I wrote this guest post in 2010 for Elvis Today.
Outside of Oldies stations and incidental music, I never hear Elvis on the radio here in the United States anymore – except at Christmas time. This phenomenon is not unique to Elvis, though. The same applies to Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, and many other legends who seemingly turn up in the collective consciousness only during this season. There is something universal about Christmas music that spans across generations and genres.
Non-fans in the general public often seem to enjoy Christmas music by Elvis, even if they listen to little else by him the rest of the year. As an Elvis fan, it’s actually hard for me to relate to that point of view. It seems to me, if they enjoy his Christmas music, they could just as easily enjoy his other music all year long, just like we do.
The next time one of your friends asks you to recommend some Elvis Christmas music, consider giving her or him both some Christmas and year-round music selections. They might be surprised to learn that Elvis is not just for Christmas anymore.
With that in mind, I started thinking of non-seasonal songs with similar vibes as his Christmas music.
- Trade “Blue Christmas” (1957) for “One Night” (1957)
- Trade “White Christmas” (1957) for “Such A Night” (1960)
- Trade “Here Comes Santa Claus” (1957) for “Treat Me Nice” (1957)
- Trade “Silent Night” (1957) for “Love Me” (1956)
- Trade “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (1957) for “Young And Beautiful” (1957)
- Trade “Santa Bring My Baby Back” (1957) for “Got A Lot O’ Livin’ To Do” (1957)
- Trade “Santa Claus Is Back In Town” (1957) for “Reconsider Baby” (1960)
- Trade “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” (1957) for “Don’t” (1957)
- Trade “Santa Lucia” (1963) for “It’s Now Or Never” (1960)
- Trade “If Every Day Was Like Christmas” (1966) for “I’ll Remember You” (1966)
- Trade “Blue Christmas” (Live-1968) for “One Night” (Live-1968)
- Trade “It Won’t Seem Like Christmas” (1971) for “Where Did They Go, Lord” (1970)
- Trade “If I Get Home On Christmas Day” (1971) for “It’s A Matter Of Time” (1972)
- Trade “Holly Leaves And Christmas Trees” (1971) for “Separate Ways” (1972)
- Trade “Merry Christmas Baby” (1971) for “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” (1971)
- Trade “Silver Bells” (1971) for “Stranger In The Crowd” (1970)
- Trade “I’ll Be Home On Christmas Day” (1971) for “I’m Leavin”” (1971)
- Trade “On A Snowy Christmas Night” (1971) for “How The Web Was Woven” (1970)
- Trade “Winter Wonderland” (1971) for “Jailhouse Rock” (Live-1968)
- Trade “O Come All Ye Faithful” (1971) for “Always On My Mind” (1972)
- Trade “The First Noel” (1971) for “We Can Make The Morning” (1971)
- Trade “The Wonderful World Of Christmas” (1971) for “Help Me Make It Through The Night” (1971)
So, there you have it, a non-seasonal playlist designed to feel like Elvis’ Christmas music. Maybe next year, Sony can release a double CD Christmas gift set with this kind of theme. It would give them a chance to put a slightly different twist on their annual Elvis Christmas music re-release.
My thanks to Thomas for letting me ramble on here on Elvis Today. Have a wonderful Christmas and a merry New Year, everyone!
/TY, The Mystery Train
The Mystery Train 