WHY ARE THESE SONGS THESE SONGS? THE STORY OF THE 2013 ‘JOHN YOUNGREN CHRISTMAS’ MIX
John Youngren’s Christmas Mix CD
2013 Edition – "It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere"
First Released Dec. 19, 2013
[Editor’s Note: As before, this blog entry may not make sense to some people. It’s the story behind the 21st edition of my Christmas Mix CD. If you don’t know what I’m talking about and would like a copy, email me at johnyoungren@mac.com]
By JOHN YOUNGREN
Like I said, I was thinking I was done. Good old 2013 has been a crazy freaking year, full of wild ups and downs, personally and professionally. And I had served up a perfect walk-off – a 20-year retrospective CD last year that left things on a high note. The Christmas CD had come of age. Always leave them wanting more.
But I couldn’t let it go. Certain songs had a way of burrowing into my brain and finding their way onto the iTunes playlist I was keeping all year “just in case.” I couldn’t imagine going empty-handed to holiday open houses. This is what I do. Instead of baking hams and hanging lights, I make Christmas Mix CDs.
Technology, of course, makes the idea of a Christmas Mix CD all the quainter. It’d be easiest for me to just send a link around via email with a list of songs for the year. But the tradition of having something tangible carried the day here, too. My pal Adam Fox was the final push. When he agreed to design another cover for me despite the fact that he lives in St. Louis, I knew it was game on.
There was a day when the songs all used to “mean” something. Not really, anymore. I’m basically just amusing myself, and/or sequencing songs I like in a pleasing way to me. I used to encourage people not to read the list of songs and just give the disc just one listen first. That said, I know there are some of you – not very many, really – who will want to know why I chose what I chose. So now I’ll use this social media platform to support a very traditional media execution … the disc itself.
And I’ll explain…
1. “Jingle Bell Rock” … Blake Shelton (with Miranda Lambert). I look every year for a song I can find to represent Christmas (for many years I didn’t have an actual Christmas song on the Christmas mix, which was admittedly weird). Rules here. It can’t be too long. It has to be something more current. Blake and Miranda are Country’s reigning couple (sorry, Tim and Faith). They belong here.
2. “A Hard Day’s Night” … The Beatles. And then I look for a good riff or something to get us off to a good start after the holidays, when the disc stops being about Christmas and can lend itself to your CD player for the year. And I can’t believe I’ve never used “A Hard Day’s Night” before, but it is the theme of my year.
3. “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” … Paul McCartney. Essentially, I’m doing Macca back-to-back, which breaks a rule of my own, but I had to go with it. “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” is another theme of my year; I feel as though I’m getting older and less and less likely to show up at late night parties and special events and make appearances. Nothing deep. Just more about me being tired.
4. “Lost Horizons” … Gin Blossoms. I nearly always use a Gin Blossoms song. I can’t believe I haven’t used this one before. After 499 songs, that’s hard to believe. That said, once I had established this year’s “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” theme, this drinking song had to make the mix. Come on.
5. “She Don’t Want Nobody Near” … Counting Crows. A longtime favorite and another of those that I can’t believe didn’t make the mix before … until it did. It sort of means something about something else, but I'll leave that alone.
6. “Me And Charlie Talking” … Miranda Lambert. This one comes because I wanted Miranda on the CD … but couldn’t find the right song to fit with the rest of the mix. Sometimes, it’s just about that. So I went back to her first hit, “Me And Charlie Talking,” from a few years ago. Always loved the song, and the sentiment. You do what you do.
7. “Lights” … Gretchen Wilson. Have had several Journey covers on Christmas mixes over the years, and this one presented itself and was on the list from middle of 2013. I love me some Gretchen Wilson; always have. I love this song from the days when Peter Behle and I would sing it on our drive to San Francisco (I was helping he and his wife Shia move there) in 1987. It’s just a John song.
8. “Springsteen” … Eric Church. This was on the list for last year before I went in the 20-year anniversary direction. A great song by a solid country artist referencing The Boss. Love it when “Glory Days” can be part of someone else’s history.
9. “Wagon Wheel” … Darius Rucker. Love Hootie. Love this fucking song. May be the whole reason I decided to do a 21st version, even though I had it good. This is the song on which the whole rest of the Christmas Mix is built.
10. “Further On” … Bronze Radio Return. I know this song because it’s in those Golf Channel commercials promoting Phil, Tiger, Rory, etc. I’m obsessed with TV golf. Plus, it turned out to be a good song and fit-in well.
