Want to have some fun? Give a bunch of young kids some chocolate and soda-pop, turn this up loud, and get them to start dancing – even you’ll start bouncing around.

While it’s not uncommon to find multiple versions of popular Christmas recordings done by different artists, I think that Charles Brown holds the all-time record for multiple recordings of the same song, his perennial classic Merry Christmas, Baby.

In the early ’90′s Capitol/EMI released a radio-only CD sampler of Christmas Music, and I managed to get a copy of that limited edition run, which included this Skydiggers track. The song, highly sought out by fans due to it’s rarity, was finally released commercially in 1999 on the album “Still Restless: The Lost Tapes”

Probably one of the more recognizable and mainstream Christmas songs featured in this set, “Baby It’s Cold Outside” really isn’t about Christmas at all – it’s more just a song that has become associated to this time of year.

The first time I heard “Christmas Day” I was floored – a blues/gospel original with a sense of despair, irony and hope, all wrapped up in one gripping blues-story track. (The backing gospel-like vocals and tasteful string solo adds immensely to this track.) Even if you aren’t a big blues fan, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

This is the first of 12 musical entries for your holiday enjoyment. Last year’s offer still stands, but I thought this year I’d highlight some seasonal music that strays from the usual radio bleating and mall mush (yes, for gosh sakes, we do know it’s Christmas, and so do they).

Many of you know that I worked 20 years in the music industry; 5 years managing a series of increasingly larger record stores, and then 15 years for EMI Music/Capitol Records in both Montreal and then Ottawa. They were great years full of exciting times where I got to meet many of the big stars of the day. l also managed to amass a huge music collection, first vinyl LPs, then later Compact Discs. So, because I am a music collector, I also have Christmas music. Lots of Christmas music. Probably too much Christmas music, but what the heck… I like Christmas, I like music, so there you have it.