(BELMAR, NJ) — If you’re in the mood for some Christmas music, New Jersey Stage has 85 tracks by artists connected to New Jersey for you to listen to. Recorded as a mixtape, the show is available in one standalone form (with nearly 5 hours of music) or as individual hour broadcasts. Either way you’ll get some of your favorite holiday tunes and originals from indie artists to the biggest names in New Jersey musical history.
“For nearly 15 years, I ran a 24-hour online radio station,” explained Gary Wien, publisher of New Jersey Stage. “During that timeframe we picked up lots of holiday songs by Jersey artists. I noticed several new releases this year and thought it would be good to put them all together in a mixtape. Each hour contains at least one new song released in 2020, a couple of traditional classics, and an obscure track or two.”
Hour 1: Matt O'Ree Band - Let It Snow / Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town /The Conte Brothers - Father Christmas / Nicole Atkins - Every Single Christmas / Bob Burger - Santa's Gonna Crash (Right Through The Ceiling) / DeSol - The Little Drummer Boy / Whirling Dervishes - You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch / The Jersey Syndicate - I Wish Every Day Could Be Like Xmas / Bernie "BB" Brausewetter - Boogie Woogie Santa / Eryn Shewell - Santa Baby / The Successful Failures / Taggart - Merry Christmas ( I Don't Want to Fight Tonight) / Fountains Of Wayne - I Want an Alien for Christmas / James Dean Wells - A Lonely Little Christmas Tree / Anthony D'Amato - Merry Christmas, I Guess / Amanda Duncan - The Cookie Song (feat. Joanna Burns & Michaela McClain) / Southside Johnny Lyon - Please Come Home for Christmas / Tony Shanahan - Blue Christmas / Chris Batten And The Woods - What Christmas Means to Me
Hour 2: Whitney Houston - Do You Hear What I Hear / Wiser Time - Blue Christmas / Trolley Valhalla - River / Boxcar Nancy - Feels Like Christmas / Bryan Hansen Band ft. Kim Boyko - Christmas Wrapping 2020 Version / Jobonanno & The Godsons of Soul - Your Love Is All I want For Christmas / Glen Burtnik - Winter Wonderland / Jonathn Ashe - I Love This Time of Year (1975) / Brian Erickson - Little Saint Nick / Pete Yorn - Do They Know It's Christmas / Laura Warshauer - I Love You Mr. Grinch / John Eddie - Another Lonely Christmas / Christmas Vacation - Dan Amato / Frank Sinatra - Jingle Bells (Remastered 1999) / Maybe Pete - Run Rudolph Run / Bon Jovi - Back Door Santa / Christian Beach - Christmas Must Be Tonight (The Band cover)
Hour 3: Debra Devi - Silent Night / The Wag - Feels Like Christmas / Blues Traveler - Christmas Song / Loretta Hagen - Santa If You're Listening / Inspecter 7 - Old Man Winter / The Alice Project - Regifting For The Holidays / The Smithereens - Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer / David W. Jacobsen - Christmas In Jersey City / Jim Testa - (It's Gonna Be A) COVID Christmas / Dave Mooney & Deirdre Forrest - Fairytale of New York / Rob Tanico - I'll Be Home For Christmas / Thomas Johnston - On This Christmas Day / Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) / Trouble Dolls - December / Lucas Moonglow - Blink Of An Eye (Christmas Time Alone) / williamsboy - A Prayer For Christmas
Hour 4: Nicole Atkins - The Little Drummer Boy / Danny White - Holiday Home / Partridge Family - My Christmas Card To You / Cool Days End - With Every Christmas Wish / Josh Zuckerman - All I Want For Christmas is You / Taggart - Wishmas / Mike Dalton - It's Not Christmas (If I Can't Have You) / Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - Merry Christmas Baby / Deena - Light Shines Through (feat. The Hoboken Holiday All Stars) / Anchorette - Happy Holidays, Again / Dw Dunphy - Neon Green Xmas / Ray Andersen - The World Of Christmas / Jody Joseph - The True Christmas / Kevin John Allen and Friends - Christmas In Jersey / Joseph Alton Miller - Old Man Winter, Please Change Your Name / Eric Clapton & John Popper - Christmas Blues
Hour 5: PBR Street Gang - Santa Claus is Bringing the Funk / Ray Dahrouge - Christmas In The Big Easy / Lenny Kaye - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday / Karen Mansfield - Coventry Carol Remix 2020 / Lifeguard Nights - Beach Boys Christmas Song / Arlon Bennett - The Christmas Tree on Salem Street / Helen O'Shea - Christmas Blessings / Kevin McGowan - Christmas In Killarney / Cucumbers - Ho Ho Ho & A Bottle Of Rum / The Smithereens - Christmas Morning / Clarence Clemons - There's Still Christmas / The Manhattans - It’s That Time Of Year (1966) / grey goes black - Christmas Time is Here / Red Wanting Blue - Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (feat. Jerry De Pizzo) / Double-Breasted - HOLIDAY SPARKLE / Every Damn Day - Dear Santa (15th Anniversary Remaster) / The Gang From NJ - Why Wait For Christmas / Joshua Van Ness - Happy New Year
“Some of the new releases this year include tracks by The Conte Brothers, Nicole Atkins, Anthony D’Amato, Trolley Valhalla, Dan Amato, Jim Testa, Thomas Johnston, Dw Dunphy, and Karen Mansfield,” said Wien. “A few of the rarest tracks include Maybe Pete’s take on ‘Run Rudolph Run' and the next to last song, ‘Why Wait For Christmas’ by The Gang From NJ - a group of musicians assembled for a benefit single in 1985 that included artists like Eddie Testa, Jon Caspi, Glen Burtnick, and Don Dazzo & Bob Ardrey from The Whirling Dervishes.”
“We’ve got a couple of songs that were pandemic inspired and the final song ends the marathon on a very appropriate note,” added Wien. “It was originally released several years ago by Joshua Van Ness, but has lyrics that are eerily on mark for 2020.”
“Have a drink, have a laugh, have a smile / I know it’s been a little while / but it’s the least we can do / So good to see you all / let’s take that curtain call / and say so long to the worst year of our lives / Happy New Year” — “Happy New Year” by Joshua Van Ness
We hope you enjoy the mix. Happy holidays from New Jersey Stage. Stay safe. Wear a mask. And let’s hope we can all go to shows again in 2021.
