Merry Christmas From the Cause Marketing Blog

The long-standing Christmas Eve tradition at the cause marketing blog is to show the video of the prior year’s appearance of Darlene Love singing 'Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)' on the Late Show with David Letterman. You can see Love’s 2010 appearance above.

Indeed, she's scheduled to perform on Letterman again tonight, Friday Dec. 23, 2011. Check your local listings for times.

Love first recorded ‘Baby’ in 1963 and is still going strong at age 73 (according to Wikipedia). Watch the video and you’ll know not only why they (finally) inducted her into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2011, but you'll wonder how Love could possibly be 73.

But surely there’s a rocking good Christmas song that’s less 30 than years old (‘We Are the World’ doesn’t count because, God bless 'em, Lionel Ritchie and Michael Jackson didn't write an actual rock song. For the same reason, 'Feed the World' doesn't fit the criteria either).

The good news is that I found a Christmas song that actually rocks and is right around 30 years old. That is to say, I remembered this great song from rocker Billy Squier when he performed it on MTV in December 1981 (when I was about 7 months old). Watch closely for MTV’s original VJ’s: Martha Quinn, Nina Blackwood, JJ Jackson, Mark Goodman, and Alan Hunter.

When I played the song for my wife, she vaguely remembered it. But her first reaction was: "wow, Billy Squier has got a great voice!"

So in 2010 I added Squier’s ‘Christmas is the Time to Say I Love You’ to the blog's Christmas tradition.

Here's 2 more additions for 2011.

The first is for those who like their Christmas music with a strong dose of irony. It's called 'Twist of the Magi' by the country sister-act SHeDAISY and features Rascal Flats.

I'm not a big fan of country music, least of all when it comes to Christmas music, but this is my exception. There's no video, but here's the audio track.

The last addition for 2011 is my favorite Christmas song, 'O Holy Night,' which is based on an old French carol. The recording I've posted is sung with real depth of emotion by Josh Groban.

The best verse is about social justice, and, therefore, entirely appropriate to the cause marketing blog.

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise us,
Let all within us praise His holy name.

Many suffer this holiday season. Now and in the New Year please be generous with your time and resources to help those in need.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

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