Defend the Inescapable: That "Santa, Baby..." song

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Okay, maybe the song seems cute and witty the first 500 times you hear it, but...it seems every single time this year I have gone into a store or turned on the radio, I don't get too far before it disturbingly comes oozing out yet again over the speakers. Is this the new "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer"?

While we're at it, though, is this song originally from a movie or something? I picture Jayne Mansfield, perhaps, rolling around on top of a piano? Or is it just some popular radio tune from the 40s/50s?

― Joe (Joe), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 04:42 (twenty years ago)

it is fucking awful and I hate it. luckily I haven't heard it yet this year. three, four years ago I heard it all the time.

― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 05:59 (twenty years ago)

covered by marilyn monroe ,madonna,eartha kitt,madonna,cyndi lauper.
maybe brigitte bardot.i desire girls aloud , sugarbabes and rachel stevens' versions.

― retrogurl, Wednesday, 21 December 2005 06:46 (twenty years ago)

I thought Eartha did the original version?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 06:47 (twenty years ago)

I realized this year that one of the worst things about Christmas music is that dozens of artists each feel the (market-driven) need to record their own subtly-different but equally-annoying version. No, "All I Want For Christmas Is You" will never be a good song, even if you go "Whoa-a-oa-a-oa-ooooo" in the middle of the chorus.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 06:49 (twenty years ago)

The definitive "Santa Baby" is now the Kylie version. And it's great.

― Merryweather (scarlet), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 10:31 (twenty years ago)

Kylie version is *terrible*.

― harvey.w (harvey.w), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 10:40 (twenty years ago)

Thank you, this is the song I hate that I wanted to mention on chuck's Christmas song thread, but I couldn't remember it.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 11:45 (twenty years ago)

Kylie version is GREAT.

― Merryweather (scarlet), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 12:23 (twenty years ago)

Jeezus. Who let the Scrooges out?

― The Wanderers' Wandering Daughter (noodle vague), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 12:25 (twenty years ago)

Haha. Humbug, fucker.

the Madonna version of this is painful.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 12:34 (twenty years ago)

I realized this year that one of the worst things about Christmas music is that dozens of artists each feel the (market-driven) need to record their own subtly-different but equally-annoying version.

cf. "Baby It's Cold Outside"--though I do like the original (?) one with Ricardo Montalban. But all the slickly produced, non-subtle, overemotive modern versions of it (plus commercials, too) are fuckin' awful.

― Joe (Joe), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 14:56 (twenty years ago)

"sexy" christmas songs are bad. christmas should not be sexy!

― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 15:01 (twenty years ago)

Not even "I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus"?

― Joe (Joe), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 15:02 (twenty years ago)

B-B-But "All I Want For Christmas Is You" IS good.

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 15:08 (twenty years ago)

Madonna, psh. You do not know pain until you have heard this song sung by the guy from Everclear.

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 15:32 (twenty years ago)

As long as I don't have to hear "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" EVER AGAIN, I'm OK with "Santa Baby."

― mike a, Wednesday, 21 December 2005 15:39 (twenty years ago)

Why can't it be Gary U.S. Bond's "Call Me For Christmas" that's inescapable instead?

― TRG (TRG), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 15:43 (twenty years ago)

I would LOVE to hear the guy from Everclear singing "Santa Baby."

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Wednesday, 21 December 2005 15:48 (twenty years ago)

I like the song, but Eartha Kitt's version is the only one that works for me. Marilyn's is too cute, Madonna's too arch, and some versions are just embarrassing because the singer can't handle the sexiness -- it can be like watching a dorky friend do a striptease. But Eartha really nails the naughtiness, without overdoing it. She seems amused by her own desires.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 15:49 (twenty years ago)

otm

re: "Baby It's Cold Outside" - Ricardo Montalban?! How exciting. Does it beat Dean Martin's?

