December 5, 2024 • 37 mins
We listened to Mariah Carey's classic but infamous 1994 Merry Christmas album, so you don't have to!
Long before she assumed the Queen of Christmas Mantle, Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" became nearly inescapable around the holidays. But does the album's titanic hit single overshadow an otherwise decent Gospel record?
On this episode, Andrew and Diamond explore the endurance of Merry Christmas and highlight some of the its less-heralded hits. Plus, in the final segment, they share their favorite contemporary Christmas songs for your holiday playlisting pleasure.
Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen!
Connect with the show on Instagram via @AtFirstListen!
(Episode 21.)
Long before she assumed the Queen of Christmas Mantle, Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" became nearly inescapable around the holidays. But does the album's titanic hit single overshadow an otherwise decent Gospel record?
On this episode, Andrew and Diamond explore the endurance of Merry Christmas and highlight some of the its less-heralded hits. Plus, in the final segment, they share their favorite contemporary Christmas songs for your holiday playlisting pleasure.
Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen!
Connect with the show on Instagram via @AtFirstListen!
(Episode 21.)
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
It's at first listen and I'm Andrew and I'm Diamond,
And today this was this was a tough one. Today
we listened to Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas, the album from
nineteen ninety four, So you didn't have to. This is
(00:36):
one of those choices that I made and then immediately
regretted after we stopped recording the last episode, Diamond, how
did you feel about it?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Oh? Okay, I was. Actually I think I had mixed
feelings about this because I knew it wouldn't be one
terrible right, right, But I didn't have a lot of
faith in it either. But I also a lot of
(01:05):
people will make it seem as if they've only heard
All I Want for Christmas Is You from this album.
But I think I went into it knowing that i'd
heard other songs.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Yeah, that song is such a jug or not it
really overshadows the rest of the album.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Yeah, but okay, I'm nervous to ask you. We have
not discussed our thoughts on this album.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Sometimes a suggestion knowing that I was not going to
want to listen to it, forget about Actually, like when
I did start listening to it, I did not want
to press play on this album.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Andrew, can I tell you when I listened to it? Okay,
I went to see The Christmas Spectacular and so I
was like, why not listen to it?
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Now? Sure, that's the.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Perfect you know, even though I have something against Christmas
music and decorations and stuff before Thanksgiving, I don't like it.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
But I was like, okay, actually to that point, I
don't want to cut you off. But I walked into
Macy's on like October, let's say eighth. Huh Christmas trees,
no tinsel, no garlands, now wreaths, everything too early early October,
(02:23):
pre Halloween.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yeah, that's weird, Like I don't understand. And then also,
we're not going to get rid of the Thanksgiving feeling
and knowing that Thanksgiving is coming, Yeah, we're just going
to jump to Christmas after well, in this case, before
even Halloween, so we're gonna skip.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
It's basically still summers and we're doing Christmas in October.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
It was still it was still warm, so it was
absolutely yeah, absolutely, you didn't rain at all that and
then we got like the massive rain on the day
of Thanksgiving, which maybe it should have been overshadowed this
year because the weather.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
I was actually in Colorado.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Oh yeah, how was that?
Speaker 1 (03:01):
It was snowy?
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Actually, oh no, that aspect.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Was very nice. No, no, no, actually no, it was
a good trip. But all all around, my brother got married,
so a lot of family and a lot of old
friends that I haven't seen in a while. We're all
out there. So it was really a nice trip.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
But it was cold.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
I don't think it was colder than it was here. Okay,
but we did actually get snow, which was nice.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
I don't want snow before Christmas. I don't. I just don't.
That's another thing.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Look, we don't all have the Christmas Spectacular or look
forward to.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
I mean, I guess, but it's just like I don't
want anything before Christmas, Like like I don't want Christmas music.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Is that a song from Mariah Carey's next Christmas?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Maybe she's on tour and so that I mean, oh, Mariah,
I get like.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
So anyway, you were talking about going to the Christmas
Spectacular and I interrupted.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Oh no, I just I thought, why not listen to
it on the way home. Christmas Spectacular was amazing. By
the way, they don't call it spectacular frontal reason. It
really was spectacular. It was great. I was shocked by
how amazed I was.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
What did they do?
Speaker 3 (04:10):
I really haven't literally everything. So it's like this, it's
like a variety show. Or is it like kind of
like it's like a story of Sanna. I guess no,
I don't even I don't want to lie.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
So there's like a narrative thread, not.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Really, not really in my head. I wanted to create
a narrative, which is why I was like, Oh, it's
Sanna going from the North Pole to New York City,
And technically I think it does start like that, but
then halfway through it, I think he ends up back
at the North Pole, and so I don't I don't
really know.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
The rockets, so the plot was like a C minus. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
I just think that they just throw a whole bunch
of the lights, the rockets, the singers.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Are the rockets there like the whole time. Do they
come or is they have like a one big spot?
Speaker 2 (05:02):
No, no, no, no, no, they're throughout the entire show. They
come out probably every number. It's it's a big deal,
it really is.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Did they perform any songs from this album?
Speaker 2 (05:14):
No, I don't even think. All I'm Are for Christmas
was as you was in it. I don't think so.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
But any of like the traditional songs, were they part
of the show.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
We go back?
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Maybe?
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Oh, definitely, Santa Claus is coming to town.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Okay, Yeah, that's fair.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Yeah, I'm trying to look it up because Okay, so.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
You listen to the album before you win or after
you went after, okay.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
And I fit perfectly, fit perfectly. So I don't really
want to get too deep into it until we come back.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
But so I have two major things that surprised me
about this album. Number one was that it came out
in nineteen ninety four. I thought it was way later
than that.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
I think I probably would have been shocked too, But
we talked about it a few weeks ago on Elvis's show.
The fact that like this came out in nineteen ninety four,
and all I Want for Christmas is you did not
become a hit quote unquote until I think two thousand
and seven or something like that. Whoa, Okay, it may
(06:27):
have been twenty and eleven. It was very like quote
unquote recent.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Okay, So that makes a little bit of sense because
this is one of the other things I read about
it was that all I Want for Christmas is You
Is as We I think all know, one of the
best selling singles of all time, one of the best
selling Christmas songs of all time. Also, there was a
fact that I read that it's one of the best
(06:52):
selling Christmas ring tones in the US. Oh I, and
I said that cannot be a fact from nineteen ninety four.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
No, no, no, but I definitely could see that because
I feel like if I was a ringtone type of person,
probably would do it for the Christmas season. Maybe.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Yeah, It's hard for me to relate to a ringtone
type of person, especially one who would change their ringtone seasonally.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Stop. I used to kill it?
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Yeah, are you kidding?
Speaker 2 (07:19):
But I was also in like middle school, I had
nothing else to do, so, like as an adult, probably not,
But like you didn't. Okay, I know you had a MySpace.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
No I didn't have MySpace.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Excuse me? Uh no, Andrew, what were you doing in
two thousand and eight.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
H two thousand and eight. I was in college already,
so oh well, so they had just opened up Facebook
to high school students. Okay, so you didn't need a
college email addressed together on Facebook? So I was, I was,
I was on.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Facebook, but you didn't have a MySpace.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
No, I had AOL instant messenger.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Wow, did you put a song in your away message?
