Back to top

A Christmas Carol Playlist 2: Jingle Bells

"Indeed, the first patient chart is that of Fanny Bright, an 89-year-old woman from Major Manor Care, who has a history of vomiting blood. Fanny seems cheerful and a little confused."

- It's amazing what you can find on Google, and she's still not a real person.

Presenting my second Christmas Carol Playlist - namely, Jingle Bells. Thirty-six different versions. I've come up with just about every imaginable style (except for wobbleboard). I'll link to legally streamable sources wherever possible.

  1. We'll start with an orchestral version: The Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra
  2. The quintessentially American from Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald
  3. Frank Sinatra
  4. Rosemary Clooney
  5. Nat King Cole
  6. and a choral rendition from the St Finian's Caroling Choir
  7. The Australian flag is flown by two iconic kids groups: Hi-5
  8. and The Wiggles
  9. A really wonderful jazz version from Houston Person and Etta Jones
  10. and a truly sultry rendition by Lisa Loeb
  11. Let's swing: Glenn Miller
  12. Benny Carter and His Swing Band
  13. Denver and the Mile High Orchestra
  14. a neat British blues version from Peter Green and the Men In Blue
  15. The Bombay Dub Orchestra
    have given us a great mix based on some groovy Joe Williams vocals
  16. Down the country road with: Merle Haggard
  17. Donna Fargo
  18. Reverend Horton Heat
  19. and Southern Scratch
  20. a self-explanatory version from the Dixieland Ramblers
  21. a polka from Harry Fontenot off a compliation album called Merry Cajun Christmas (Volumes I And II)
  22. The animal version, or at least, the amphibian: Bermuda Tree Frogs
  23. The Jordanaires
    - Elvis' backing group at one time, and sounding darn like His Pelvicness here
  24. An elevator music version by Jack Nitschke from the soundtrack of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
  25. and the New-Age Japanese version from Kitaro
  26. It's worth noting that the original melody from Pierpoint's "One Horse Open Sleigh" days is slightly different from that we know and love now. Project Gutenberg has an automated rendition of that version in various formats (go straight to the MP3 link),
  27. while Wikipedia gives us (in ogg vorbis) a version that I could only describe as the Stephen Hawking Mix
  28. Spanish language versions from Navidades Antillanas
  29. and, under the title of "Cascabel", one from a compilation album entitled It's A Cuban Christmas
  30. The obligatory ringtone version:
    Crazy Frog
  31. while the United States Navy Band gives us (I kid you not) "Duelling Jingle Bells"
  32. And on the more subversive level: Barenaked Ladies
  33. Crash Test Dummies
  34. and Mojo Nixon and the Toadliquors - which is not quite what you might think
  35. a glorious Yiddish version from The Klezmonauts (and more about them in a later playlist)
  36. Finally, from his five-CD box set of Christmas songs, the mercurial Sufjan Stevens
    thumps the ivories for 36 seconds.

I have a few other versions in my possession that are just too bland or boring. If I get the chance before Christmas I'll refine this list down to ten or twenty.