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 16:16 (twenty years ago)

Myself, I like "Santa Baby"; but I'm not going to try to defend it, just because I've demonstrated in the past that I have a higher-than-usual tolerance for certain kitschy things. I dunno...sometimes I just enjoy things because they annoy me, and I can't ask anyone to share that point of view. And maybe I don't want them to. Incidentally, I've never heard any version other than Madonna's, if that makes a difference.

And as regards Xmas-kitsch, that ancient 1950s ditty about the hippopotamus is even more annoying than "Santa Baby", so I prefer it.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 17:08 (twenty years ago)

The hippapotamus is my #1 favourite Xmas song.

Eartha best, Kylie second. It's an OK record.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 17:11 (twenty years ago)

The hippapotamus is my #1 favourite Xmas song.

I just heard that the other day!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 17:14 (twenty years ago)

"Santa Baby" was never recorded by Marilyn. It's this actress, Cynthia Basinet:

www.cynthiabasinet.com

― bob elder, Friday, 30 December 2005 19:22 (twenty years ago)

Whew, that makes me feel better. I didn't remember a Marilyn version either.

― Tomato Voyeur (Bimble...), Friday, 30 December 2005 20:56 (twenty years ago)

Rosie O'Donnell has a version too (shudder).

― everything, Friday, 30 December 2005 21:37 (twenty years ago)

I like this song

― [use of street parade as pivotal set piece] (nordicskilla), Friday, 30 December 2005 21:40 (twenty years ago)

seek: Ally Macbeal/Calista Flockhart version.

― Stephen C (ihope), Friday, 30 December 2005 21:57 (twenty years ago)

Interesting. I can't find any recorded versions by Marilyn (and that Cynthia Basinet person is all over the Internet promoting herself), but so how is Marilyn so associated with it? Google for her and "Santa Baby" gives 15,800 hits. I'd swear I'd heard her sing it except that I can't find any evidence of it. But if I haven't, why do I and so many other people think we have?

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Friday, 30 December 2005 22:04 (twenty years ago)

Apparently Cynthia resembles Marilyn and file-sharing was responsible for the mislabel.

Or so says Cynthia's site -
http://www.cynthiabasinet.com/PRWeb-NoNotMarilyn.htm

― TRG (TRG), Friday, 30 December 2005 22:29 (twenty years ago)

But her version's less than 10 years old and the mislabeling only happened because people already thought the song was by Marilyn. There must be some other reason.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Friday, 30 December 2005 23:04 (twenty years ago)

Hmmm, if you're right, I don't know. I thought that the myth was only as old as Basinet's version.

― TRG (TRG), Saturday, 31 December 2005 00:16 (twenty years ago)

just heard the worst version by bessie bardot entertaining the Australian troops.bessie looked hot in a pink skirt.
sexiest version is eartha.
best version is kylie.
i'm yet to hear a good singer sing this classic.

― retrokid, Saturday, 31 December 2005 02:49 (twenty years ago)

I gotta admit when I heard this song at work earlier last week on the radio, it struck me as risque - almost too risque - when was this recorded? They said it was Eartha Kitt. Did all the religious right come and out and say it was satanic when it was released? It just seemed sexier than a clamp-down government from decades past would ever allow. Not sure I've ever given any thought to that song before this year, either - it's not exactly as well known as Deck The Halls.

― Tomato Voyeur (Bimble...), Saturday, 31 December 2005 03:25 (twenty years ago)

perviest song ever. esp. in the hands of calista and rosie.

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Saturday, 31 December 2005 04:46 (twenty years ago)

Man, so much discussion over Marilyn's "Santa Baby"... Cynthia Basinet (aka "c. basinet" (iTunes)) is the singer and she was also nominated for a shared Nobel nomination partly due to utilizing her visibility from her rendition of "Santa Baby" to raise awareness for W. Sahara refugees. She's not claiming to resemble anyone.

― blondbomb, Wednesday, 11 January 2006 09:10 (twenty years ago)

I don't think I've ever heard this!

