The red streak is Santa's sled streaking thru the neighborhood. Debby Smith took this georgeous shot! Thanks Debby.Photo: Debby Smith
Corner of Ridgeway & Madison
The red streak is Santa's sled streaking thru the neighborhood. Debby Smith took this georgeous shot! Thanks Debby.Ridgeway Drive
Mario Gallucci sent these incredible shots. The car headlights look like stars! Thanks Mario...
photo: Mario Gallucci
Look at us all!
The list of stitchers has really grown and I just wanted to say thank you all for signing up! Could you check I've got your names and blogs right and let me know if you want anything changed please?
Just to remind you that anyone can join at any time and there's no obligation to stitch a whole ornament each month. We all know how busy life can be! However, if you decide not to carry on at all please let me know so I can remove your name from the links.
Is anyone planning their first ornament yet? Feel free to post to let us know what you're thinking of stitching. I have a list of about 40 to decide from!
Just to remind you that anyone can join at any time and there's no obligation to stitch a whole ornament each month. We all know how busy life can be! However, if you decide not to carry on at all please let me know so I can remove your name from the links.
Is anyone planning their first ornament yet? Feel free to post to let us know what you're thinking of stitching. I have a list of about 40 to decide from!
See you next year!
See you Christmas 2007!
ffffff
HAPPY NEW YEAR
vvvvvv
FROM:
Mordi from Blowupdoll - Christine from SpikedCandy - Bruno from Schlocker - Guuzbourg from Filles Sourires - Roy from Germans Under Cover - Brainwerk from Check The Cool Wax - Erik from Earth Goes Around - Wouter from The Blues Are Still Blue and me !
Fallen angel
Found this lighted Christmas ball by the side of the road, like a wounded bird, does anyone know what street its on? email me with your guesses. 
Comet lightball
Can anyone identify where the lighted comet lightball is?
email me with your guesses. Buster, you and Lisa can't vote.
email me with your guesses. Buster, you and Lisa can't vote.
Christmissippi
Lighted Christmas balls in Jackson, MS, at the home of Lus and Carolyn Brown. Click here for map.
Lus and Carolyn write:
"Christmas here is not too different than Christmas in Greensboro. I truly missed the tree ball spectacle of Sunset Hills, but our neighborhood did have lights. One of my neighbors very nearby has a destination light display on his home that involves cherry pickers to install and includes just about every available Christmas image that can be electrified and some things that don’t involve Christmas. I like the inclusion of the American flag in lights to complete the scene. We hung our tree balls, but not well. Still, we saw plenty of traffic slow down in front of our house to see our display on their way to see the main attraction down the street. Maybe tree balls can grow further south."photo: Lus & Carolyn Brown
Christmas Eve
Ridgeway Drive, looking toward Friendly Avenue. The creator of the lighted Christmas balls and her husband, little girl, and two dogs arrived from TN after a long day's drive. Many lightballs were still glowing brightly to welcome them. 
biggest lighted Christmas ball in Sunset Hills
Gardner allows a rare close up shot of his invention. 1,000 chasing lights, 24/7, over Ridgeway drive.
Silent night, Holy night, somewhere in Kirkwood
three little girls (sisters) are first to the door, leading us singing Christmas Carols.
The Blues Are Still Blue Christmas Compilation 2006
The Blues Are Still Blue presents:
Christmas Compilation 2006
The Pipettes – In The Bleak Midwinter
Tom Waits – Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis
Sufjan Stevens - Only At Christmas Time
The Ronettes - I saw mommy kissing santa claus
Ella Fitzgerald - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
The Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick
Bob Atcher & The Dinning Sisters - Christmas island
Mary Gauthier - Christmas in paradise
The Waitresses - Christmas wrapping
Yo La Tengo - It's Christmas Time
Peggy Lee - Happy holiday
Kylie Minogue - Santa Baby
The Long Blondes - Christmas Is Cancelled
Otis Redding - Merry Christmas, Baby
Tom Jones & Cerys Matthews - Baby it's cold outside
Fountains of Wayne - The man in the Santa suit
Jackson 5 - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Augie Rios - Donde Esta Santa Claus (Where is Santa Claus)
Mabel Scott - Boogie Woogie Santa Claus
Brenda Lee - I'm gonna lasso Santa Claus
Claudine Longet - I Don't Intend to Spend Christmas Without You
Sha Na Na - Santa's on a diet
Hello Saferide - I pod X-mas
James Brown - Santa Claus go straight to the getto
Marlene Paul - I Wanna Spend Christmas With Elvis
Elvis Presley - Here Comes Santa Claus
And here's my compilation from last year.