Speaker 1 (08:00):
No? I don't think so, but I did have some
away messages that I'm sure I thought were very clever.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Oh my god, Andrew, Okay, I thought I was gonna say, oh, like,
you changed the song on your MySpace the same way.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
That they never did that.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
I don't know why, though, I'm shocked because I yeah,
I definitely knew, like a lot of my friends had MySpace.
I don't know why I never got into it. But
also I was a late adopter to Facebook too, even
I don't think I I don't think I was on
Facebook till like the second half of my freshman year
of college, after people were badgering me to get on there.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
What.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Yeah, it's a little weird.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
We we might have to talk about this morning depth later.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
So the other fact about this album huge hit in Japan?
What yeah, number one in Japan.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
I didn't know Japanese people liked Christmas so much.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Exactly, but apparently they love Mariah Karen.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Oh well, that I understand.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
So she's like one of these American artists that just
for whatever reason really landed in Japan.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
And I'm shocked.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
So let's take a quick break and we'll come back
and just quick track by track breakdown of this record,
because I would love when we post this episode to
know if people are going to go and check out
this record afterwards. So we'll be right back on at
first Listen, We're back on evers. Listen, I'm Andrew and
(09:40):
I'm Diamond, and we're going track by track into Merry
Christmas by Mariah Carrey. It's a fourth studio album overall,
and a lot of traditional Christmas songs, a lot of
old classics, and there's three originals on this record. So
let's start with track one, which I thought was an
(10:01):
interesting choice for an album by a pop star like
Mariah Carey. Really to start the album with Silent Night.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
I think if you think back to nineteen ninety four,
I wonder, no I was gonna say, maybe this was
like one of at the time, the most popular Christmas
song ever or most common.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
I think it's interesting because it is such a slow song.
It's definitely a classic song.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Yeah, well, you know how I feel about people starting
albums with slow songs exactly.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
That's why I bring it up.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Uh, Okay, I would.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Think All I Want for Christmas is You as a
slam dunk to be track one.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
You know, I don't know. I do understand what what
you're saying, but I think that this was probably the
hit I really do. I know it was in movies
like this version was for sure in movies that I've seen.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Yeah, so there's only three singles that I saw listed
from this album, which all would have come out ninety
four and ninety five. It's All I Want for Christmas
is you miss you most at Christmas time enjoyed to
the world. But I've definitely heard more songs from this album,
(11:19):
so it's it definitely makes sense what you were saying
that this became like a hit a second time, like
ten plus years later.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
No, for a factic is in a movie that I
don't want to jump around. So now with every track,
I'll tell you which ones were in movies that Okay,
I can't tell you.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
The movie which movie which is too bad, I know, but.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
I definitely or like maybe TV shows that I watched
as a kid. I don't know, but for sure I
wasn't mad at Silent Night at all.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
I think it's a great version. It really transports me
to church Christmas Eve. I get everything I would want
out of that song, assuming I wanted to listen to it,
which I didn't, But everything the all the you know,
beats from that song that you would want it to
hit if you were doing a version, Mariah Carey's version accomplishes.
(12:18):
I just think it's strange that it's track one, and
it's like a A question I have recurring throughout this
album is like, what is the album for? It seems
like it's more of a collection of songs than an
album that was intended for people to like put it
on at a Christmas party or put it on, Oh okay,
(12:40):
you know, to do a specific Christmas activity, you know,
because the energy is very up and down and silent
night It's silent is in the name of the song.
It's not a high energy.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Maybe she just tried to show off her vocals straight
out of the gate.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Yeah, I mean she does that. It's definitely not like
an oversung version.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
To me, I don't think anything on this album is
over song.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
There's really I thought it was it was going to
be more of a showcase record than it was. There
was one moment later that. I was like, she's really
just kind.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Of okay, I need to get to that. Do we
even want to talk about all I want for Christmas?
Is you? I mean, we know, yeah, this is it.
This is the Christmas song of probably our lifetime. Clearly
they didn't really know that back then, right, but like
(13:41):
ten out of ten, I think this is the best
Christmas song I've ever heard. Oh wow, Yeah for sure,
And there's really nothing else to say about it. For me,
I think it's perfect.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
So the one thing that listening to the album did
make me realize is this is a good song. There's
nothing wrong with the song. The problem that I have
with it, and the problem that I think everyone has
with is just too catchy. It has been mentioning this
album gets the song stuck in my head. It's really something.
(14:17):
It's extraordinary what they accomplished with the song. How earwormy
it is. But it is good, and like at least
there's that I just could never hear it again. What, Yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Don't think it's Christmas the Christmas season without this song
coming on once a day. Yeah, Like, if I'm walking
down Fifth Avenue and I don't hear the song, something
is wrong.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
Yeah, someone opens a door to a store or a
hotel and you hear yes, Like.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
When you think about how much money she makes a
year from this song, only she deserves it sure, and
anybody who worked on this record with her, that song
is ten out of ten, like and it is Christmas.
I need it.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
And one thing I appreciate about Mariah Carry the past
few years is how she's leaned into the Christmas thing.
She's just like, people are gonna associate me with this holiday,
whether I want them to or not, so let's just
have fun with it for her. And she's she doesn't
really have the reputation of being like a chill person,
(15:22):
so it's funny that she's she's leaned into it and
has seemed to like legitimately have a laugh about it.
Might well about how this song has tortured retail workers
for a generation. But the other the other funny thing
about this that came focus after I heard the album
(15:43):
is the to me, the like iconic part of the
song is the intro.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Oh yeah, that little drum roll yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
And it's funny because every uptempo song on this album,
the first verse starts with that lick. And I thought
it was so specific to this. All I Want for
Christmas is you song. But it's like all like three
or four up tempo songs have that exact thing to
introduce the first verse.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Do you think that that you don't think that the
bells the bells too. I'm like, if you hear that the.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Bells was like a warning to me what It's like,
this is coming, this is gonna be in your head
for a month, oh love. And then the drums is like,
and we're in it. You you didn't get out of
here in time. You've been You've been, uh, you've been
swallowed up by the vortex. That is all I want
for Christmas. And you hear you're like, we gotta pay,
(16:43):
we gotta pay. Excuse me, excuse me. I was in
front of that person. That's hilarious.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
That is really funny. Or it's like I'm just I'm like,
stop what you're doing. Look around, there's snow taking somewhere.
I loved it. I actually enjoyed Oh Holy Night too.
This is probably one of my favorite Christmas songs to
(17:09):
sing like at church or something like that, besides the
first Noel like Ballady type of thing. I just like that.
But listen Oh Holy Night. My girl did what she
needed to do on it.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Yeah, it's solid. My question about it is it's one.
