A Charlie Brown Christmas is a 1965 animated television special, and is the first TV special based on the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. Produced by Lee Mendelson and directed by Bill Melendez, the program made its debut on CBS on December 9, 1965. In this special, Charlie Brown finds himself depressed despite the onset of the cheerful holiday season. Lucy suggests he direct a neighborhood Christmas play, but his best efforts are ignored and mocked by his peers. After Linus tells Charlie Brown about the true meaning of Christmas, Charlie Brown cheers up, and the Peanuts gang unites to celebrate the Christmas season.
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or in the case of carols or songs may employ lyrics whose subject matter ranges from the nativity of Jesus Christ, to gift-giving and merrymaking, to cultural figures such as Santa Claus, among other topics. Many songs simply have a winter or seasonal theme, or have been adopted into the canon for other reasons.
"Joy to the World" is a popular Christmas carol with words by Isaac Watts. The words of the hymn are based on Psalm 98, Psalm 96 and Genesis Chapter 3. As of the late 20th century, "Joy to the World" was the most-published Christmas hymn in North America.
"Jingle Bells" is one of the best-known and commonly sung American songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont (1822–1893) and published under the title "The One Horse Open Sleigh" in the autumn of 1857. It has been claimed that it was originally written to be sung by a Sunday school choir, or as a drinking song. Although it has no original connection to Christmas, it became associated with Christmas music and the holiday season in general decades after it was first performed by blackface minstrel performer Johnny Pell in Ordway Hall on September 16, 1857. Some area choirs adopted it as part of their repertoire in the 1860s and 1870s, and it was featured in a variety of parlor song and college anthologies in the 1880s. It was first recorded in 1889 on an Edison cylinder; this recording, believed to be the first Christmas record, is lost, but an 1898 recording also from Edison Records survives.
"I Got You " is a song by American singer James Brown. First recorded for the album Out of Sight and then released in an alternate take as a single in 1965, it was his highest charting song and is arguably his best-known recording.
A Charlie Brown Christmas is the eighth studio album by American jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi. The album was released in December 1965 in the U.S. by Fantasy Records and was Guaraldi's final studio album for the label. It is the soundtrack to the Christmas television special of the same name.
"Carol of the Bells" is a popular Christmas carol, with music by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych in 1914 and lyrics by Peter J. Wilhousky. The song is based on the Ukrainian folk chant "Shchedryk". Wilhousky's lyrics are under copyright protection ; the music is in the public domain.
"The Christmas Song" is a classic Christmas song written in 1945 by Robert Wells and Mel Tormé.
"Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud" is a funk song performed by James Brown and written with his bandleader Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis in 1968. The first part of the song was arranged by Belford "Sinky" Hendricks. It was released as a two-part single which held the number-one spot on the R&B singles chart for six weeks, and peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. Both parts of the single were later included on James Brown's 1968 album A Soulful Christmas and on his 1969 album sharing the title of the song. The song became an unofficial anthem of the Black Power movement.
"White Christmas" is an Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting. The song was written by Berlin for the musical film Holiday Inn, released in 1942. The composition won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 15th Academy Awards.
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"Hard Candy Christmas" is a song written by composer-lyricist Carol Hall for the musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
"River" is a Christmas folk song by Joni Mitchell, from her 1971 album Blue. Although never released as a single, it holds second place among Mitchell's songs most recorded by other artists.
This Christmas is a 2007 American Christmas romantic musical comedy-drama film produced by Rainforest Films and distributed by Screen Gems. Written, produced and directed by Preston A. Whitmore II, it is a Christmas time story that centers on the Whitfield family, whose eldest has come home for the first time in four years. The film is named after the 1970 Donny Hathaway song of the same name, which is covered by Chris Brown in the film. The Whitfield family overcome many trials and obstacles during the Christmas season.
"Merry Christmas Baby" is an R&B Christmas standard credited to Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore and originally recorded in 1947 by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, featuring the singer and pianist Charles Brown. It has been covered by many artists, including Chuck Berry, Ike & Tina Turner, Otis Redding, B.B. King, Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, Hanson and Melissa Etheridge.
Pentatonix is an American a cappella group from Arlington, Texas, consisting of vocalists Scott Hoying (baritone), Mitch Grassi (tenor), Kirstin Maldonado (mezzo-soprano), Kevin Olusola, and Matt Sallee (bass). Characterized by their pop-style arrangements with vocal harmonies, basslines, riffing, percussion, and beatboxing, they produce cover versions of modern pop works or Christmas songs, sometimes in the form of medleys, along with original material. Pentatonix formed in 2011 and subsequently won the third season of NBC's The Sing-Off, receiving $200,000 and a recording contract with Sony Music. When Sony's Epic Records dropped the group after The Sing-Off, the group formed its YouTube channel, distributing its music through Madison Gate Records, a label owned by Sony Pictures. Their YouTube channel currently has over 18 million subscribers and 4 billion views. The group's video tribute to Daft Punk had received over 341 million views as of December 26, 2020.
The Merry Christmas Album is the 58th studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released on November 16, 1999, by Waxworks Records. It contains 11 Christmas related songs co-written with Derrick Monk who also produced the album. Heather Phares, writing for AllMusic, felt the album was fun but not one of Brown's best.
James Brown Sings Christmas Songs is the thirteenth studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released in November 1966, by King Records.
The Complete James Brown Christmas is a compilation album by James Brown. The double album CD set was released on October 12, 2010, on Hip-O-Select. It comprises all the tracks from James Brown Sings Christmas Songs (1966), A Soulful Christmas (1968), and Hey America (1970) and adds relevant singles and single edits.
James Brown's Funky Christmas is a compilation of the best songs from James Brown's three earlier Christmas albums, 1966's James Brown Sings Christmas Songs, 1968's A Soulful Christmas and 1970's Hey America It's Christmas. This album was also released under the title of 20th Century Masters: The Best of James Brown, The Christmas Collection.