24 Decembre
This song was my first contribution to Christmas A Go Go!
It seems fitting it's also my last...
Merry Christmas everybody!
24 decembre Yikes Peach Cut remix by HANDSOMEBOY TECHNIQUE
Your Blessing
Maybe this isn't really a Christmas song, but to me it sounds liike a Phil Spector Christmas production.
Anyway, this song by Japanese group Handsomeboy Technique is one of the best songe EVER. You don't want to miss this one on your Christmas playlist.
Your Blessings
Santa's on His Way
Kay Starr - (Everybody's Waitin' for) The Man with the Bag
Henry Hall & His Orchestra - Santa Claus Express
Marianne the Polka Doll - Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (in Russian)
Tony De Nardo - Santa's on His Way
Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année!
If you love beautiful French girls with accents, you will love Vanessa Contenay-Quinones (Vanessa and The O's) special christmas greeting!
Merry Christmas in Cashiers, NC
"The lighted balls have made it to the mountains of Cashiers, North Carolina. We plan to have more each year, playing with different sizes and colors, etc. Hope to to come up with a way to tie some of the balls together and reduce the number of extension cords needed. May have to buy a cherry picker to do it!!! Thanks to Jonathan for the idea, we enjoy the decoration spread across our property." Ben & Carol Odom.
Note...word has it Ben & Carol run a clandestine B&B and as beautiful as these pictures are, they really don't do the place justice; you have to see it firsthand...
photos: Ben and Carol Odom
Pink Christmas
Nomiya Maki - Christmas in a Picture Book
In 1981, ten years before she joined Pizzicato Five, Maki Nomiya released her debut album "Pink no kokoro" (Pink Heart).
I don't think she was very successful as a teenage idol singer, but this '80's electro-pop Christmas song with bells is actually quite good!
It was 14 years ago, today
Les Pizzicato Live
Pizzicato Five live with Tokyo's Coolest Combo in concert on December 23th, 1992:
"Merry Pizzicato T.N.T."
The Audrey Hepburn Complex / Brigitte Bardot T.N.T
Enjoy the "Santa Clause Is Comming To Town" vibraphone solo!
Merry Christmas from Saint Etienne!
Saint Etienne never failed us yet!
Listen to two brand new Christmas songs on their site (quicktime format):
21st Century Christmas
Through the Winter
Or download mp3's:
21st Century Christmas
Through the Winter
Also, check out Bran Van 3000's new Chrismas song "Couch Surfin' at Christmas" : http://www.branvanrecordings.com/
(Thanks for the link Patrick!)
Santa's Little Helpers
If you're into XTC/The Dukes of Stratosphear, early Pink Floyd and some of the more inspired works of The Beatles, this is thee band for you: The Virgineers, a phantom pair of psychedelic popsters - allegedly hailing from Antarctica, but more likely being stationed somewhere on the West Coast of the United States - whose masterful 2000 debut album went by largely unnoticed and ranks high - very high, in fact - on my list of all-time faves. Unfortunately, the record is "extinct", as the band's website states, and unless you're willing to shell out a cool 130 EUR for a copy, you'll very probably have trouble tracking the damn thing down (but wait - there's one available for $ 17,50 here). For some unfathomable reason, Bruce and Ken have been largely inactive for the past six years, so it might be a while until we hear from them again. Till then, here's the two Christmas songs they made available for download on their site in 2003 and 2004, respectively.
The Virgineers - Christmas in My Mind
The Virgineers - We Are Santa's Helpers
Santa's Little Helpers
I Keep trying
I photoshopped this photo a bit also. I have one more near neighbor to do, but right now it is pouring and I don't have an underwater camera so all are safe for awhile! I have seen many people taking photos so I hope all the good ones get mailed to Jonathan.
photo: Marlene Pratto
Christmas with Tom Waits
Just leave it to Tom Waits to create the ultimate Christmas atmosphere.
Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet - Gavin Bryars with anonymous tramp and Tom Waits
Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet - Gavin Bryars with Tom Waits and anonymous tramp
Christmas Sucks - Porn Orchard
(very good Tom Waits and Peter Murphy parody, they had me fooled!)