It's two tracks after Silent Night. Right, and looking at
the track list when we decided to do this, I
was like, wait, Silent Night and Oh Holy Night are
not the same song.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Yeah, it's very weird.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
I would I would have if you asked, I would
have said, oh Holy Night is a lyric in Silent Now.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Well, I think a lot of people do medleys and
they mesh them together, right, So like I think a
lot of people think that Oh Holy Night is somewhere
in Silent Night. But but no, trust me, you pull
out that. Ooh almost cursed you pull out that.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
On the Christmas episode, we can't we can't talk about church.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
The hymn book what do they call him? Hymn hymnal tbt.
You open it up. You know, two different damn songs. Oh,
I shouldn't have said damn Christmas episode.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
The track for Christmas Baby Please Come Home. This is
the Darlene Love song famous Anyway by Darling Love. Curious
speaking of our Beatles episode, one of the credited writers
is Phil Spector.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Okay, I know that who was.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
The producer who worked on Let It Be the the
initial version and also went to jail for murder.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Excuse me, Yeah, I'm like, I know this person. I
know that name.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
So that's why you know the name. It's because of.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
That DARLINGE Love. You know, she shaded Mariah Carey maybe
a year or two ago because she believes that she
is the queen Queen of Christmas. Almost said the Queen
of princess, the Queen of Christmas. And I'm just like
Darlene all with the olden with the new babes. I'm sorry,
no shade, but we gotta we gotta give it to Mariah.
(19:29):
We have to, and she should be like happy, like,
oh my song. You know Mariah did a rendition of
it on her now classic Christmas album. Yeah, like, come on, this.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Is definitely like the other huge hit from this album.
So I could see why Darling Love might be a
little bit salty because it's sort of usurped her version,
even though I think they both get played. Yeah, next door,
they're probably playing both of those songs right now.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Oh my god. Okay, I hate to change the subject.
It is on topic though. We need to give Stevie
Wonder's Christmas song more credit. Oh yeah, I don't okay,
maybe we could talk about that later.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
Yes, let's talk about that later. Let's shelve thats you well.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Hated it, hated it?
Speaker 1 (20:24):
Yeah, this is one of the originals.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Yeah, yeah, And I think maybe I could tell I
just said, you know, by this point, I was on
the highway on my way home, and I was just like, please, okay.
If I didn't have to listen to this, I would
have skipped it. Yeah, I didn't like it.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
This was the best like showcase to me, especially the
last like forty seconds or so. She really is like
I'm gonna like shred here a little bit. So I
appreciated that about it. I think it's otherwise a forgettable song,
but it was like the best, the best platform sort
(21:02):
of for her vocals to me. Okay, okay, joy to
the world. The next track, that's when I felt it
was a little bit too much.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Really, So I this for sure was in a movie,
or it could just give me flashbacks of Sister EG two,
but I'm almost positive that this was in a movie,
maybe like a corny little kidty movie on BT or something.
I don't know. But for sure I like this. Don't
(21:35):
really know what I love, but I like a lot
and Joy to the World is just like one of
the best Christmas songs.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
Like, I think this album made me realize that I
actually enjoy Christmas in the Christmas season more than I
like to tell people, because it's like, yeah, this is it.
It made me feel good, it did.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
One thing I appreciate about the record is how how
in a room it sounds. Yeah, Like, especially these traditional songs,
these Christmas classics like Silent Night Enjoy to the World.
You really do feel like it's Mariah interacting with the band.
(22:20):
Whereas if this album came out when I thought it did,
in like the mid two thousands, it would probably be
a little too saccherin, a little too polished. Okay, Okay,
So the feel of the record overall, I think is
very good.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
So this was analog that's interesting, Yeah, most likely great,
amazing look at me, look at me, Jesus born on
this Day.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
I don't love the childrens choir in this. Yeah, this
is another original.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
Just I really didn't like the song.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
I think I don't like hearing people sing geez the
word g Really, I think it's a weird sounding. It's weird.
The syllables are very the essays, I think, really they
don't sing well, you.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Know, I'll never hear it. I have to There's a
Whitney Houston Christmas song where she says Jesus a lot.
Now I have to go listen.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
But the main thing for me is you literally just
threw your head back and went, ah, no.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Yeah, because that was listen You're you're funny today.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
But like the kids, children's choir just never seems like
they're into it. It's always like it always seems like
it's they're being directed. Gee. Oh, I'm sure there's always
one or two. But for the most part, like the
kids are like, I want to play Pokemon.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Could you imagine singing with Mariah Carey and not taking
advantage of the moment. Oh man, I want to go
home Jesus, Like are you kidding?
Speaker 1 (23:59):
But yeah, that but I could have. But of course
they were probably so these kids sound young. They probably
didn't know who she was.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
They knew who she was.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
It's like it's like Diamond meeting bb King back in
the night.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
No. I think I say this because one sweet Day
was like on the top of the charts for most
of nineteen ninety four. They know they knew who she was.
Can you imagine knowing who she wasn't still being like eh?
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Or maybe it was one of those situations where they
had them record with and she was in the room
with them. They didn't want to like draw too much attention,
get all like the theater moms.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Oh gosh, the moms would have been jumping up and down.
But you're right.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Maybe maybe because, like you said, she was a big star,
so maybe they kept it a secret. So it's like,
I gotta do this chorus thing.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Yeah, okay, okay, fine, you got me.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Santa Claus Is coming to Town.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
Yes, I liked it, but we could have skipped this.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Yeah, I'm feeling again, I'm feeling the band and Mariah
sounding like she's really singing and performing the song with
the band. But I just had this song. It's just like, Okay,
I don't need to hear this song.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
It's like when you have all everyone has a version.
Oh you're right. I feel like when you have All
I Want for Christmas, you on an album you don't
need Santa Claus Is coming to town, right, It's just
not okay, skip another yes, It's like all of these
songs could be mesh together if she wanted to, like
(25:37):
in different ways and stuff like that. And I just
feel like, Okay, whatever.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
This album could have been a medley.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
It could have it could have Destiny Schall did it.
They probably learned from her mistake. Okay, I'm just saying,
Hark the Herald Angel sing, let me tell you something.
I really like this song, but I feel like, is
this song not meshed together with another song in popular
(26:04):
culture somewhere? Or maybe in a hymnal.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
So I saw at least one version where it was
Hark the Herald Angels sing slash Gloria, Yeah, in Excelsey's Daya.
I don't like. Maybe that's like a church invention where
those are two different songs that they like push together.
They're like they go, well, I'm.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
Trying to figure out if I maybe.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
But this is another one that makes me wonder, like,
who is this album for? When am I supposed to
listen to it? Am I just supposed to pick out
a track and put it on whatever? You know?
Speaker 2 (26:43):
I think this was a situation as a whole. Besides, well,
all I went for Christmas is You is not necessarily
something you would play in the church, you know what
I mean.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
Yeah, But.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
To me, it's very obvious that they one of these
songs played somewhere in a church. They took them all
from the hymnals and like there.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
Was and I agree with that, except all I want
for Christmas is you Christmas baby, please please come home,
miss you most Christmas time, like those are pop song.
