presented on their TV Christmas special in 1978 and became a hit all over again.
Las Vegas Strip star Melody Sweets’ new holiday single, “Santa Maybe…” gives much to purr about.
The acclaimed chanteuse brings the naughty this holiday season with the debut of her new music video for her seductive holiday song, “Santa, Maybe…”. Miss Sweets is joined by cast members from the Chippendales, members of the hit show ABSINTHE, and Ruby the 6-fingered, cookie-eating kitty cat!
Las Vegas Weekly said: “It sticks in your head after one listen, in a good way,” while the Las Vegas Sun called it “Adult in tenor and certain to fire up Yule logs across the great holiday landscape.”
The critically-acclaimed Sweets has been called “amazing” by music icon and Grammy Award-winner Sting, and has been featured in countless publications including The New York Times, New York Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Las Vegas Magazine, and The Village Voice among others. An official objet d’art, Melody’s portrait can be seen hanging in museums nationwide, including the Smithsonian Museum of American History, Washington, DC and the Harvard Fogg Museum.
