One thing I’ve learned from this project is that there is always hope for even the poorest of musical ideas. I was pretty indifferent to “Last Christmas” before all this began. I didn’t think it was a terrible song, but I certainly didn’t think it was the best song in the world, either. If I’d had to rate the song on a scale from 1 to 10, I probably would have given it a 5 (mainly thanks to its kitschiness). But in having the song re-imagined by so many different artists, we’ve had a unique opportunity to hear grand and minute variations on the original. Granted, there are some versions that are a lot worse than the original, but there are also some versions that are way better. There is a version for everyone—even the most persnickety Christmas-tune-seekers—whether they’re searching for reggae, electronica, farting, or vulgar squirrels. Hooray!


“Mommy, will you sing ‘Jingle Bells’ for me?”
“No, it’s not Christmas yet…HAHAHA!”


The Bass Commanders – Fuck Xmas (BootyJumpaz Last Christmas Remix)


Yeah, that’s the same reaction I had: how sad and creepy. But still, a completely awesome and unexpected version. There isn’t any info on the Bass Commanders’ site about this version, but I love their tagline, “Stay Outta Treble!” With a line like that, I really believe that these guys command the 20Hz – 500Hz frequency range! (Contrasted to the questionable nomenclature of our notoroious friends from Day 8, the Rap Allstars.)


Mr. Vinh Hung is a Vietnamese superstar! You’ll agree once you get about 45 seconds into this one; that introductory note that he does is the musical equivalent of the Kool-Aid Man bursting through a wall. Check out his Casio watch ads when you go to his website.


Dam Vinh Hung – Last Christmas


I’ve gotta hand it to him—Old Saint Nick spins a great club mix. This version is another try at out-dancing the other dance versions, but it results in about the same amount of danciness. Even so, this one is probably a safer bet for your Christmas mix than say, the Bass Commanders’ version.


DJ Kris Kringle – Last Christmas


You can find MC Santa’s whole mix on amazon.com




And because you gotta have midi.


Midi – Last Christmas


This is a 2003 mix from the Swedish DJ duo of Vasco and Millboy. What an awesome name, huh? I bet they solve crimes in their spare time. The track also includes the mysterious Thomas as a collaborator, but I was unable to find any info on who this could be. So I will leave you to speculate on the mystery man. …Tom Waits? Thom Yorke? Tommy Lee…?


Vasco & Millboy w/ Thomas – Last Christmas


I suppose you can call this an international version of Kidz Bop, but, it’s more than that. Zecchino D’oro (Golden Sequin) is an international children’s song festival that has taken place every year since 1959, where winners are selected by a jury of kids. It sounds fun.


Zecchino D’oro – Questo Natale


The Ordinary Boys are a UK punk band, whose lead singer was in Celebrity Big Brother UK which is what apparently really launched them. Good for them, ya know? This version is very unpunk, but it’s slightly reminisicent of the Travis version we posted on Day 3 in its tempo and instrumentation. Interestingly, I think this is the first version to include a harmonica.


The Ordinary Boys – Last Christmas


I guess the Ordinary Boys just recently released this version (Dec 5, according to their website). Therefore, one can only assume that they did it for us. For that, we give them a Magical Snowflake Award! Yay! You can their lastest CD at amazon.com





And this is just cute—she doesn’t want to sing, but she just can’t help herself!