Santa Claus Is coming to Town, those are pop songs.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Yeah. I think they were like, oh, just go through
the hymnal and pick whatever songs you like.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Soa I mean, it's going from Mariah Carey in her
Santa suit on the cover to Mariah Carey in like
a you know, a gown at church, at.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
The church and standing in front of the pulpit singing
yeah with a mic that barely works.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
Yes, absolutely, she's she's clipping.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Yeah because she was definitely in a black church. So
don't get me started. The only thing that I missed
was the tambourines. They weren't like you here a little
but nothing nothing too deep. I wonder why, yeah, whatever, Jesus,
Oh what a wonderful child. Let me tell you something,
absolutely not, no, no, I didn't like.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
I didn't like it. I did not like it because
of she riffs on Jesus No.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
But I'm like, I don't know it just it wasn't
for me.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
That's interesting. This is this is probably the only song
that I would actively put on what yeah, Andrew if
I'm making like an up tempo Christmas time playlist, Okay,
this is like perfect gospel arrangement. No, it's up tempo.
(28:36):
They're clapping along, really fresh version, bass players going crazy.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
I didn't like it wow at all at all? Oh
I really And then the last one too.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
I just like.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
At that point, I was like, oh, great, the album
is over. Now I could turn something else on. Yeah,
I swear swear.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
You wanted it to end on inex Selsea's Day.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Oh yeah, number one. I think that that's the best
song to end the album. You just fade out, done, done,
perfect world.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
But she was like, no, you kids aren't going to
be able to sleep tonight because we're turning up in the.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Church exactly, And that's where I would have checked out.
And then also God rest you marry gentlemen. I don't
like the name or the word gentleman. I don't know
why I don't know why. You know, there's some hurd
you just don't like. Gentlemen, gentlemen, what's the am I
a gentle woman? I've never I don't like it.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
You know, it's a strange choice for a female vocalist,
yeah to sing that song.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
So yeah, I'm with that. Let's take a break and
we'll come back and we'll suggest some of our favorite
Christmas songs for people to uh check out this holiday
season if they just can't do the Maria carry thing.
So we'll be right back after this on Okay, we're
(30:20):
back on first listen, I'm me and Drew, I'm Diamond,
and with Mariah Carrey's Merry Christmas album out of the way,
let's talk about some of the Christmas songs that we
love hearing on the radio every December and no.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Earlier, So earlier is right?
Speaker 1 (30:38):
So Diamond, what's what's your first favorite contemporary Christmas song?
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Sleigh Ride by TLC. It just has a vibe. It's
a good bop. You get it, and then it gives
you that Christmas feeling, you know it just I can
see myself. I close my eyes, I hear the song
and I can see myself in a store actually happy
to buy gifts for people. I do not like buying
gifts for Christmas. It is not fun, all right.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
My first pick in the Christmas song draft is Step
into Christmas by Elton Johnes.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Okay, wow, yeah, why it is?
Speaker 1 (31:18):
I think it captures everything that Christmas like popular song
should be. It's up tempo, it's fun. You had some
bells in there, but they're not featured, they're not a
main instrument. And it's like a whimsical, fun Christmas song
with a good up tempo feel.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Okay, I just added one to my list in Christmas. No,
it's Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, buy and sync. Okay, let
me tell you something. The acappella part at the end.
If that doesn't make you feel good, I don't know
what's living inside you. Okay, that is peak Christmas time
(32:05):
feel good music.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
It is.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
It's wand up fu feeling something something something to the
ceiling like. It just feels good. It really really does.
I can't believe that skipped a few things on my list.
But okay, what number are we going to?
Speaker 1 (32:20):
Top five?
Speaker 2 (32:21):
Maybe?
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Oh? I was thinking just like two or three?
Speaker 2 (32:23):
Okay, great, so I have one more, go ahead.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
Okay, the waitresses Christmas rapping rapping, w.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
R, I P P ing Do I know that one?
Is it? Like?
Speaker 1 (32:33):
It does get played?
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (32:34):
It's not a like Christmas mainstay, I would say, but
it is like Q one oh four point three will
play it. You hear it on all stations. I don't
know if you'd hear it on the light. But again,
it's an up tempo, funky, kind of new wave slash
R and B type Christmas song. It's a cool song,
(32:57):
and it's it's the kind of song that you don't need.
It doesn't need to be Christmas time for.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
You to Okay, Okay, now you're making this very hard
for me because I have three even though you told me.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
Okay, well I can add one more.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Okay, Okay, I'm gonna have to throw what Christmas Means
to Me by Stevie wondering there I mentioned it earlier
in the episode. I just think that this is like
a feel good Christmas song. If I'm in a car
on Christmas driving to a family member's house and I
(33:38):
don't hear this song, it's kind of like, what's the point,
you know, Like I don't know, I think this should
be a necessity for all black households on Christmas. I'm
just saying, I'm just saying, you know, it just feels good.
Doom doom, you can't see yourself driving. It's kind of
like I equate it to like Charlie Brown, you know how.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
Okay, people you have to watch.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
Charlie Brown and the Holiday Season, which I think is
the dumbest shit.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
I cannot stand my music from that. I'm sorry, it's
so sad, it's horrible, Okay, but.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
It's a necessity, right Like people make it seem like
their holidays season is just not it without Charlie Brown.
So I feel like holiday season.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
The other thing that occurred to me about this Alton
John Pick and I thinking and Stevie are a little
bit on the same wavelength. These Christmas, these original Christmas songs.
The first lyric of step into Christmas. It just came
to me, is welcome to my Christmas song.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
Stop stop, I have to go listen.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
Now you're gonna love it. Stop and then my last choice.
And I haven't thought deeply about this, okay, so I
may regret it. And this is definitely a song that
I have hated at some point in my life, but
I've come around on it, okay. And now the title okay, no,
I remember the title, Paul McCartney simply having a wonderful
(35:04):
Christmas Time? Okay, okay, maybe in parentheses, simply having a
I don't really know how.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Yeah, I know what you're talking about. I've definitely heard that.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
I want to do for Christmas time.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Yes, I love that one. I have to add that
to my list too. Any honorable mentions because I have
two honorable mentions?
Speaker 1 (35:25):
Oh of course, wham what is there? Christmas? Last Christmas?
Oh my god, what a what a bang?