Silent Night - Tom Waits
Rappin' Presents
Cold Chillin' Juice Crew - Cold Chillin' Xmas
Cypress Hill - The Night Before Xmas
Kurtis Blow - Christmas Rappin'
samflanagan - Frosty DMC
The Roots - Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa
Treacherous 3 - Santa's Rap
Rappin' Presents
A Huggy Bear Christmas
After having appeared in several blaxploitation movies such as Shaft, Foxy Brown and Cleopatra Jones, a small role in Karel Reisz's The Gambler got Antonio Fargas the part of the flamboyant informant Huggy Bear on the immensely popular TV series Starsky & Hutch. Shortly after the show folded in 1979, Dutch producer Ton "Shell" Schellekens, a former drummer with Netherbeat bands Brainbox, In Crowd, Big Wheel and Drama, summoned the lanky New York actor to the recording studio to lay down this rare Christmas single which saw the light of day in October 1980. While the a-side sounds disastrously like the run-of-the-mill disco stuff the Dutch used to churn out at the time (anyone remember Luv?), the b-side is a slightly funkier affair with Fargas telling a ghetto Xmas story over a fat, bass-laden backing track. I have no idea if Fargas ever recorded again, but Schellekens went on to become one of Holland's foremost producers, working with bands like Gruppo Sportivo, Herman Brood & The Wild Romance and Golden Earring with whom he recorded Cut which spawned the international hit single "Twilight Zone".
1. It's Christmas
2. Christmas Eve 1953 (Horatio)
A Huggy Bear Christmas
Winter's here
Winter's here, ain't no doubt,
And you best bundle up
before you go out
Life is hard, the world is so cold
It's very clear that the winter is here
Leafless branch, frozen ground,
Ice covers every heart like Mrs. Havisham's gown
All somehow broken, empty but hoping
Dry the tear, 'cause winter's here.
Love reaches down to the world,
For the dark and dreamless ones
bringing faith, bringing hope, bringing joy,
and the way to the light of the Sun.
Winter's here, cold the sting,
But we work giving light to the world
As we wait for the spring
Color awaits us, though winter frustrates us,
Have no fear, though the winter is here.
Winter’s here –
by Allen Levi, another guy who brings the Light
Click to hear a 30 second sound clip
And you best bundle up
before you go out
Life is hard, the world is so cold
It's very clear that the winter is here
Leafless branch, frozen ground,
Ice covers every heart like Mrs. Havisham's gown
All somehow broken, empty but hoping
Dry the tear, 'cause winter's here.
Love reaches down to the world,
For the dark and dreamless ones
bringing faith, bringing hope, bringing joy,
and the way to the light of the Sun.
Winter's here, cold the sting,
But we work giving light to the world
As we wait for the spring
Color awaits us, though winter frustrates us,
Have no fear, though the winter is here.
Winter’s here –
by Allen Levi, another guy who brings the Light
Click to hear a 30 second sound clip
Painted Lighted Christmas Balls
I keep taking pictures, but I am not please yet with any of them. Here is one I took form the middle of the street (you can tell I did not get flattened!) and then I did a little Photoshopping with it. photo: Marlene Pratto
SPECIAL Guestpost: Devon Press
A very special guestpost from one of the Christmas a go go readers:In my search for good Christmas songs this year (they're hard to find but they are out there!), I kept coming across the French chanson"Petit Papa Noël." It's a beautiful and somewhat sad song; very popular in France. I found 16 different versions of the song and every time I heard a new one, I liked the song more and more. But I felt that none of the interpretations did the song justice. So I decided to have a go at it myself. With the help of my good friend Marie-Claire and her marvelous voice, we recorded a very stripped downversion of the song. I humbly hope you enjoy it.
(Picture of Marie-Claire to the left)
Devon and Marie-Claire - Petit Papa Noël
NEW LINK!!! PLS DOWNLOAD AGAIN!!
Everyday poet writes a Greensboro "tree ball" poem
everyday poet wrote a "tree ball" poem, here:http://poetdaily.blogspot.com/2006/12/soul-assist.html.
guess every ball-laden tree feels like the "giving tree"?
A Junky's Christmas
"It's Christmas day and Danny "the Carwhiper" hit the street junk-sick and broke after 72 hours in a precinct cel. It was a clear bright day, but there was no warmth in the sun."
His dealer in jail, no friends, no dope, no hope... What's Danny going to do? How is he gonna score. How is he going to get through the day?