― Sundar (sundar), Wednesday, 11 January 2006 14:41 (twenty years ago)

you lucky sod.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Wednesday, 11 January 2006 14:43 (twenty years ago)

Looked up the lyrics. It's like a Christmassy version of that "Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz" song?

― Sundar (sundar), Wednesday, 11 January 2006 14:54 (twenty years ago)

four years pass...

great song.

― charlie h, Saturday, 18 September 2010 00:41 (fifteen years ago)

I can't believe I didn't know this 4 years ago!

― EveningStar (Sund4r), Saturday, 18 September 2010 00:51 (fifteen years ago)

Reminds me, I need to start working on this year's Christmas compilation CD. "Santa Baby" will not be featuring.

― seandalai, Saturday, 18 September 2010 02:07 (fifteen years ago)

three years pass...

Was gonna start a thread about worst Christmas songs, but this is without doubt the crowning glory of terrible yuletide pop hits, isn't it?

― a beef supreme (dog latin), Wednesday, 11 December 2013 11:37 (twelve years ago)

I heard a Michael Buble version of this song in a store the other day. Talk about missing the point.

― justfanoe (Greg Fanoe), Wednesday, 11 December 2013 12:22 (twelve years ago)

i really really really really really really really really really fucking hate anything with "sexy" Santa

― i just can't be bothered (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 11 December 2013 12:26 (twelve years ago)

^^^^^^^^^

― a beef supreme (dog latin), Wednesday, 11 December 2013 12:44 (twelve years ago)

I can't get past "slip a sable".

― how's life, Wednesday, 11 December 2013 12:45 (twelve years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aeo6azbXAiU

― r|t|c, Wednesday, 11 December 2013 12:48 (twelve years ago)

that indie christmas record, like THE big indie christmas record, is at least as annoying as santa baby.

― Legitimate space tale (LocalGarda), Wednesday, 11 December 2013 13:12 (twelve years ago)

the waitresses, google says

― Legitimate space tale (LocalGarda), Wednesday, 11 December 2013 13:12 (twelve years ago)

ime of working in a shopping centre during the festive season the song that is most maddeningly deleterious to one's sanity is 'wonderful christmastime'. fuck u forever mccartney u inane singsong cunt

― r|t|c, Wednesday, 11 December 2013 13:18 (twelve years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpq2Chr6stQ

never not otm

― r|t|c, Wednesday, 11 December 2013 13:23 (twelve years ago)

It's mentioned upthread, but until last weekend I had never heard this version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvxnlaaqOts

― MarkoP, Wednesday, 11 December 2013 14:30 (twelve years ago)

there was a funny Mindy Project episode recently about Mindy wanting to perform a sexy version of "Santa Baby" and someone else being offended that it sexualizes Santa Claus

― some dude, Wednesday, 11 December 2013 14:46 (twelve years ago)

Jingle Bell Rock is also really bad.

― a beef supreme (dog latin), Wednesday, 11 December 2013 15:25 (twelve years ago)

There are lots of good Jingle Bell Rock covers, from the Ventures to Heather Leigh Murray.

― freemen (on the) space (seandalai), Wednesday, 11 December 2013 15:50 (twelve years ago)

xxp i agree with the someone else

― shillelagh law (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 11 December 2013 16:10 (twelve years ago)

This song is all kinds of terrible, but it isn't about a "sexy" Santa in the least, wtf?

― an enormous bolus of flatulence (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, 11 December 2013 16:17 (twelve years ago)

I mean, yes it sexualizes the gift-giving aspect of Christmas in the most awful and creepy way, but Santa's just his regular ol' jolly elf self. It's the greedy gift receiver that is "sexy" in this scenario.

― an enormous bolus of flatulence (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, 11 December 2013 16:20 (twelve years ago)

it makes me think of a senior manager who's just way way way too drunk at an office party.

― a beef supreme (dog latin), Wednesday, 11 December 2013 16:26 (twelve years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqB52bdaVTE

― kinder, Wednesday, 11 December 2013 18:51 (twelve years ago)

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