Speaker 2 (35:33):
Oh? You know, Ariana Grande has a version of Last
Christmas that is actually really good. She's an honorable mention
of mine. She has a song called Santa Tell Me,
and her voice just sounds amazing, Like I would not
be surprised if that song is It will never be
on the level of what I of all I want
for Christmas is you, But I would not be surprised
(35:56):
if there's a resurgence of like this holiday album that
she did years from now.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
You never know.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
It sounds good and then of course can't Eight Days
of Christmas by Destiny's Child is just like come on,
come on, what Beyonce fan didn't grow up on listening
to that Christmas time I got the album. My mom
got me the album. I think I was in like
second grade. We didn't play about Beyonce, and I'm starting
(36:26):
to think that I don't really play about Christmas from
all the songs that I really like. So yeah, that's
all I have.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
All right, Well, that's that's Christmas. According to the AFFS
Listen podcast, Thanks everybody for listening this year. I think
we're going to do one more episode before the end
of the year, maybe a wrap up kind of show
and connect with us. Maybe I'll put some polls up
on Instagram to see if people approved of our Christmas
oone Choices. And that's at at First Listening Podcast on
(36:58):
Instagram and we'll see you next time.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
Okay, bye,
It's at first listen and I'm Andrew and I'm Diamond,
And today this was this was a tough one. Today
we listened to Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas, the album from
nineteen ninety four, So you didn't have to. This is
(00:36):
one of those choices that I made and then immediately
regretted after we stopped recording the last episode, Diamond, how
did you feel about it?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Oh? Okay, I was. Actually I think I had mixed
feelings about this because I knew it wouldn't be one
terrible right, right, But I didn't have a lot of
faith in it either. But I also a lot of
(01:05):
people will make it seem as if they've only heard
All I Want for Christmas Is You from this album.
But I think I went into it knowing that i'd
heard other songs.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Yeah, that song is such a jug or not it
really overshadows the rest of the album.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Yeah, but okay, I'm nervous to ask you. We have
not discussed our thoughts on this album.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Sometimes a suggestion knowing that I was not going to
want to listen to it, forget about Actually, like when
I did start listening to it, I did not want
to press play on this album.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Andrew, can I tell you when I listened to it? Okay,
I went to see The Christmas Spectacular and so I
was like, why not listen to it?
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Now? Sure, that's the.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Perfect you know, even though I have something against Christmas
music and decorations and stuff before Thanksgiving, I don't like it.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
But I was like, okay, actually to that point, I
don't want to cut you off. But I walked into
Macy's on like October, let's say eighth. Huh Christmas trees,
no tinsel, no garlands, now wreaths, everything too early early October,
(02:23):
pre Halloween.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yeah, that's weird, Like I don't understand. And then also,
we're not going to get rid of the Thanksgiving feeling
and knowing that Thanksgiving is coming, Yeah, we're just going
to jump to Christmas after well, in this case, before
even Halloween, so we're gonna skip.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
It's basically still summers and we're doing Christmas in October.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
It was still it was still warm, so it was
absolutely yeah, absolutely, you didn't rain at all that and
then we got like the massive rain on the day
of Thanksgiving, which maybe it should have been overshadowed this
year because the weather.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
I was actually in Colorado.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Oh yeah, how was that?
Speaker 1 (03:01):
It was snowy?
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Actually, oh no, that aspect.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Was very nice. No, no, no, actually no, it was
a good trip. But all all around, my brother got married,
so a lot of family and a lot of old
friends that I haven't seen in a while. We're all
out there. So it was really a nice trip.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
But it was cold.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
I don't think it was colder than it was here. Okay,
but we did actually get snow, which was nice.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
I don't want snow before Christmas. I don't. I just don't.
That's another thing.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Look, we don't all have the Christmas Spectacular or look
forward to.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
I mean, I guess, but it's just like I don't
want anything before Christmas, Like like I don't want Christmas music.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Is that a song from Mariah Carey's next Christmas?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Maybe she's on tour and so that I mean, oh, Mariah,
I get like.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
So anyway, you were talking about going to the Christmas
Spectacular and I interrupted.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Oh no, I just I thought, why not listen to
it on the way home. Christmas Spectacular was amazing. By
the way, they don't call it spectacular frontal reason. It
really was spectacular. It was great. I was shocked by
how amazed I was.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
What did they do?
Speaker 3 (04:10):
I really haven't literally everything. So it's like this, it's
like a variety show. Or is it like kind of
like it's like a story of Sanna. I guess no,
I don't even I don't want to lie.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
So there's like a narrative thread, not.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Really, not really in my head. I wanted to create
a narrative, which is why I was like, Oh, it's
Sanna going from the North Pole to New York City,
And technically I think it does start like that, but
then halfway through it, I think he ends up back
at the North Pole, and so I don't I don't
really know.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
The rockets, so the plot was like a C minus. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
I just think that they just throw a whole bunch
of the lights, the rockets, the singers.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Are the rockets there like the whole time. Do they
come or is they have like a one big spot?
Speaker 2 (05:02):
No, no, no, no, no, they're throughout the entire show. They
come out probably every number. It's it's a big deal,
it really is.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Did they perform any songs from this album?
Speaker 2 (05:14):
No, I don't even think. All I'm Are for Christmas
was as you was in it. I don't think so.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
But any of like the traditional songs, were they part
of the show.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
We go back?
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Maybe?
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Oh, definitely, Santa Claus is coming to town.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Okay, Yeah, that's fair.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Yeah, I'm trying to look it up because Okay, so.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
You listen to the album before you win or after
you went after, okay.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
And I fit perfectly, fit perfectly. So I don't really
want to get too deep into it until we come back.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
But so I have two major things that surprised me
about this album. Number one was that it came out
in nineteen ninety four. I thought it was way later
than that.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
I think I probably would have been shocked too, But
we talked about it a few weeks ago on Elvis's show.
The fact that like this came out in nineteen ninety four,
and all I Want for Christmas is you did not
become a hit quote unquote until I think two thousand
and seven or something like that. Whoa, Okay, it may
(06:27):
have been twenty and eleven. It was very like quote
unquote recent.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Okay, So that makes a little bit of sense because
this is one of the other things I read about
it was that all I Want for Christmas is You
Is as We I think all know, one of the
best selling singles of all time, one of the best
selling Christmas songs of all time. Also, there was a
fact that I read that it's one of the best
(06:52):
selling Christmas ring tones in the US. Oh I, and
I said that cannot be a fact from nineteen ninety four.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
No, no, no, but I definitely could see that because
I feel like if I was a ringtone type of person,
probably would do it for the Christmas season. Maybe.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Yeah, It's hard for me to relate to a ringtone
type of person, especially one who would change their ringtone seasonally.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Stop. I used to kill it?
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Yeah, are you kidding?
Speaker 2 (07:19):
But I was also in like middle school, I had
nothing else to do, so, like as an adult, probably not,
But like you didn't. Okay, I know you had a MySpace.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
No I didn't have MySpace.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Excuse me? Uh no, Andrew, what were you doing in
two thousand and eight.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
H two thousand and eight. I was in college already,
so oh well, so they had just opened up Facebook
to high school students. Okay, so you didn't need a
college email addressed together on Facebook? So I was, I was,
I was on.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Facebook, but you didn't have a MySpace.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
No, I had AOL instant messenger.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Wow, did you put a song in your away message?
Speaker 1 (08:00):
No? I don't think so, but I did have some
away messages that I'm sure I thought were very clever.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Oh my god, Andrew, Okay, I thought I was gonna say, oh, like,
you changed the song on your MySpace the same way.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
That they never did that.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
I don't know why, though, I'm shocked because I yeah,
I definitely knew, like a lot of my friends had MySpace.
