In which Ginger Baldy dons the Santa outfit for the second year running and offers up yet another weird & wonderful alternative Christmas playlist. There’s happiness and heartache, disappointment and delight and the occasional very naughty Santa.

1.  Hey Skinny Santa - J. D. McPherson

2.  Boogie Woogie Santa Claus - Mabel Scott with The Maxwell Davis Orchestra

3.  Christmas Time - The Debonaires

4.  Christmas Time -  Jimmy McCracklin

5.  What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas? - The Emotions

6.  Christmas Date Boogie - Big Joe Turner

7.  A Five-Pound Box Of Money - Pearl Bailey

8.  Santa - Lightnin’ Hopkins

9.  Call Me For Christmas - Gary “US” Bonds

10. Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin’ - Mack Rice

11. A Dollar Short Of Happy - Nick Lowe

12. Cool Yule - Louis Armstrong

13. It Feels Like Christmas - Eddie & The Hot Rods

14. Back Door Santa - Clarence Carter

15. Presents For Christmas - Solomon Burke

16. Gee Whiz It’s Christmas - Carla Thomas

17. Xmas Baby - Riff Ruffin

18. The Christmas Song - The Raveonettes

19. Crazy Santa Claus - The Debonaires

20. Santa’s Messin’ With The Kid - Eddie C. Campbell

21. Christmas Holidays - Texas Pete Mayer & His Houserockers Blues Band

22. Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis - Kacey Jones

23. How I Hate To See Christmas Come Around - Jimmy Witherspoon

24. Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas - The Staple Singers

25. Santa Claus, Santa Claus - Louis Jordan

26. Ugly Sweater Blues - J. D. McPherson

27. I Want A Man - Thelma Cooper

28. Blue Christmas - The Beach Boys

29. I Want You Xmas - Jesse Belvin

30. I Want A Present For Christmas - J. B. Summers & Doc Baxby’s Orchestra

Theme Tune: Small Town Talk - Bobby Charles

HE DRANK MY EGGNOG, EATEN MY CAKE

GRABBED MY WIFE, AND DID THE SHAKE

OH LORD WOH, LOOK WHAT SANTA DID

MESSIN’ WITH - CALL IT MERRY CHRISTMAS

BUT I SAY SANTA’S MESSIN’ WITH THE KID

WAKE UP CHRISTMAS MORNING

SANTA AIN’T AROUND

ONLY BECAUSE THE KID RAN HIM OUTTA TOWN

Santa’s Messin’ With the Kid - Eddie C. Campbell

We recommend that you listen to the SMALL TOWN TALK CHRISTMAS tracklists on Alexa; simply ask her politely, “Play Small Town Talk Podcast episode 20” - or episode 7 for last year’s offering. You can also download it from this podcast page.

It’s available on several platforms now, but only this version on Podbean now offers feedback.

For the best in black music down the years, make sure you don’t miss Johnny Corsair’s Bright Lights Big City, London's finest podcast. Find it at:

https://johnnycorsair9.podbean.com/

To give feedback and/or get further information and musings on the music, you can email me at:

[email protected]

Illustration:  Ginger Baldy squeezes into the Santa suit again.