Happy Labor Day weekend! Still summer! (At least when I’m posting.) It’s been a crazy year. It’s a mostly-favorites (mine) spectacular this year, with a couple of special previously unplayed songs I think you’ll like. Thank you for your gifts to the Christmas Stocking. MyChristmasStocking.net/contribute. They mean a lot. The Christmas Stocking is on Twitter (@XmasStocking), on Pinterest (not enough, I know) and Facebook. Email [email protected]. The phone number is (323) 487-12-25, open any time.

http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/www.archive.org/download/ChristmasStockingPodcast/139TheChristmasStockingSummerMusicSpectacularSeriously.mp3

Click here to download the show to your device.

Featured music:

“Christmas Valentine (With You)” by Kimly

“It’s Christmas” by Cleveland DERUE Cathnott (from GarageBand.com)

“O Christmas Tree” by 21 AD from “Christmas…A Winter’s Love” (Lifestyles)

“The Christmas Song Song” by Rocky and Balls from the album “We Like Cake And Beards And Stuff”

“Children Go Where I Send Thee” by Darby O’Gill (from Soundclick.com) An African-American spiritual they say is based on an ancient Irish patter song.

“Doesn’t Seem Like Christmas” by Dennis Hensley

“Wake Up, It’s Christmas!” by Peter Combe

Background music:

“Dance to da Beat” by 5 is Even (I found it on Mevio.com)

“Joy Kinda Holiday-ish” by Charlie Crowe  (I found it on Mevio.com)

“Nutcracker” by Dat Boi Trill

“Angels We Have Heard on High” by Rhesa Siregar (Songs of Praise)

“God Rest You Merry Gentlemen” by Kevin Zerbe from “The Christmas Wish List”

“Veni, Veni, Emmanuel” by Frank Carter from the album “Deck the Halls”

More information:

Upcoming Christmas albums: “Shatner Claus” by William Shatner (preorder the CD); “Happy Xmas” by Eric Clapton (preorder the CD and vinyl!); Brett Eldredge’s new Christmas album, still a mystery at release time; “It’s the Holiday Season” by Martina McBride (plus a tour!)–okay, okay, I said she hadn’t released a Christmas album in 20 years, giving Brett Eldredge a hard time. EXCEPT YOU DIDN’T HEAR THAT! Due to an editing mistake by my editor (aka me), I cut out info on Brett Eldredge’s Christmas album, which will come out this year. He last had a Christmas album two years ago, and he’s the one I was referring to when I talked about that. Not Eric Clapton, who’s never released a Christmas album (although he has performed a few recorded songs for compilations). I apologize to you, Brett Eldredge and Eric Clapton. And Martina McBride released “The Classic Christmas Album” in 2017. Oops.

The complete Good Housekeeping list of Hot Toys for Christmas 2018. Including Fingerlings Untamed Raptors which I saw available on Amazon, in spite of the fact that the website link previous says “Be the First to Know;” Num Noms Snackable Cereal; Hasbro’s Don’t Step in It game (oh, man, I hadn’t seen Don’t Step in It Unicorn Edition when I talked about it!); Pomsies Grumblies; Melissa and Doug Examine and Treat Pet Vet Set; Little Live Scruff-a-Luvs pets (man, I didn’t realize how expensive they are!).

More about the Capitol Christmas Tree is here.