Local Spins asked the Kalamazoo singer for a guest playlist of holiday tunes, and she came up with a flurry of seasonal gems, ranging from Elvis Presley to Tom Waits to Judy Garland.
Always a Seasonal Favorite: Over the Rhine makes Megan Dooley’s Christmas playlist and also plays Calvin College on Saturday.
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For some folks, it’s never too early to start cranking out Christmas music.
Megan Dooley
So by mid-December, when pretty much everybody is finally ready to embrace the holiday spirit, the mix of merry melodies wafting through malls and markets doesn’t always sound fresh and inspiring.
So, Local Spins asked a self-professed lover of Christmas music, Kalamazoo singer-songwriter Megan Dooley, to create a special seasonal soundtrack of favorites, both familiar and obscure.
The musician with a timeless voice who recently released her striking solo debut album, “Made in Kalamazoo,” crafted a holiday playlist for the ages. It ranges from Judy Garland’s classic 1944 rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and Eartha Kitt’s 1953 ditty, “Santa Baby,” to 2012’s jaunty “Auld Lang Syne” by Andrew Bird and “Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights” by JD McPherson.
It’s an eclectic Christmas list with a twist. Listen to the Spotify version below, then check out Dooley in concert when she opens Friday night for Rodriguez at State Theatre in Kalamazoo. Get details and tickets online here.
MEGAN DOOLEY: THE LOCAL SPINS CHRISTMAS PLAYLIST
1. Mahalia Jackson, “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” – This song always reminds me of the film “Scrooged.” Best Christmas movie of all time.
2. Eartha Kitt, “Santa Baby” – The only woman that made Christmas sexy.
3. JD McPhereson, “Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights)” – I love JD. Turns out, his Christmas music is great too!
4. Over The Rhine, “Snowed in With You” – Over the Rhine’s Christmas album, “Snow Angels,” is always on my Christmas eve playlist. (Over The Rhine brings its holiday show to the chapel at Calvin College at 8 p.m. Saturday, with Grand Rapids’ own Nos Vemos opening the show. Details online here.)
5. Elvis Presley, “Blue Christmas” – An absolute classic.
6. Charles Brown, “Merry Christmas Baby” – Mr. Brown’s voice is like buttuh!
7. Chuck Berry, “Run Run Rudolph” – No Christmas playlist is complete without a little rockabilly.
8. Andrew Bird, “Auld Lang Syne” – Hands down, the best version of this old Scottish tune EVER.
9. Tom Waits, “Silent Night/Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis” – Because Tom Waits.
10. Judy Garland, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” – My favorite Christmas song of all time.
THE GUEST PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY
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