11. “Cruise” … Florida Georgia Line. These country dudes are like the new-age Montgomery-Gentry, and you heard that first from me. I didn’t pay them any particular attention until they racked up about 38 hits, of which this was one. And damnit, it fits in this mix. Sometimes, that’s all it takes.
12. “Kiss On My List” … Hall & Oates. I’ll date myself with this, but this song was a big hit for my gang when we were in high school, which was 30 years ago today, more or less. And it’s a song we began referring to a few months ago with the guys in my office as it pertained to a client, in an odd way. Scott, Dan and Brian … this one’s for you.
13. “Stacy’s Mom” … Fountains Of Wayne. Was looking for a way to fit Fountains of Wayne in. Much more obscure songs kept creeping into the lineup. And then there was a car commercial that was using “Stacy’s Mom” during the actual time I was mixing the Christmas CD. And it’s a more complicated song than the chorus would have you think; it’s actually kind of funny and creepy. And that made it onto the Mix.
14. “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” … The Beatles. A Beatles pull might be obvious; really, I try to avoid them. But this one sounded so good and organic in this particular stretch – Hall & Oates, Fountains of Wayne, Beatles, Taylor Swift and Miley – that it just brought it all together. Can’t believe I haven’t used it before. Someone will tell me I did.
15. “Red” … Taylor Swift. Well, I’m a big fan of Ms. Swift, as fans/followers/critics will attest. Almost had her here on the disc more than once. Settled down for this one, which is brilliant. Not much more than that, but get used to her if we’re doing some variation of this for another few years.
16. “Wrecking Ball” … Miley Cyrus. Love Miley. Love this song. Love her voice. Met her, at one point. That’s it. Plus, it sounded good in the overall flow.
17. “Moves Like Jagger” … Maroon 5 (with Christina Aguilera). Been sitting on this since last year, like “Springsteen.” Still works now. (Or not?)
18. “Pirate Flag” … Kenny Chesney. Wanted to have some Kenny, but this is more about a good CD transition song than anything else.
19. “Operator (That’s Not The Way It Feels)” … Jim Croce. Been on a “tryout” list for for Xmas mix for 10 years. In this year because it reminded me of Jimmy Buffett, and the two co-existed in earlier drafts. But then I killed “Come Monday.” Yet somehow, “Operator” survived. That’s just the way it feels.
20. “The Ugly Truth” … Matthew Sweet. Was particularly grumpy during final mix period and wanted to use Matthew Sweet song. Had just found out I had broken a bone in my foot and would need to be walking around in a walking boot for six weeks. Wasn’t happy. The Ugly Truth.
21. “See You Again” … Carrie Underwood. Ignored this huge hit all summer, until high school reunion. And then started “hearing” lyrics and theme, around 30-year reunion time. So Heli and Tracey, this one’s for you. Here’s to my favorite Saturday of all time!
22. “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” …. Alan Jackson (with Jimmy Buffett). See the CD and its cover. Do I really need to explain?
Thanks again for your interest and for listening, everyone. Here’s to a great 2014.
Thanks again to my friend Adam Fox for doing the design, even long-distance. And to Scott Talbot at Love Communications, who helped me print them in a pinch. And to Joe Evans, my longtime pal, who somehow assumed the role of cutter and stuffer (don’t ask) about a decade ago and does it tirelessly every year. Joe’s the Man. And my sister, Michelle, who’s always a great sounding board.
Finally, thanks to all of you who told me I had to do it when I couldn’t/didn’t want to. Like I said, I was done. But people started asking and so I started thinking. And when everyone encouraged me to go for it, even in this digital age, I knew I had to. Even when I broke my foot on the night before Thanksgiving. The Christmas Mix lives on.
So, Kelli, Sarah, Chris, Tom C., Rich, Heli, Tracey, Michelle, Adam, Joe, Aaron, Angie, Scott, Holly … there are others; you know who you are. You forced me to slay another dragon. Thanks again and happy holidays to you all.
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Visit John Youngren’s Christmas CD Fan Club on Facebook. (Just search for it. If you want to be a member, Heli will let you in, for sure.)
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ON THE DOT: I’ve got to get this going again. I started this blog back around the 2002 Olympics. Other than Christmas CD entries, I haven’t updated in a while. But I’ll try to rectify that in 2014, so check it out again when you can. To contact me, e-mail johnyoungren@mac.com
