Episode 52: Christmas Music of the 70s
PLAY LIST
Feliz Navidad by Jose Feliciano (1970)
Merry Christmas, Darling by The Carpenters (1970)
Snow Miser/Heat Miser by Dick Shawn and George S. Irving (1974)
Step into Christmas by Elton John (1974)
Father Christmas by The Kinks (1977)
Please Come Home for Christmas by The Eagles (1978)
SUMMARY
The 1970s were a pivotal decade for Christmas music, witnessing a blend of traditional carols, contemporary pop, and the rise of holiday-themed albums, such as “Christmas Portrait” by The Carpenters. Artists from various genres contributed to the era's festive sound, leaving a lasting impact on how Christmas music is celebrated today. While there were, of course, many covers of Christmas classics, artists such as Jose Feliciano and Elton John with Bernie Taupin wrote original songs that became classics in their own right.
SOURCES
References
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del Barco, Mandalit. 2020. “50 Years Later, 'Feliz Navidad' Still Delivers On Its Bilingual Message.” NPR. https://www.npr.org/2020/12/14/945401085/50-years-later-feliz-navidad-still-delivers-on-its-bilingual-message.
DeRiso, Nick. 2020. “How 'Please Come Home for Christmas' Emerged From Eagles Time-Out.” Ultimate Classic Rock. https://ultimateclassicrock.com/eagles-please-come-home-for-christmas/.
Erickson, Randy. 2005. “Pooler's Song Dashed Off for a Girl Became a Christmas Standard.” Lacrosse Tribube, December 23, 2005.
“50 Years Later, 'Feliz Navidad' Still Delivers On Its Bilingual Message.” 2020. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2020/12/14/945401085/50-years-later-feliz-navidad-still-delivers-on-its-bilingual-message.
Grein, Paul. 2024. “The Carpenters 'Christmas Once More' Collection will be Released This Holiday Season.” Billboard.
The Guardian. 1977. “His Preservation is a Miracle--Robin Denselow Meets Ray Davies of the Fashion-Defying Kinks.” December 23, 1977.
Hillburn, Robert. 1978. “Eagles Soar for the Holidays.” Los Angeles Times, November 25, 1978.
“The Kinks' Dave Davies says band's classic holiday song "Father Christmas" is "very special to me."” 2018. ABC Radio. https://web.archive.org/web/20210418021129/http://abcnewsradioonline.com/music-news/2018/12/24/the-kinks-dave-davies-says-bands-classic-holiday-song-father.html.
“Step into Christmas.” 2020. Elton John. https://www.eltonjohn.com/stories/step-into-christmas.
Wasserman, John. 1970. “5th Dimension Still Going Up.” Honolulu Star-Bulletin, December 27, 1970.
Weber, Roger. 2019. “The 1968 National Anthem Performance That Changed José Feliciano's Life.” WBUR. https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2019/04/12/jose-feliciano-susan-tigers-world-series.