25 - Jon Lord, Frida, Black Ingvars, Richie Blackmore, Stratovarius

Merry Christmas and all that... Let the music begin!


Amazing! You all know Jon Lord, the guy that basically revolutionized the rock music with his keyboard back in Deep Purple times, and Frida the cute blonde from ABBA... I had no idea that these two have made som music together, so i was baffled when I stumbled over this one:

From the same concert there is also a "Christmas song" but the embedding is cut short. Here is the link if anyone want to have a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThRwFK5PM4w&


The lady referant speak german, I think, and a glance at John Lord's official website tells me they have done a few other things together too.


If any of you know more about this, please don't be shy to contact me!


To keep the swedish spirit up, I searched for hours for something fun and good to place here - other than things like the blond the other day. The only band I could think of, and eventually found a spiritual for you is Black Ingvars in their "Gospel Medley". The fact is, I KNOW they have other and better ones, I simply do not find them. One of the overlooked bands, perhaps?

A strange thing, taking it back to Deep Purple, is what happened to the hardrocker of a lifetime, Richie Blackmore. Former Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist suddenly start playing medieval folk music. Oh, I am the first one to admit it sounds good, but I still, after almost 14 years of Blackmores Night, have troubles with Richie playing that kind of music.

Kind of swedish that one too, don't you think? Now, to get us in the spirit demanded on Christmas Day, let's have some Rock'N'Roll!!!


Stratovarius – Holy Light:

Finns ruled this years version of the Advent Calendar of Rock. How about next year? Who knows, see you then!

A Happy, Merry, Enjoyable and Rockin' Christmas To Each And Every One Of You!

En Förbaskat Trevlig, God och Rockande Jul Önskar Jag Er Alla!

Toivotan Teille Kaikille Viihtyisää, Hauskaa ja Rokkaavaa Joulua!

24 - Ozzy, Jessica Simpson, Tony Iommi, Lita Ford, Dio

Today, as we have the upcoming event of Christmas Eve, we kick off with something that I never would have believed if hadn't seen it myself. The legend himself, Ozzy Osbourne, doing "Winter Wonderland" with the also legendary Jessica Simpson:

I actually do agree with one of the comments; "Some would like to see Ozzy bite the head off Jessica Simpson....".


I wish there were more of Ozzys Christmas-stuff around, but I suppose he sleep through the whole darn thing. Wise man.


But I did find one excellent song, made by former Black Sabbath member Toni Iommi and the late Ronnie James Dio. "God rest ye merry gentlemen". This is Rock!:

Simply wonderful!


And while I am at it, here is one with Toni Iommi and Lita Ford, some 30 years ago when the two of them supposedly where a pair. Not a christmas song, but.... One of the best rock'n'roll performances I've ever seen:

Oh! Tomorrow we have CHRISTMAS DAY! Let us celebrate that with something SPECIAL!

23 - Apocalyptica

Yet another band from Finland. It seem to me that all really good music is from Finland these days.


Most of the bands I know have tried to do their versions o this song, and most of them have failed to get the right feeling in to it. I think these guys manage to do it; and Live!


A brief translation of what Eicca says before they star off the song: Hello, happy days before christmas best IRC-gallery members. We are Apocalyptica, and we want to show you our dark side of christmas.


Then they play us one of their versions of "Little Drummer Boy":

The guys, that in the bands beginning became famous for doing covers of Metallica – I actually think their version of "Nothing else matters" is better than the original - have also done this beautiful piece of art, "Hope":

Ah, I am so proud to be a Finn at times like these!


I also do realize that the Swedes, those oh so famous 'Abbaish' neighbours of ours, have something fun to give the world:

22 - Skid Row, Nelson, Dokken

I guess every band out there have done their version of Jingle Bells, but today I chose the Skid Row version for you:

Nice video, don't you think?


A skid row, by the way, is a run-down or dilapidated urban area with a large, impoverished population. Yep, just another "who the f- cares?" fact.


And for those those of you that have an opinion, not that it matters, here is another version of the same one, by Nelson:

You guys back from puking yet? I tried to access the Nelsons homepage, but my computer froze and refused to co-operate until I ctrl-deleted my browser. Sorry guys! Oh, and don't you just love this: "This video contains content from Sony Music Entertainment. It is not available in your country.
Sorry about that."


Enough of the Jingeling Bells, I say! How about some Dokken? Yeah, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town":

21 - Tom Keifer, Thomas Kieffer

Tom Keifer from the band Cinderella did the song "Blue Christmas" in 2007. Cinderella was a band I used to listen a lot to some 20 years ago... For some strange reason I forgot all about them until I stumbled over this one. Actually it was while listening to this song I came up with the idea of this calendar in the first place.

By the way, have you tried to Google Cinderella+Christmas? Heh, cute Disney Overtake! Cinderella, Live in Oklahoma City in 1989 with "Long Cold Winter":

A bit younger in the voice there, Keifer? This time I let the guys themselves tell us about the "First Struggling Years":

And when I had a beer, or two, I accidentally misspelled Tom Keifer and came up with this French singer/songwriter – Thomas Kieffer in "Finder is keeper":

Rock! I don't know anything about this guy, can anyone help me?

20 - Queensrÿche, Billy Idol

Queensrÿche is an American progressive heavy metal band formed in 1981 in Bellevue, Washington. This version of White Christmas they made for the album "Monster Ballads" in 2007:

Too pretencious, in my mind, but.. In my opinion the best thing Queensrÿche ever done still is Silent Lucidity in 1990:

Oh my, that's 20 years ago already! On that same record, where Queensrÿche do their "White Christmas", there is a song called "Christmas Love" by Billy Idol:

Crap! I beg all Billy Idol fans out there for their forgivness, but I have to say it again: Crap!

19 - "Weird Al" Yankovic, Frank Zappa

Yes, I know. Weird Al is not to be counted as a "serious" hardrocker like most of the other musicians I present here claim to be, but people, seriously, he is good. Isn't he? If every rocker out there would concentrate more on having fun, instead of being so "dead serious" about their art there would be much more funny christmas songs around.


But this one, from 1986, is a dead serious one that most of you youngsters haven't seen before. And the ones that saw it 24 years back in time are happy to see it again. "Christmas at Ground Zero":

And the stories are only getting merrier, "The Night Santa Went Crazy":

Down in the workshop all the elves were makin' toys

For the good Gentile girls and the good Gentile boys

When the boss busted in, nearly scared 'em half to death

Had a rifle in his hands and cheap whiskey on his breath

From his beard to his boots he was covered with ammo

Like a big fat drunk disgruntled Yuletide Rambo

And he smiled as he said with a twinkle in his eye,

"Merry Christmas to all - now you're all gonna die!"

And as we all know Christmas is mostly about he who sits in heaven ans such... simply to get you all in the mood I give you Frank Zappa doing Stairway to heaven.

I know it is not a christmas-tune, but I just HAD to show it to you!