I don't know why I never got into it. But
also I was a late adopter to Facebook too, even
I don't think I I don't think I was on
Facebook till like the second half of my freshman year
of college, after people were badgering me to get on there.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
What.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Yeah, it's a little weird.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
We we might have to talk about this morning depth later.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
So the other fact about this album huge hit in Japan?
What yeah, number one in Japan.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
I didn't know Japanese people liked Christmas so much.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Exactly, but apparently they love Mariah Karen.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Oh well, that I understand.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
So she's like one of these American artists that just
for whatever reason really landed in Japan.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
And I'm shocked.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
So let's take a quick break and we'll come back
and just quick track by track breakdown of this record,
because I would love when we post this episode to
know if people are going to go and check out
this record afterwards. So we'll be right back on at
first Listen, We're back on evers. Listen, I'm Andrew and
(09:40):
I'm Diamond, and we're going track by track into Merry
Christmas by Mariah Carrey. It's a fourth studio album overall,
and a lot of traditional Christmas songs, a lot of
old classics, and there's three originals on this record. So
let's start with track one, which I thought was an
(10:01):
interesting choice for an album by a pop star like
Mariah Carey. Really to start the album with Silent Night.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
I think if you think back to nineteen ninety four,
I wonder, no I was gonna say, maybe this was
like one of at the time, the most popular Christmas
song ever or most common.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
I think it's interesting because it is such a slow song.
It's definitely a classic song.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Yeah, well, you know how I feel about people starting
albums with slow songs exactly.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
That's why I bring it up.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Uh, Okay, I would.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Think All I Want for Christmas is You as a
slam dunk to be track one.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
You know, I don't know. I do understand what what
you're saying, but I think that this was probably the
hit I really do. I know it was in movies
like this version was for sure in movies that I've seen.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Yeah, so there's only three singles that I saw listed
from this album, which all would have come out ninety
four and ninety five. It's All I Want for Christmas
is you miss you most at Christmas time enjoyed to
the world. But I've definitely heard more songs from this album,
(11:19):
so it's it definitely makes sense what you were saying
that this became like a hit a second time, like
ten plus years later.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
No, for a factic is in a movie that I
don't want to jump around. So now with every track,
I'll tell you which ones were in movies that Okay,
I can't tell you.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
The movie which movie which is too bad, I know, but.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
I definitely or like maybe TV shows that I watched
as a kid. I don't know, but for sure I
wasn't mad at Silent Night at all.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
I think it's a great version. It really transports me
to church Christmas Eve. I get everything I would want
out of that song, assuming I wanted to listen to it,
which I didn't, But everything the all the you know,
beats from that song that you would want it to
hit if you were doing a version, Mariah Carey's version accomplishes.
(12:18):
I just think it's strange that it's track one, and
it's like a A question I have recurring throughout this
album is like, what is the album for? It seems
like it's more of a collection of songs than an
album that was intended for people to like put it
on at a Christmas party or put it on, Oh okay,
(12:40):
you know, to do a specific Christmas activity, you know,
because the energy is very up and down and silent
night It's silent is in the name of the song.
It's not a high energy.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Maybe she just tried to show off her vocals straight
out of the gate.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Yeah, I mean she does that. It's definitely not like
an oversung version.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
To me, I don't think anything on this album is
over song.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
There's really I thought it was it was going to
be more of a showcase record than it was. There
was one moment later that. I was like, she's really
just kind.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Of okay, I need to get to that. Do we
even want to talk about all I want for Christmas?
Is you? I mean, we know, yeah, this is it.
This is the Christmas song of probably our lifetime. Clearly
they didn't really know that back then, right, but like
(13:41):
ten out of ten, I think this is the best
Christmas song I've ever heard. Oh wow, Yeah for sure,
And there's really nothing else to say about it. For me,
I think it's perfect.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
So the one thing that listening to the album did
make me realize is this is a good song. There's
nothing wrong with the song. The problem that I have
with it, and the problem that I think everyone has
with is just too catchy. It has been mentioning this
album gets the song stuck in my head. It's really something.
(14:17):
It's extraordinary what they accomplished with the song. How earwormy
it is. But it is good, and like at least
there's that I just could never hear it again. What, Yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Don't think it's Christmas the Christmas season without this song
coming on once a day. Yeah, Like, if I'm walking
down Fifth Avenue and I don't hear the song, something
is wrong.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
Yeah, someone opens a door to a store or a
hotel and you hear yes, Like.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
When you think about how much money she makes a
year from this song, only she deserves it sure, and
anybody who worked on this record with her, that song
is ten out of ten, like and it is Christmas.
I need it.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
And one thing I appreciate about Mariah Carry the past
few years is how she's leaned into the Christmas thing.
She's just like, people are gonna associate me with this holiday,
whether I want them to or not, so let's just
have fun with it for her. And she's she doesn't
really have the reputation of being like a chill person,
(15:22):
so it's funny that she's she's leaned into it and
has seemed to like legitimately have a laugh about it.
Might well about how this song has tortured retail workers
for a generation. But the other the other funny thing
about this that came focus after I heard the album
(15:43):
is the to me, the like iconic part of the
song is the intro.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Oh yeah, that little drum roll yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
And it's funny because every uptempo song on this album,
the first verse starts with that lick. And I thought
it was so specific to this. All I Want for
Christmas is you song. But it's like all like three
or four up tempo songs have that exact thing to
introduce the first verse.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Do you think that that you don't think that the
bells the bells too. I'm like, if you hear that the.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Bells was like a warning to me what It's like,
this is coming, this is gonna be in your head
for a month, oh love. And then the drums is like,
and we're in it. You you didn't get out of
here in time. You've been You've been, uh, you've been
swallowed up by the vortex. That is all I want
for Christmas. And you hear you're like, we gotta pay,
(16:43):
we gotta pay. Excuse me, excuse me. I was in
front of that person. That's hilarious.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
That is really funny. Or it's like I'm just I'm like,
stop what you're doing. Look around, there's snow taking somewhere.
I loved it. I actually enjoyed Oh Holy Night too.
This is probably one of my favorite Christmas songs to
(17:09):
sing like at church or something like that, besides the
first Noel like Ballady type of thing. I just like that.
But listen Oh Holy Night. My girl did what she
needed to do on it.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Yeah, it's solid. My question about it is it's one.
It's two tracks after Silent Night. Right, and looking at
the track list when we decided to do this, I
was like, wait, Silent Night and Oh Holy Night are
not the same song.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Yeah, it's very weird.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
I would I would have if you asked, I would
have said, oh Holy Night is a lyric in Silent Now.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Well, I think a lot of people do medleys and
they mesh them together, right, So like I think a
lot of people think that Oh Holy Night is somewhere
in Silent Night. But but no, trust me, you pull
out that. Ooh almost cursed you pull out that.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
On the Christmas episode, we can't we can't talk about church.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
The hymn book what do they call him? Hymn hymnal tbt.
