Santa Baby - Cynthia Basinet

I had to relearn something today: I always thought this version of Santa Baby was by Marilyn Monroe. My bad! Actually, Cynthia Basinet recorded it in 1997 as a gift for Jack Nicholson but somehow the rest of the world still credited Monroe. I wonder if this works to Basinet's advantage or whether it is just annoying?

This is a perfect song for Christmas Eve. After all, a girl's gotta dream, right? There are other less tolerable versions of Santa Baby which try to go for the cutesy pie appeal but they fall short of Basinet's smooth style and classy vocals. See what you think:

White Christmas - Bing Crosby

White Christmas by Bing Crosby has to go down as one of the greatest Christmas songs ever, even for those of us who celebrate Christmas in summer. I came across this montage of performances by Crosby and am amazed at the consistency of his singing. It makes me wonder how many times he performed this very song during his career and hope he still got pleasure from it after all those times.

Christmas All Over Again - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Here's another non-typical Christmas song with rocky undertones. Christmas All Over Again by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers reminds me of years of Christmas seasons with my band. We didn't play this number ourselves but it was part of the Christmas CD I'd play during our third break ... actually, that brings back mixed memories but this is one of the songs I preferred listening to every December.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas - Johnny Mathis

I'm not sure why I have a fondness for cheesy northern hemisphere Christmas music; things couldn't look more different to those snowy chocolate box scenes here in New Zealand at this time of the year. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas is another Christmas offering by Johnny Mathis. Once again, there are many, many versions around and this one was also made famous by a movie sequel - but I won't hold that against it. I actually think it's just Mathis' dulcet tones that could win me over with almost anything he sings - don't you agree?

Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms

Jingle Bell Rocks really does rock. This classic Christmas song from Bobby Helms has been around forever and was his biggest hit. I guess if you are going to have a hit, make it a Christmas one and that way you'll be remembered every year. A whole stack of other versions have been released since then but Bobby Helms' version is the one we all know and love. I'll bet you can't listen to it without a smile on your face!

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

If you Google Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, you will find versions by dozens of artists - just check out this list! One I like (even if it borders on cliché) is by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Again, there are heaps of versions of the band performing this live at Christmas shows, each with its own variation on the ad lib at the start. It picks up near the middle and turns into quite a rocky version, one which even goes well with ukulele backing! What will Santa Claus bring you for Christmas?

Someday at Christmas - Stevie Wonder

Someday at Christmas is a beautiful song of hope and a wish for peace. Released by a young Stevie Wonder during the Vietnam War, it is of the first Christmas songs with a political message, one which is just as pertinent today. Someday at Christmas manages to combine Wonder's youthful sound with an important anti-war message, asking questions about what is important and putting into perspective what Christmas really means.

Driving Home for Christmas - Chris Rea

Christmas songs are largely about anticipation and looking forward to something, whether it it's a big meal, a family event, truckloads of presents or the whole holiday being over and done with as soon as possible. I quite like Driving Home for Christmas by Chris Rea, whose voice and musical sound is not so Christmassy and therefore conveys not only anticipation, but also impatience, tiredness and the feeling that time d r a g s  o u t  so very much at this time of the year - especially for those who have to work through or up until the last minute. Save driving, everyone!

When a Child is Born - Johnny Mathis

I am actually a traditionalist at heart. When a Child is Born is one of the most lovely, hopeful songs around and Johnny Mathis' version is sure to soften even the hardest of hearts at Christmas time. Even though the lyrics don't specifically mention Christmas, there are many references which allude to the hope, promise and expectation that surrounds the birth of a child, and one in particular. Simply beautiful.

Fairytale of New York - The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl

As clichéd as this song has become in bars and Irish pubs around the world, Fairytale of New York by The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl is essentially a bittersweet love song with something for everyone: hope, cheap romance and passion, as well as drunkenness, naughty words and insults for the boys to chuckle at. A working class immigrant couple down on their luck are plagued by alcoholism and drug addiction before being swallowed up by the big apple itself ... dreams are crushed and reality bites. All good Christmas themes, right? ;-)

Snoopy's Christmas - The Royal Guardsmen

And so begins Café Chick's 12 days of Christmas. :-)

Here's a song to polarise the punters. I've decided to start with it and see who sticks around. As a huge Snoopy fan growing up, Snoopy's Christmas by The Royal Guardemen is my annual Christmas indulgence. I spent years of Decembers playing it in my bands and somehow still manage to love it to this day. Three key changes and some great keyboard lines - what's not to love?