16 more former candidates....

16 down, oodles to go. I've already blogged about my 12 days problem, it ituns out I've somehow missed finding the perfect "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" as well. The search continues.

Quite a few favorites here but they're either the second most perfect version of a song (Bing's "And the Bells Rang") or just not quite right for this type pf compilation (the Line Material stuff). Every cut will end up on a supplemental volume though so, please, no hate mail from rabid Ray Conniff fans. (Or "Conniffreaks" as they like to call theselves)

1. The Twelve Days Of Christmas - Mantovani
2. The Twelve Days Of Christmas - Ray Conniff & Singers
3. Jing Jing A Ling - Honey And The Bees
4. Caroling Caroling - Lisa Ono
5. And The Bells Rang - Bing Crosby
6. Christmas Is - Percy Faith
7. Do You Hear What I Hear - The Gamble Folk
8. Jingle Jangle - The Penguins
9. O' Bambino - Harry Simeone Chorale
10. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen - The Glad Singers
11. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - The Mike Sammes Singers
12. Winter Wonderland - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
13. Welcome Christmas - The Grinch Who Stole Christmas
14. The Kinds of Christmas - Line Material
15. Let's Trim the Christmas Tree - Line Material
16. Christmas Collage - Kathy Mattea

The Twleve Days of Christmas

Today I pit the three remaining versions of The Twelve Days of Christmas against each other and, much to my surprise, none of them seemed quite "perfect". I don't know how I overlooked better versions from other artists - perhaps it was the length and repetition inherent in the song that I unconsciously steered away from, maybe I was burned out from a surfeit of jolliness. I don't know but I've decided to keep Bing and the Andrew Sisters for now and move Mantovani and Ray Conniff to the supplemental volumes.

I even considered the Sesame Street version, featuring a stirring lead vocal from Cookie Monster, already destined for a kiddie themed mix but couldn't quite being myself to add it.

Do you have a favorite version of The Twelve Days of Christtmas you think I should consider? Let me know in the comments!

Perfect Candidates List - July Update

Update: Looks like I forgot to add a week's worth of new candidates a couple of months ago! New total is now 162 - I've updated the Master list (below) with the missing tunes...

Here's the most recent Master List. 162 top tinsel tunes. Time to get to work paring it down to something in the low double digits....