A tear jerking Christmas story and no happy end? Or is it..? Hark the Herald Angels...
The Junky's Christmas
Word William S. Burroughs
music The Disposable Heroes of Hiphopracy and Hal Wilner.
Tokyo's Coolest X-mas
Tokyo's Coolest Combo - Music For December's Children
Four groovy instrumentals:
- Santa Clause Is Coming To Town
- Frere Jacques
- The Work Of God
- Santa Baby
christmas blogging round-up
If you feel like overdosing on retro Christmas songs, albums and podcasts, here are all the links you'll need:
A Christmas Yuleblog
Ernie (Not Bert)
Senses Working Overtime
Bongo Bells
FaLaLaLaLa (the album pictured at left can be found in this post from last year)
I found some of these links via the excellent Mistletunes website. It features reviews of many different Christmas compilations, conveniently organised by era and themes. Check out, for example, the Tropical Christmas section.
And some of my favourite individual Christmas posts:
Johnny Cash - '12 Days of Christmas' video @ Bedazzled
60s Singaporean band Naomi & The Boys sing a Christmas tune @ Mod-ified Music
Les Chausettes Noires' Christmas 7" @ Rato Records - another share from last year that's still up (found via Bibi's Box). (Natasha has already posted the A-side here).
Merry Christmas you suckers!
Rangravers Departure Lounge shares this lovely little gem
Paddy Roberts - Merry Christmas you suckers
Chappy Chanukkah
A plus D - Give the Jew Girl Toys (Trio vs. Sarah Silverman)
dj BC - Chanukkah Song (GoyiMix)
DJ Flack - Dreidle Bells
Electric Menorah - Oh Chanukkah Bush
South Park - The Lonely Jew on Christmas
Summersault - Shalom Haverim
The Always Dangerous Steven Garvey - Dreidle, Dreidle, Dreidle
Tom Lehrer - Hanukkah in Santa Monica
Chappy Chanukkah
Add to the beauty
Historic Aycock adds to the beauty. This simple but elegant arrangement of all red lighted Christmas balls provides this stunning contrast against a
swag of all clear lights on a white picket fence.
swag of all clear lights on a white picket fence.
Three lighted Christmas balls
I always try to take pictures at night and they don't work (yet). I took this picture at dusk and thus three balls do show up. One is hard to see, but it is blue and on the left. Next time I post, I will show Sunset Hills by day! I have lots of other photos too, but I need to reduce the size. I timed traffic for a short time. One car every two seconds.
photo: mrp
White Christmas
As the effects of Global Warming will, among other niceties, be wiping about half of all European ski resorts off the map within the next few years, the romantic little dream of a "White Christmas" as celebrated in Irving Berlin's classic Christmas carol will become even more valid than before. So here's three beautiful (if rather off-beat) covers of the song: Corporal Blossom's version combines various recordings of said tune by, among others, Louis Armstrong, Elvis and Bing Crosby. As none of the samples have been cleared, the track was never actually released but appeared on Stay Free Magazine's brilliant Illegal Art Compilation. Berlin's lovely Barbara Morgenstern laid down a completely computer-generated but none the less quite cosy version, sampling bits of Ray Anthony (or is it Herb Alpert?) and a sweetly jubilating children's choir, while Miss Frenchie chimes in with a "remix" (which can be found on DJBC's excellent Santastic II: Clausome Christmas mash-up comp), setting Berlin's Xmas ditty to a delicious electro beat.
White Christmas
Happy Happy Joyful
"Happy Rhodes is an enigma. This is according to the Music Industry, which has never been able to pigeon-hole her into any category. Her music is otherworldly yet substantial and her 4-octave voice has a haunting familiarity to it. Most listeners find her work difficult to describe and yet she incites an almost unheard of devotion among her fans. She goes from Kate Bush highs to David Bowie lows and you find yourself being beckoned to follow her into her futuristic worlds." This is a quote from a Happy Rhodes-biography. I'd never heard of her, but when I got to this marvellous fan page, I got hooked. Her deep voice is haunting indeed. It reminds me of a slightly more sane Diamanda Galas. Happy recorded a great X-mas song, plus a very atmospherical track that's also very suitable for these dark days. Happy Rhodes - O Holy Night
Happy Rhodes - Winter
Firepit warms Historic Aycock Workshop attendees
with nightfall came the chill, so Justin and Tom cranked up the two firepits and everybody kept spinning lighted christmas balls. 
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