Seasonality

One of you advised me to knock off the studying for the holidays and start acting like a real student for a change. Well, I haven't got drunk, fallen asleep on the tube and woken up in Morden (via Edgware). I haven't sulked about having to spend time with my family. I didn't buy all my gifts at an all-night petrol station.

But I did go to the course Christmas party, for which I managed to be an hour late — my house locked me out. (Read meaning into that, if you will.) It was in a bar called Jerusalem — again, search out the significance. (When we were canvassed for possible venues, I suggested — as it's just down the road — Spearmint Rhino. But my idea didn't find favour, even when I added that I reckon they give psychoanalysts trade discount.)

And I did put together a Christmas collection (following the usual rules, the same as for a bridal gown: the old, the new, the borrowed, the blue) . . .

1 Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) Darlene Love (1963) 2 Just Like Christmas Low (2000) 3 Winter Wonderland Johnny Mercer, the Pied Pipers & The Paul Weston Orchestra (1946) 4 Sleigh Ride Lloyd Glenn (1954) 5 Merry Christmas Baby Charles Brown (1947) 6 Christmas Man Blues Bertha ‘Chippie’ Hill (1928?) 7 Silver Bells Doris Day (1950) 8 Santa Baby Eartha Kitt (1953) 9 Santa Claus Got Stuck In My Chimney Ella Fitzgerald (1960) 10 Trim Your Tree Jimmy Butler (1954) 11 Papa Ain’t No Santa Claus (Mama Ain’t No Christmas Tree) Butterbeans & Susie (1930) 12 Christ Was Born On Christmas Morn Frankie ‘Half-Pint’ Jaxon (1929?)
13 The Twelve Days Of Christmas Bob & Ron Copper (1955) 14 Lonesome Christmas Pt 1 Lowell Fulson (1950) 15 Blue Christmas Elvis Presley (1968) 16 Let It Be Me/The Christmas Song Laura Nyro (1990) 17 Silent Night Huey 'Piano' Smith & The Clowns (1962) 18 The Twelve Days of Christmas Field Music, Kathryn Williams, The Futureheads, The Golden Virgins & The Joseph and Mary Chain (2006) 19 Santa Claus Is Coming to Town Bill Evans (1963) 20 Winter Wonderland Aretha Franklin (1964) 21 God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Aimee Mann (2006) 22 Christmas Wrapping The Waitresses (1981) 23 Christmas Boogie Sugar Chile Robinson (1950) 24 Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas? The Staple Singers (1970) 25 My Boyfriend’s Coming Home For Christmas Toni Wine (1963) 26 There Won’t Be Any Snow (Christmas In The Jungle) Derrick Roberts (1965)
27 Seasonal Greetings Krusty The Clown (1999)

It lasts about seventy minutes and fits on a CD. Soon, I'll also be adding some notes about the tracks.

Bonus track

Merry Christmas Doctor Elaine May & Mike Nichols