1. (There's No Place Like) Home For the Holidays - Perry Como
2. A Christmas Medley - Arthur Fiedler & The Boston Pops
3. A Christmas Toast - Bing Crosby
4. A Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives
5. A Marshmallow World - Johnny Mathis
6. A Merry Christmas At Grandmother's - The Andrew Sisters with Danny Kaye
7. A Merry Christmas Song - Living Strings & Living Voices
8. A Song And A Christmas Tree (The Twelve Days Of Christmas) - Andy Williams
9. A Time To Be Jolly - Bing Crosby
10. A Very Merry Christmas - Cliff Edwards
11. All I Want for Christmas (is my Two Front Teeth) - Nat King Cole
12. And The Bells Rang - Bing Crosby
13. And The Bells Rang - The Modernaires
14. Angels We Have Heard on High - The Roches
15. Baby, It's Cold Outside - Carmen McRae & Sammy Davis Jr.
16. Baby, It's Cold Outside - Dean Martin
17. Blue Christmas - Johnny Mathis
18. Buon Natale (Means Merry Christmas To You) - Nat King Cole
19. Buon Natale - Al Caiola and Riz Ortolani
20. Caroling, Caroling - Nat King Cole
21. Caroling Caroling - Lisa Ono
22. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Darlene Love
23. Christmas Can't Be Far Away - Burl Ives
24. Christmas Carols - Lawrence Welk & His Champagne Music
25. Christmas Chimes - Andre Kostelanetz
26. Christmas Chopsticks--Bobby Vinton
27. Christmas Chopsticks - Andre Kostelanetz And His Orchestra
28. Christmas Collage - Kathy Mattea
29. Christmas Is - Lou Rawls
30. Christmas Is - Percy Faith
31. Christmas Is A-Comin'- Bing Crosby
32. Christmas Rush - Vincent Lopez
33. Christmas Time All Over The World - Sammy Davis, Jr
34. Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal) - Vince Guaraldi Trio
35. Christmas in Killarney - Bing Crosby
36. Comfort And Joy - Simon & Garfunkel
37. Cool Yule - Louis Armstrong
38. Deck the Halls - Nat King Cole
39. Ding Dong! Merrily on High - The King's Singers
40. Do You Hear What I Hear - Andy Williams
41. Do You Hear What I Hear - Bing Crosby
42. Do You Hear What I Hear - Johnny Mathis
43. Do You Hear What I Hear - The Gamble Folk
44. Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano
45. First Snowfall Medley - The Carpenters
46. Frosty The Snowman - Jimmy Durante
47. Frosty the Snowman/Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer - Henry Mancini
48. Give Love on Christmas Day - The Temptations
49. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen - Ray Conniff
50. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen - The Glad Singers
51. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - The Mike Sammes Singers
52. Happy Sleigh Ride - Ferrante And Teicher
53. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Julie Andrews
54. Hark the Herald Angels Sing - Andre Kostelanetz
55. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - The Going Thing
56. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Judy Garland
57. Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) - Elvis Presley
58. Here Comes Santa Claus - Doris Day
59. Here Comes Santa Claus - The Mills Brothers
60. Here We Come A-Caroling - Ray Conniff Singers
61. Holiday For Bells - Bert Kaempfert
62. Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives
63. I'll Be Home For Christmas - Doris Day
64. I'll Be Home For Christmas - Joao Bosco
65. I'll Be Home for Christmas - Frank Sinatra
66. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - Dean Martin
67. I Don't Intend To Spend Christmas Without You - Claudine Longet
68. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day - Burl Ives
69. I Saw Three Ships - Nat King Cole
70. I Wouldn't Trade Christmas - The Sinatra Family
71. It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas - Bing Crosby
72. It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas - Perry Cuomo
73. It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year - Andy Williams
74. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Johnny Mathis
75. It Happened In Sun Valley - The Original Glenn Miller Singers
76. Jing-A-Ling-A-Ling - Wayne King and His Orchestra
77. Jing Jing A Ling - Honey And The Bees
78. Jingle Bell Rock - Anita Kerr Singers
79. Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms
80. Jingle Bells - The Norman Luboff Choir
81. Jingle Bells/Sleigh Ride - Henry Mancini
82. Jingle Jangle - The Penguins
83. Joy to the World - Percy Faith and His Orchestra
84. Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells - Andy Williams
85. Let's Trim the Christmas Tree - Line Material
86. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - Andre Kostelanetz
87. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow - Dean Martin
88. Let It Snow, Let It Snow - Randy Van Horne Singers
89. Little Drummer Boy-Peace On Earth -Bing Crosby & David Bowie
90. Little Jack Frost, Get Lost - Bing Crosby (with Peggy Lee)
91. Lullaby For Christmas Eve - Judith Durham
92. Medley: Pine Cones And Holly Berries (with It's Beginning To Look Like Christmas), We Wish You A Merry Christmas - The Living Voices
93. Medley: a. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, b. Deck the Halls, c. Hark! the Herald Angels Sing - Henry Mancini
94. Mele Kalikimaka (Christmas in Hawaii) - KT Tunstall
95. Merry Christmas Polka - Freddy Martin w. Merv Griffin
96. Mistletoe & Holly - Jack Jones
97. My Christmas Tree - The Going Thing
98. My Favorite Things - Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass
99. My Favorite Things - Living Strings & Living Voices
100. O' Bambino - Harry Simeone Chorale
101. O Holy Night - Andy Williams
102. O Little Town Of Bethlehem - Domenico Savino And His Orchestra
103. Oh Come, All ye Faithful - Elvis Presley
104. Oiche Chiún (Silent Night) - Enya
105. Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers - Dick Schory's Percussion Pops
106. Pretty Snowflakes - Patti Page
107. Ring Christmas Bells - We Wish You A Merry Christmas - Living Strings & Living Voices
108. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
109. Round and Round The Christmas Tree - Bing Crosby
110. Rudolf, The Red Nosed Reindeer Mambo - Billy May
111. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer - Tex Beneke, Ray Eberle And The Modernaires
112. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer - Gene Autry
113. Santa Claus Is Back In Town - Elvis Presley
114. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Peppermint Kandy Kids
115. Schlittenfahrt Zum Weihnachtma - James Last
116. Silent Night - The Norman Luboff Choir
117. Skating - Vince Guaraldi Trio
118. Sleigh Ride - Al Cailoa & Riz Ortolani
119. Sleigh Ride - Arthur Fiedler
120. Sleigh Ride - Ella Fitzgerald
121. Sleigh Ride - Johnny Mathis
122. Sleigh Ride - KT Tunstall
123. Snow - Claudine Longet
124. Snowfall - Enoch Light
125. Snowfall - The Manhattan Transfer
126. Song of the Sleigh Bells - June Hutton
127. The Bell That Couldn't Jingle - Anita Kerr Singers
128. The Bell That Couldn't Jingle - Burt Bacharach
129. The Bell That Couldn't Jingle - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
130. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) - Johnny Mathis
131. The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole
132. The Christmas Waltz - Frank Sinatra
133. The Christmas Waltz - Peggy Lee
134. The First Noel - Domenico Savino And His Orchestra
135. The First Snowfall- Bing Crosby
136. The Holly And The Ivy - The Norman Luboff Choir
137. The Jolly Old Man In the Bright Red Suit - Vaughn Monroe
138. The Kinds of Christmas - Line Material
139. The Little Drummer Boy - Anita Kerr Singers
140. The Little Drummer Boy - Harry Simeone Chorale
141. The Little Drummer Boy - The Living Voices
142. The Man with the Bag - Kay Starr
143. The Merriest - June Christy
144. The Secret of Christmas - Julie Andrews
145. The Sounds Of Christmas - Catherine McKinnon
146. The Sounds of Christmas - Johnny Mathis
147. The Twelve Days Of Christmas - Andrews Sisters w/ Bing Crosby
148. The Twelve Days Of Christmas - Mantovani
149. The Twelve Days Of Christmas - Ray Conniff & Singers
150. Twas The Night Before Christmas - Fred Waring
151. Twas The Night Before Christmas - Jo Stafford
152. Twas the Night Before Christmas - Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians
153. Wassail Song O Christmas Tree I Saw Three Ships - Arthur Fiedler & the Boston
154. We Wish You A Merry Christmas/Jingle Bells/Where Did My Snowman Go - Gunter Kallmann Choir
155. We Wish You The Merriest - The Original Glenn Miller Singers
156. Welcome Christmas - The Grinch Who Stole Christmas
157. What Child is This - Vince Guaraldi Trio
158. White Christmas - Bing Crosby
159. Winter Weather - Jo Stafford
160. Winter Wonderland - Bing Crosby
161. Winter Wonderland - Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
162. Winter Wonderland - Johnny Mathis

Perfect Candidates - July 7

Finally an update.

To tell the truth I've been a bit burnt out the last few weeks. It took half a year of non-stop Christmas music before I found myself actively avoiding the stuff but it did eventually happen. I think I'm coming out of it now though and hope to have posts up on at least a weekly basis from here on out. Famous last words...

Only one addition to report...

• Lullaby For Christmas Eve - Judith Durham