I’m quickly learning that whenever I ask readers for entertainment lists, Lexington musician and radio personality extraordinaire Anne Deck will pull out all the stops — I get the impression she scours her CD and record collections, probably scrolls through a monster iPod and still has ba-da-bing moments when she’s cooking dinner.

The payoff is always a list that has great stuff, things we wished we’d thought of, things we never knew about, and yes, those ba-da-bing moments. When I asked for suggestions for favorite Christmas songs, Anne, who also works here at the Herald-Leader, came through again, and so I want to share her list in its entirety.

I also want to remind you that we have two days left in voting for favorite sacred and favorite secular Christmas songs. Right now, O Holy Night has a pretty healthy lead in sacred, but it’s anyone’s game in secular. So cast your vote over to the right. Also, make sure to vote in our poll of most intriguing Kentucky Newsmakers for 2008.

Now here’s the list from Anne, who you can hear hosting Girl’s Night Out and Solo Shots from 8 to 10 p.m. Fridays on WUKY-FM 91.3. She’ll be playing holiday music this week, including selections from this list:

HIP ‘N HAPPY HOLIDAY FAVORITES, 12/08

by Anne Deck

FAVORITE NON-TRADITIONAL HOLIDAY RECORDINGS (random order):

“Christmas” – The Who

“Father Christmas” – The Kinks

“Holiday Road” – Matt Pond PA (an ethereal, slower version than the original one by the great Lindsey Buckingham)

“Hey Guys! It’s Christmas Time!” – Sufjan Stevens

“Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)” – Joey Ramone

“Ring Out Solstice Bells” – Jethro Tull (the original recording found on “Songs From the Wood” is far superior to the dynamically “flat” remixed version that came out some 25 years later)

“Come on Christmas” – Cheap Trick (a holiday reworking of “Come On, Come On” – a classic from the band’s groundbreaking “At Budokan” live LP)

“Christmas Christmas” – Cheap Trick

“(I’m Always Touched By Your) Presents, Dear” – Syd Straw (a perfect holiday

twist on Blondie’s “(I’m Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear”)

“2000 Miles” – The Pretenders

“The Little Drummer Boy / Peace On Earth” – David Bowie & Bing Crosby

“Happy Xmas (War Is Over” / John Lennon & Yoko Ono

“Maybe This Christmas” / Ron Sexsmith

“Christmas Wrapping” – The Waitresses

“In the Quiet of Christmas Morning” – The Moody Blues (based on Bach’s “Joy”)

“Light of the Stable” – Emmylou Harris (truly gorgeous harmonies during the song’s uplifting chorus)

“Mary Had A Baby” – Bruce Cockburn (great take on this standard Southern spiritual)

“Everything’s Gonna Be Cool This Christmas” – E (a.k.a. Mark Oliver Everett in the years before forming The Eels)

“Spotlight on Christmas” – Rufus Wainwright

“Children Go Where I Send Thee” – Natalie Merchant

“Do They Know It’s Christmas?” – all-star Band Aid collective

“Fairytale of New York” / The Pogues & (the late, great) Kirsty MacColl (I recall this is one of Heather Svokos’ all-time favorites, too, but that’s no surprise given her terrific taste in tunes)

FAVORITE TRADITIONAL SONGS PERFORMED BY CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS (random order):

“The Coventry Carol” / Alison Moyet

“The Little Drummer Boy” / Ringo Starr (not only is the drumming a real treat, but so is the unique addition of Scottish bagpipes on what is easily one of my all-time favorite holiday songs)

“The Huron Carol” / Crash Test Dummies

“Silent Night” / Stevie Nicks

“O Holy Night” / Tracy Chapman

“Oiche Chiun (Silent Night)” / Enya

“Adeste Fidelis” / The Roches

“The First Noel” / Emmylou Harris

“The Little Drummer Boy” / Josè Feliciano

“Jingle Bells” / Eastern Bloc (***this version rocks while remaining ever so timeless!!***)

….AND CLASSIC ARTISTS (random order):

“Un flambeau, Jeannette, Isabella (Bring A Torch, Jeannette, Isabella)” /

Marilyn Horne w/the Columbia Symphony Orchestra & Mormon Tabernacle Choir

“The Little Drummer Boy” / Brenda Lee

“Ding! Dong! Merrily on High” / The Canadian Brass

“Lullay My Liking” / Eileen Farrell

“Carol of the Bells”/ any reputable chorus (by P. J. Wilhousky; adapted from “Shchedryk” by Mykola Dmytrovich Leontovych)

FAVORITE CHRISTMAS ALBUMS (random order):

Sufjan Stevens / “Songs for Christmas: Vols. 1-1V Singalong” 5-CD box set (SUPERB!)

The DB’s & Friends / “Christmas Time Again” (originally released in ‘86 as “Christmas Time” by Chris Stamey & Friends, but has since been expanded and released under his old band’s name)

Jethro Tull / “Songs From the Wood”

Vince Guaraldi / “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (the re-mastered version is worth every penny)

“Christmas Remixed” / Verve Records v.a. compilation

Squirrel Nut Zippers / “Christmas Caravan”

The Classical Jazz Quartet / “The Nutcracker” (Stefon Harris, Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, Lewis Nash; arranged by Bob Belden)

Ringo Starr / “The Christmas Collection”

The Beatmus (Beatles tribute band) / “Xmas! Rubber Band”

Dwight Twilley / “A Twilley Christmas”

Bobby Timmons / “Holiday Soul”

George Winston / “December”

“A Feast of Songs: Holiday Music from the Middle Ages” / Barry & Beth Hall

“A Real Irish Christmas” (1999 v.a. compilation)

Rhino’s “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” (1989 v.a. compilation)

…along with Christmas albums by Ramsey Lewis, Eartha Kitt, Chet Atkins, Booker T & The MGs, The Ventures, Jimmy Smith, Josè Feliciano, Eileen Farrell, Bruce Cockburn, The Moody Blues, Sarah McLaughlin…

FAVORITE CLASSICAL CHRISTMAS SONGS:

“Gesu Bambino” by Yon

“Christmas Symphony” by Friebert

Hallelujah” by Handel

“Ave Maria” by Schubert

FAVORITE HUMOROUS CHRISTMAS ALBUMS (random order)

John Waters / “A John Waters Christmas” v.a. compilation (for when you’re feeling quirky)

Christine Lavin & The Mistletones / “The Runaway Christmas Tree” (includes great narratives)

David Sedaris / “Holidays on Ice” (it’s not Christmas without his classic “Santaland Diaries”)

FAVORITE LOCAL CHRISTMAS ALBUM (a.k.a. an easy way for a board member to engage in plugola):

Laura Bell Bundy w/Bluegrass Area Jazz Ambassadors + Wayne Bell / “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”

LAST, BUT NOT LEAST… MY SONIC CHRISTMAS WISH:

If only Chicago recorded a Christmas album during the band’s late ‘60s and early ‘70s brass-heavy heyday—long before recording 1998’s over-produced holiday collection that sounds more akin to Peter Cetera’s soulless pop material from the ‘80s…

A Bryan Ferry / Roxy Music Christmas album… just imagine how uniquely beautiful it would be!!

‘Nog, anyone?

-Anne Deck, 12.7.08