Watermark Staff 2012 Holiday Mix

Watermark Staff 2012 Holiday Mix

This year, Watermark‘s staff decided to give a little gift “ we selected our favorite holiday songs and created a Spotify playlist to share them with our wonderful readers. We also told you why those songs are our favorites this time of year.

Hope you enjoy! Happy holidays to you, from your friends at Watermark!


Hear the playlist: Watermark Staff 2012 Holiday Mix

Here’s the track list:

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year performed by Andy Williams, selected by Mark Cady, sales manager. “Andy Williams has been one of my favorite singers since I was a child.  We had the Andy Williams Christmas Album and every time I hear that song it takes me back to my childhood and the Christmas’ that were always over the top in our house.  Mom’s baking, picking out the REAL tree, decorating it as a family, the presents that filled the living room and anticipation of Santa loading us up with more toys than we could ever play with.”

Merry Christmas from the Family, performed by Robert Earl Keen, selected by Don Williams, sales representative. “Because any song with these lyrics is a hit with me:
Carve the Turkey
Turn the ball game on
Mix margaritas when the eggnog’s gone
Send somebody to the Quickpak Store
We need some ice and an extension chord
A can of bean dip and some Diet Rites
A box of tampons, Marlboro Lights
Haleluja everybody say Cheese
Merry Christmas from the family!

I Wanna Hippopotamus for Christmas performed by Gayla Peevey, selected by Steve Blanchard, editor-in-chief. “I remember my parents playing the song and as a kid it made me laugh. It actually still makes me laugh.

Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley, selected by Jamie Hyman, director of online media. “I had a great childhood and was generally pretty cheery as a kid, but I seemed to have this odd morbid streak. Much to my mom’s chagrin, my favorite song in any genre was the saddest. (My obsession with Wayne Cochran’s “Last Kiss” was especially disturbing.) Blue Christmas is not the most depressing – that honor goes to the wretched Christmas Shoes – but Elvis crooning about unrequited love was a weird choice for a 5-year-old’s favorite carol. Oh well. I still love it.

O Holy Night by Clay Aiken, selected by Rick Claggett, chief financial officer. “O Holy Night is by far my favorite Holiday song. I like almost every version but Clay Aiken’s version stands out to me.  It isn’t just because he is gay nor because he should have won American Idol Season 2 (Ruben who?), but because his voice is clear and powerful. Great! Now I sound like a ClayMate.  I swear I am not.”

Publisher Tom Dyer also chose O Holy Night, saying “It’s my favorite because when they get to the “Fall on your knees, hear the angel voices, oh night divine, oh night when Christ was born” part I always, always get goose bumps.”

Christ is Born, performed by The Carpenters, selected by David Moran, writer. “Nostalgia alert! Karen Carpenters’ voice makes my heart melt and this song, from one of my Mom’s favorite Christmas albums, reminds me of her and my family.

Baby It’s Cold Outside performed by Cee Lo Green and Christina Aguilara, selected by Scott McCauley, sales representative. “Cee Lo is an amazing all around musician and Christina Aguilera to me is better at Jazz than any other genre.”

The Bells of St. Mary performed by Sheryl Crow, selected by Sam Rennels, sales representative. “It’s my favorite version of my favorite holiday song. It was on a Christmas CD given to me by a client when I was here [working at Watermark] in 2001.”

12 Days of Christmas Medley performed by Straight No Chaser, selected by Ed Blaisdell, proofreader and a cappella enthusiast. “Originally performed in 1998, this clever a cappella version of the Christmas classic became a YouTube sensation in 2006. As a result of its newfound popularity, the original members of this Indiana University men’s a cappella group reunited and launched their highly successful performing and recording career. Basically, this is every college a cappella singer’s fantasy come true. Happy Holidays!”

Flurries performed by August Burns Red, selected by Jake Stevens, creative director. “It was the most metal I could get without blowing people’s minds straight into the stratosphere.”
Silent Night performed by Rhan Wilson, selected by Andres Duputel, creative assistant. “To me, the song itself always sounded very sad to begin with. This version, set in a minor key, adds a haunted, dark and bittersweet quality which I love.”

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas performed by Judy Garland, selected by Erik Caban, administrative assistant and writer. “It’s just not Christmas to me without hearing her rendition. I guarantee if you watch Meet Me in St. Louis – for which the song was written for her – you’re bound to not have a dry eye by the end of Ms. Garland’s performance of it in the film. Her intensity and unadulterated talent pull at my heartstrings every time. And yes, that was a nod to The Trolley Song.”

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