Christmas Conga! Real Gone Announces First Wave of Holiday Lineup
Sure, you can wait to find Real Gone’s lineup of holiday-themed titles under the tree, but why wait? A trio of merry Yuletide albums will be available on color vinyl on November 1, including Cyndi Lauper’s Merry Christmas… Have A Nice Life!, the Home Alone Christmas soundtrack compilation, and the soundtrack to Love Actually.
First up: Cyndi Lauper’s Merry Christmas… Have A Nice Life! This often-overlooked slice of Lauper’s discography is a fresh spin on the time-honored tradition of the Christmas album. The album was partly inspired by motherhood; in fact, the story goes that Cyndi tracked most of the album at her home while her son slept, including the tribute “New Years’s Baby (First Lullaby).” In addition to traditional fare like “Three Ships” and “Silent Night,” and more recent classics like “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” Cyndi offers up eight original Christmas-themed tunes, including the bawdy “Minnie and Santa,” and the sassy “Christmas Conga.” In all, it’s a blend of Cyndi’s bubbly personality and that ’round-the-fireplace warmth that’s essential to any Christmas album. Real Gone’s new reissue of Merry Christmas… Have A Nice Life! marks the album’s debut on vinyl, and the label has gone all-out with the presentation. Each of the 1,000 limited-edition units is is pressed on season-appropriate green vinyl and will be housed in a newly designed gatefold jacket with lyrics so you and your family can sing along.
Speaking of family-friendly, few Christmas movies have brought families together like Home Alone series. The 1992 compilation Home Alone Christmas collected 12 of the best songs from the first two Home Alone movies to create a special, Christmas-themed collection. It’s chock full of classic and contemporary selections to enjoy around the Christmas tree, including Mel Tormé’s “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” Darlene Love’s “All Alone on Christmas,” Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ “Christmas All Over Again,” along with appearances from Southside Johnny, TLC, Alan Jackson, and score selections by John Williams. Now that album gets the luxury vinyl treatment, pressed on holly green vinyl and limited to just 1,500 copies.
Last but not least, the classic Christmas-y soundtrack to Love Actually will be newly pressed on limited-edition red and white “candy cane” vinyl. With a clever plot of ten interlocking stories and star-studded cast of Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, and many more, Love Actually has become one of the most acclaimed romantic comedies of the last twenty years. The film’s ever-popular soundtrack features the likes of The Beach Boys, Eva Cassidy, Joni Mitchell, The Pointer Sisters, Maroon 5, Kelly Clarkson, Norah Jones, and Dido, among others. For their vinyl version, Real Gone has followed the track listing of the U.S. CD release, including three original, Christmas-themed bonus tracks by Billy Mack, Olivia Olson, and Otis Redding.
All three titles are due on November 1 from Real Gone Music. You can order them with the links below, and stay tuned for news on Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music’s upcoming Christmas releases!
Cyndi Lauper, Merry Christmas… 😛 Have A Nice Life! (originally Epic CD EK-69611, 1998 — reissued Real Gone Music, 2019) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
- Home on Christmas Day
- Early Christmas Morning
- Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
- Christmas Conga
- Minnie and Santa
- Feels Like Christmas
- Three Ships
- New Year’s Baby (First Lullaby)
- December Child
- In the Bleak Midwinter
- Silent Night
Various Artists, Home Alone Christmas (originally Fox/Arista/BMG CD 07822-18972-2, 1993 — reissued Real Gone Music, 2019) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
- Darlene Love – All Alone On Christmas
- Alan Jackson – Holly Jolly Christmas
- Fox Albert Choir – My Christmas Tree
- John Williams – Somewhere in My Memory
- Atlantic Starr – Silver Bells
- TLC – Sleigh Ride
- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Christmas All Over Again
- Southside Johnny Lyon – Please Come Home for Christmas
- John Williams – Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas
- John Williams – Carol of the Bells
- Mel Tormé – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
- Lisa Fischer – O, Come All Ye Faithful
Various Artists, Love Actually: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (originally J Records 82876-56760-2, 2003 — reissued Real Gone Music, 2019) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Side A
- Kelly Clarkson – The Trouble with Love Is
- Dido – Here With Me
- Maroon 5 – Sweetest Goodbye/Sunday Morning
- Norah Jones – Turn Me On
Side B
- Wyclef Jean featuring Sharissa – Take Me as I Am
- Eva Cassidy – Songbird
- The Calling – Wherever You Will Go
- The Pointer Sisters – Jump (For My Love)
Side C
- Joni Mitchell – Both Sides Now (2000 orchestral version)
- Lynden David Hall – All You Need Is Love
- The Beach Boys – God Only Knows
- Texas – I’ll See It Through
Side D
- Sugababes – Too Lost in You
- Craig Armstrong – Glasgow Love Theme
Bonus Songs: - Otis Redding – White Christmas
- Billy Mack – Christmas Is All Around
- Olivia Olson – All I Want for Christmas Is You
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Thanks for early Christmas 🎶News! I recommend listening to Denise Williams’ version of “Do You Hear What I Hear..” = a real toe tapper you’ll want to hear over & over. I guarantee it! What Christmas song gets you in the mood or marks the start of the holidays? For me any of the classics;) Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra,
Johnny Mathis…+contemporary artists like Carpenters, Neil Diamond, Chicago, Hall & Oates, Beach Boys….
Thanks for listening😎