You open it up. You know, two different damn songs. Oh,
I shouldn't have said damn Christmas episode.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
The track for Christmas Baby Please Come Home. This is
the Darlene Love song famous Anyway by Darling Love. Curious
speaking of our Beatles episode, one of the credited writers
is Phil Spector.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Okay, I know that who was.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
The producer who worked on Let It Be the the
initial version and also went to jail for murder.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Excuse me, Yeah, I'm like, I know this person. I
know that name.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
So that's why you know the name. It's because of.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
That DARLINGE Love. You know, she shaded Mariah Carey maybe
a year or two ago because she believes that she
is the queen Queen of Christmas. Almost said the Queen
of princess, the Queen of Christmas. And I'm just like
Darlene all with the olden with the new babes. I'm sorry,
no shade, but we gotta we gotta give it to Mariah.
(19:29):
We have to, and she should be like happy, like,
oh my song. You know Mariah did a rendition of
it on her now classic Christmas album. Yeah, like, come on, this.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Is definitely like the other huge hit from this album.
So I could see why Darling Love might be a
little bit salty because it's sort of usurped her version,
even though I think they both get played. Yeah, next door,
they're probably playing both of those songs right now.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Oh my god. Okay, I hate to change the subject.
It is on topic though. We need to give Stevie
Wonder's Christmas song more credit. Oh yeah, I don't okay,
maybe we could talk about that later.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
Yes, let's talk about that later. Let's shelve thats you well.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Hated it, hated it?
Speaker 1 (20:24):
Yeah, this is one of the originals.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Yeah, yeah, And I think maybe I could tell I
just said, you know, by this point, I was on
the highway on my way home, and I was just like, please, okay.
If I didn't have to listen to this, I would
have skipped it. Yeah, I didn't like it.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
This was the best like showcase to me, especially the
last like forty seconds or so. She really is like
I'm gonna like shred here a little bit. So I
appreciated that about it. I think it's otherwise a forgettable song,
but it was like the best, the best platform sort
(21:02):
of for her vocals to me. Okay, okay, joy to
the world. The next track, that's when I felt it
was a little bit too much.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Really, So I this for sure was in a movie,
or it could just give me flashbacks of Sister EG two,
but I'm almost positive that this was in a movie,
maybe like a corny little kidty movie on BT or something.
I don't know. But for sure I like this. Don't
(21:35):
really know what I love, but I like a lot
and Joy to the World is just like one of
the best Christmas songs.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
Like, I think this album made me realize that I
actually enjoy Christmas in the Christmas season more than I
like to tell people, because it's like, yeah, this is it.
It made me feel good, it did.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
One thing I appreciate about the record is how how
in a room it sounds. Yeah, Like, especially these traditional songs,
these Christmas classics like Silent Night Enjoy to the World.
You really do feel like it's Mariah interacting with the band.
(22:20):
Whereas if this album came out when I thought it did,
in like the mid two thousands, it would probably be
a little too saccherin, a little too polished. Okay, Okay,
So the feel of the record overall, I think is
very good.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
So this was analog that's interesting, Yeah, most likely great,
amazing look at me, look at me, Jesus born on
this Day.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
I don't love the childrens choir in this. Yeah, this
is another original.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
Just I really didn't like the song.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
I think I don't like hearing people sing geez the
word g Really, I think it's a weird sounding. It's weird.
The syllables are very the essays, I think, really they
don't sing well, you.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Know, I'll never hear it. I have to There's a
Whitney Houston Christmas song where she says Jesus a lot.
Now I have to go listen.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
But the main thing for me is you literally just
threw your head back and went, ah, no.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Yeah, because that was listen You're you're funny today.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
But like the kids, children's choir just never seems like
they're into it. It's always like it always seems like
it's they're being directed. Gee. Oh, I'm sure there's always
one or two. But for the most part, like the
kids are like, I want to play Pokemon.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Could you imagine singing with Mariah Carey and not taking
advantage of the moment. Oh man, I want to go
home Jesus, Like are you kidding?
Speaker 1 (23:59):
But yeah, that but I could have. But of course
they were probably so these kids sound young. They probably
didn't know who she was.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
They knew who she was.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
It's like it's like Diamond meeting bb King back in
the night.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
No. I think I say this because one sweet Day
was like on the top of the charts for most
of nineteen ninety four. They know they knew who she was.
Can you imagine knowing who she wasn't still being like eh?
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Or maybe it was one of those situations where they
had them record with and she was in the room
with them. They didn't want to like draw too much attention,
get all like the theater moms.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Oh gosh, the moms would have been jumping up and down.
But you're right.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Maybe maybe because, like you said, she was a big star,
so maybe they kept it a secret. So it's like,
I gotta do this chorus thing.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Yeah, okay, okay, fine, you got me.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Santa Claus Is coming to Town.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
Yes, I liked it, but we could have skipped this.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Yeah, I'm feeling again, I'm feeling the band and Mariah
sounding like she's really singing and performing the song with
the band. But I just had this song. It's just like, Okay,
I don't need to hear this song.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
It's like when you have all everyone has a version.
Oh you're right. I feel like when you have All
I Want for Christmas, you on an album you don't
need Santa Claus Is coming to town, right, It's just
not okay, skip another yes, It's like all of these
songs could be mesh together if she wanted to, like
(25:37):
in different ways and stuff like that. And I just
feel like, Okay, whatever.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
This album could have been a medley.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
It could have it could have Destiny Schall did it.
They probably learned from her mistake. Okay, I'm just saying,
Hark the Herald Angel sing, let me tell you something.
I really like this song, but I feel like, is
this song not meshed together with another song in popular
(26:04):
culture somewhere? Or maybe in a hymnal.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
So I saw at least one version where it was
Hark the Herald Angels sing slash Gloria, Yeah, in Excelsey's Daya.
I don't like. Maybe that's like a church invention where
those are two different songs that they like push together.
They're like they go, well, I'm.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
Trying to figure out if I maybe.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
But this is another one that makes me wonder, like,
who is this album for? When am I supposed to
listen to it? Am I just supposed to pick out
a track and put it on whatever? You know?
Speaker 2 (26:43):
I think this was a situation as a whole. Besides, well,
all I went for Christmas is You is not necessarily
something you would play in the church, you know what
I mean.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
Yeah, But.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
To me, it's very obvious that they one of these
songs played somewhere in a church. They took them all
from the hymnals and like there.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
Was and I agree with that, except all I want
for Christmas is you Christmas baby, please please come home,
miss you most Christmas time, like those are pop song.
