Advent Calendar 2022: Day 14 πŸŽ‰

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Day 14 already. It’s terrifying how quickly this is going: I really should start some Christmas shopping, and it is getting a bit late to put the sprouts on. I wonder if the takeaway places will be open on Christmas Day, with a seasonal special of turkey and sprouts on a pizza? Behind today’s door on my Advent Calendar I have found quite a lot – three songs and an advert – so I’d better get started.

The first is another from one of my favourite covers bands. I’ve played them before this year – on Day 2 if you missed it – but they do such a good job with adding a rock feel to songs that I’m playing another of theirs. This is as close as Screeching Mariah will ever get to being played here:

Normally this would be the point at which I’d tell you something about the original but in this case I’m prepared to make an exception. But whatever I may think, I feel it incumbent on me to point out that the bloody thing is #1 this week on the UK Singles chart. Come on Ladbaby, we need you!

I played a charming animation by Ingrid Michaelson on Day 5 and as so many of you really liked it I thought I’d give you another by her:

No cute bunny rabbits this time, but another beautiful song with a lovely animation: Ingrid has some talented friends! Christmas Lights was a track on Ingrid’s most recent album, Stranger Songs, which was released in June 2019. She co-wrote all eleven of the album’s tracks, which were inspired by the Netflix series Stranger Things, about which I can tell you absolutely nothing as I’ve never watched it. The record got to #128 in the US, though it peaked at #3 on their Independent Albums listings.

Following on from yesterday’s Beach Boys Christmas classic, today’s final song is another from the Sixties with a much more recent animated video:

Like the Beach Boys one that was also released in 2020, but it is outperforming them: over 7.5m views so far. The Ronettes only made one album but, as befits their lead singer, Veronica Bennett, who later went on to marry their record producer, they did have three tracks on his 1963 album A Christmas Gift From Phil Spector, of which this was one. Sleigh Ride has never been released as a single, despite being such a well known track, but has been a hit thanks to the inclusion of downloads in recent years: it has made four consecutive US chart appearances, its best position being #10 in the 2021/2 Christmas season, and it currently stands at #35 in the UK. Ronnie Spector, as she became better known, died in January 2022 so it seems likely to me that the most recent US showing may have been in tribute to her. I’ve always liked the Phil Spector ‘wall of sound’ approach, and still enjoy listening to that album. which has also benefitted from downloads: having not charted in the US in its original format it has since peaked at #10, in January of this year. A 1972 physical re-release did however make the UK Albums listings, reaching #19.

That’s it for today’s songs, but I did promise you an ad, didn’t I. Here’s one I rather liked. It came out in Germany in 2020, and I found it on YouTube:

As I am extremely unlikely to follow this guy’s example I thought I’d find out a little about kettlebells so that I could at least sound knowledgable. The use of weights like these byΒ circus strongmenΒ is recorded in the 19th century, and they began to be used for recreational and competitionΒ strength athleticsΒ in Russia and Europe in the latter end of that era. The birth of competitive kettlebell lifting, orΒ girevoy sportΒ (Π³ΠΈΡ€Π΅Π²ΠΎΠΉ спорт), is dated to 1885, with the founding of the Circle for Amateur Athletics (ΠšΡ€ΡƒΠΆΠΎΠΊ Π»ΡŽΠ±ΠΈΡ‚Π΅Π»Π΅ΠΉ Π°Ρ‚Π»Π΅Ρ‚ΠΈΠΊΠΈ). RussianΒ giryaΒ are traditionally measured in weight byΒ something called a ‘pood,’ corresponding to 16.38 kilograms (36.1Β lb). The English termΒ kettlebellΒ has been in use since the early 20th century. Similar weights were however used inΒ Classical Greece, known asΒ haltere, which were comparable to the modern kettlebell in terms of the movements you could do with them. So now you know!

Here endeth today’s lesson. An image before I go? OK, here you are:

See you again tomorrow for some more songs, but possibly not another education 🎊

34 thoughts on “Advent Calendar 2022: Day 14 πŸŽ‰”

  2. Another great one by Ingrid! Loved it. Just so creative.
    We always enjoy the Ronettes, and I did enjoy a different version of the overplayed Mariah song. LOL!
    The video is awesome! You like pulling the heart strings don’t you! And Haha at the comic. πŸ™‚

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  3. After you introduced me to First to Eleven last year, I listen to them all the time now. For a while they were coming out with a new song every week, which was great because it was fun to see what song they would pick. This is one of my favorites along with Last Christmas.

    Ingrid’s voice is so pure. I’m going to have to give her another listen.

    I remember Ronnie Specter singing Take Me Home Tonight with Eddie Money.

    This is one of the all-time best commercialsβ€”Christmas or otherwise. I see guys at my gym working with kettlebells, but that’s never appealed to me.

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    • They’re great, aren’t they. Still doing the weekly videos plus Christmas songs at present. The latest went up yesterday- I think you’ll know the song!

      Ingrid is well worth exploring further, lovely voice and a good songwriter.

      Glad you liked the ad too, I think it’s a gem 😊

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  5. You always manage to bring tears to my eyes, Clive. That last video again…sigh. That’s when I forget what I wanted to write about the songs you posted too… hehe.
    The “All I want for Christmas” cover is fantastic. Oh, and that classic Sleigh Ride. II still love that version best.

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    • It had that effect on me, too. I write these posts the day before and then have a final editing and play through session before publishing. It did it again this morning: I’ve watched it four or five times now and it does that every time.

      Glad you enjoyed the music too. First To Eleven are great, and I love the way their rock treatments work on songs I wouldn’t normally listen to – like this one. The Ronettes are my favourite version of that song too 😊

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      • There are such songs you listen over and over again and they grab your heart instantly. Yesterday, I listened to Lionel Richie’s song “Goodbye”…. waterfalls, is all I can say. And I heard this song so often.
        Definitely my favorite version too. (Almost) Nothing can beat the classics.

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  8. Awwww…love the kettlebell ad…sniff…I am so pleased you played an alternative to she who I won’t mention as I quite like the song when it’s not murdered,,, but #1…I just hope Lad Baby with Food Aid knocks her off #1…and it’s for a good cause plus it makes me smile rather than grimace…Another day of good choices, Clive xx

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