Thirteen years ago — December 23, 2012 — I wrote that I was struggling to get into the Christmas spirit. The so-called “war on Christmas” was everywhere, (remember that?) yet it felt like Christmas had already won — stores opening on Thanksgiving, radio stations flipping to all-Christmas formats before Halloween was even over. It felt loud. Rushed. Commercial.
And maybe a little hollow.
I remember writing then that perhaps Linus was right — Christmas had become too commercial. Or maybe it just felt different because I wasn’t a kid anymore.
But here's the truth: Music is a time machine.
Nothing pulls you backward through time quite like a song. One note, one harmony, one familiar voice — and suddenly you’re back in a living room from decades ago, or riding in the back seat of a car, or sitting on the floor while the tree lights glow.
In 2012, Vinyl Voyage Radio had only been on for a year. And that year, I decided to do something different: instead of wall-to-wall modern Christmas hits, I started recording my Christmas vinyl collection into the station’s computer. Dozens of albums. Some well-worn. Some rarely played. All carrying memories.
No Mariah Carey.
No Wham.
No “Last Christmas” every hour on the hour.
Instead:
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Bing Crosby
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Elvis
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Julie Andrews
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Burl Ives
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The Boston Pops led by Arthur Fiedler
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The Harry Simeone Chorale
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Tony Bennett
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Frank Sinatra
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Percy Faith
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Ferrante & Teicher
All played from glorious vinyl.
That experiment became a tradition.
Tomorrow, Vinyl Voyage Radio begins its 13th Annual Vinyl Christmas — continuous Christmas music, ripped directly from vinyl, spinning now through December 26.
Some of it is familiar.
Some of it is rare.
All of it carries history.
These records were meant to be played — not shuffled, not run through an algorithm, but heard the way they were intended. With surface noise. With warmth. With character. With memories baked into the grooves.
If Christmas feels louder and faster than it used to…
If you miss the sound of the holidays the way you remember them…
If you believe music can still slow time just a little…
I invite you to listen.
Maybe you’ll hear something that brings you back to a simpler moment in your own past.
From all of us at Vinyl Voyage Radio —
Merry Christmas, and welcome back to Vinyl Christmas.