Santa Claus Is coming to Town, those are pop songs.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Yeah. I think they were like, oh, just go through
the hymnal and pick whatever songs you like.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Soa I mean, it's going from Mariah Carey in her
Santa suit on the cover to Mariah Carey in like
a you know, a gown at church, at.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
The church and standing in front of the pulpit singing
yeah with a mic that barely works.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
Yes, absolutely, she's she's clipping.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Yeah because she was definitely in a black church. So
don't get me started. The only thing that I missed
was the tambourines. They weren't like you here a little
but nothing nothing too deep. I wonder why, yeah, whatever, Jesus,
Oh what a wonderful child. Let me tell you something,
absolutely not, no, no, I didn't like.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
I didn't like it. I did not like it because
of she riffs on Jesus No.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
But I'm like, I don't know it just it wasn't
for me.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
That's interesting. This is this is probably the only song
that I would actively put on what yeah, Andrew if
I'm making like an up tempo Christmas time playlist, Okay,
this is like perfect gospel arrangement. No, it's up tempo.
(28:36):
They're clapping along, really fresh version, bass players going crazy.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
I didn't like it wow at all at all? Oh
I really And then the last one too.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
I just like.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
At that point, I was like, oh, great, the album
is over. Now I could turn something else on. Yeah,
I swear swear.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
You wanted it to end on inex Selsea's Day.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Oh yeah, number one. I think that that's the best
song to end the album. You just fade out, done, done,
perfect world.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
But she was like, no, you kids aren't going to
be able to sleep tonight because we're turning up in the.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Church exactly, And that's where I would have checked out.
And then also God rest you marry gentlemen. I don't
like the name or the word gentleman. I don't know
why I don't know why. You know, there's some hurd
you just don't like. Gentlemen, gentlemen, what's the am I
a gentle woman? I've never I don't like it.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
You know, it's a strange choice for a female vocalist,
yeah to sing that song.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
So yeah, I'm with that. Let's take a break and
we'll come back and we'll suggest some of our favorite
Christmas songs for people to uh check out this holiday
season if they just can't do the Maria carry thing.
So we'll be right back after this on Okay, we're
(30:20):
back on first listen, I'm me and Drew, I'm Diamond,
and with Mariah Carrey's Merry Christmas album out of the way,
let's talk about some of the Christmas songs that we
love hearing on the radio every December and no.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Earlier, So earlier is right?
Speaker 1 (30:38):
So Diamond, what's what's your first favorite contemporary Christmas song?
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Sleigh Ride by TLC. It just has a vibe. It's
a good bop. You get it, and then it gives
you that Christmas feeling, you know it just I can
see myself. I close my eyes, I hear the song
and I can see myself in a store actually happy
to buy gifts for people. I do not like buying
gifts for Christmas. It is not fun, all right.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
My first pick in the Christmas song draft is Step
into Christmas by Elton Johnes.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Okay, wow, yeah, why it is?
Speaker 1 (31:18):
I think it captures everything that Christmas like popular song
should be. It's up tempo, it's fun. You had some
bells in there, but they're not featured, they're not a
main instrument. And it's like a whimsical, fun Christmas song
with a good up tempo feel.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Okay, I just added one to my list in Christmas. No,
it's Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, buy and sync. Okay, let
me tell you something. The acappella part at the end.
If that doesn't make you feel good, I don't know
what's living inside you. Okay, that is peak Christmas time
(32:05):
feel good music.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
It is.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
It's wand up fu feeling something something something to the
ceiling like. It just feels good. It really really does.
I can't believe that skipped a few things on my list.
But okay, what number are we going to?
Speaker 1 (32:20):
Top five?
Speaker 2 (32:21):
Maybe?
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Oh? I was thinking just like two or three?
Speaker 2 (32:23):
Okay, great, so I have one more, go ahead.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
Okay, the waitresses Christmas rapping rapping, w.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
R, I P P ing Do I know that one?
Is it? Like?
Speaker 1 (32:33):
It does get played?
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (32:34):
It's not a like Christmas mainstay, I would say, but
it is like Q one oh four point three will
play it. You hear it on all stations. I don't
know if you'd hear it on the light. But again,
it's an up tempo, funky, kind of new wave slash
R and B type Christmas song. It's a cool song,
(32:57):
and it's it's the kind of song that you don't need.
It doesn't need to be Christmas time for.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
You to Okay, Okay, now you're making this very hard
for me because I have three even though you told me.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
Okay, well I can add one more.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Okay, Okay, I'm gonna have to throw what Christmas Means
to Me by Stevie wondering there I mentioned it earlier
in the episode. I just think that this is like
a feel good Christmas song. If I'm in a car
on Christmas driving to a family member's house and I
(33:38):
don't hear this song, it's kind of like, what's the point,
you know, Like I don't know, I think this should
be a necessity for all black households on Christmas. I'm
just saying, I'm just saying, you know, it just feels good.
Doom doom, you can't see yourself driving. It's kind of
like I equate it to like Charlie Brown, you know how.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
Okay, people you have to watch.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
Charlie Brown and the Holiday Season, which I think is
the dumbest shit.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
I cannot stand my music from that. I'm sorry, it's
so sad, it's horrible, Okay, but.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
It's a necessity, right Like people make it seem like
their holidays season is just not it without Charlie Brown.
So I feel like holiday season.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
The other thing that occurred to me about this Alton
John Pick and I thinking and Stevie are a little
bit on the same wavelength. These Christmas, these original Christmas songs.
The first lyric of step into Christmas. It just came
to me, is welcome to my Christmas song.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
Stop stop, I have to go listen.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
Now you're gonna love it. Stop and then my last choice.
And I haven't thought deeply about this, okay, so I
may regret it. And this is definitely a song that
I have hated at some point in my life, but
I've come around on it, okay. And now the title okay, no,
I remember the title, Paul McCartney simply having a wonderful
(35:04):
Christmas Time? Okay, okay, maybe in parentheses, simply having a
I don't really know how.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Yeah, I know what you're talking about. I've definitely heard that.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
I want to do for Christmas time.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Yes, I love that one. I have to add that
to my list too. Any honorable mentions because I have
two honorable mentions?
Speaker 1 (35:25):
Oh of course, wham what is there? Christmas? Last Christmas?
Oh my god, what a what a bang?
Speaker 2 (35:33):
Oh? You know, Ariana Grande has a version of Last
Christmas that is actually really good. She's an honorable mention
of mine. She has a song called Santa Tell Me,
and her voice just sounds amazing, Like I would not
be surprised if that song is It will never be
on the level of what I of all I want
for Christmas is you, But I would not be surprised
(35:56):
if there's a resurgence of like this holiday album that
she did years from now.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
You never know.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
It sounds good and then of course can't Eight Days
of Christmas by Destiny's Child is just like come on,
come on, what Beyonce fan didn't grow up on listening
to that Christmas time I got the album. My mom
got me the album. I think I was in like
second grade. We didn't play about Beyonce, and I'm starting
(36:26):
to think that I don't really play about Christmas from
all the songs that I really like. So yeah, that's
all I have.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
All right, Well, that's that's Christmas. According to the AFFS
Listen podcast, Thanks everybody for listening this year. I think
we're going to do one more episode before the end
of the year, maybe a wrap up kind of show
and connect with us. Maybe I'll put some polls up
on Instagram to see if people approved of our Christmas
oone Choices. And that's at at First Listening Podcast on
(36:58):
Instagram and we'll see you next time.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
Okay, bye,
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