Clarence Clemons |
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Fri. December 13.2002 5:40 PM EST |
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God Rest Ye Merry HomeysRockers recall holiday wishes and memories. by C. Bottomley, Gil Kaufman & Paulina Williams |
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Santa Claus (Corbis Images) |
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What do rock stars dream of at holiday time? A white Christmas? Tasting Moms latkes again? Finding an iPod underneath the tree? VH1 paused from putting up the bunting and lighting the final Menorah candle to ponder these questions. We asked
DAVID GRAY I had this tempestuous first love. Ultimately, it ran its course and I went away to art school. But one Christmas Eve I ended up in her local pub, and she was there. We got completely hammered, drinking all night. By the time we rolled back into her place, we couldnt find any other booze except the stuff that was for Christmas dinner the next day. All eyes were drawn to the Christmas tree, where there was a bottle-shaped present underneath. We tore it open. It was a bottle of gin, and we drank some and passed out. I woke up in a bedroom with the mother of all hangovers, thinking, What happened last night? I suddenly remembered the present under the tree, and of course, I had to walk downstairs, just as the whole family was about to give out the presents. Theres this half-drunk bottle of gin which has been put back in its box. We were thinking, Should we confess &? Oh, man I was cabbage! Shania Twain Ka-Ching! started out a couple years ago as a Christmas song. I wanted to write about the whole cash register thing and how we all go into debt at Christmas time! But I ended up not doing a Christmas album that year after all. So I stuck with the principle of the pressure society puts on us to spend and have more than we need. It all stemmed from my childhood Christmases. My parents didn't have the money to be spending on gifts. What is a decent Christmas? Whatever you see on television. The commercials dictate what it's supposed to be, and that usually includes a lot of presents. It was a stressful time of the year for my parents. Looking back, I think What a waste, and about all the stress they must have gone through to try and give us what they thought were good Christmases. Now that I have money and am around wealthy people, I find they are under the same pressure to have more, spend more, have more cars, a bigger house & [Laughs.] I mean, the pressure never goes away. Its crazy how we all fall for it. So I wrote Ka-Ching! for that reason. Its a satire, and I enjoy it now. THE WALLFLOWERS Jakob Dylan, singer: The best holiday memories have gotta be when youre in the snow. I got a variety of presents - everything from a pair of shoes to a pencil sharpener! Rami Jaffee, keyboards: One Hanukkah I got this amazing Planet of the Apes thing with all the action figures. That was a good Hanukkah. My parents didnt really get me a lot of gifts. They were really hip on the chocolate money but when youre a kid, all you want is the chocolate money. THE DONNAS Donna F: Last year I was in New York, and there were just all these kids running around screaming, Happy Hanukkah. That was exciting. They kept trying to give me Hanukkah candles. Donna R: You used to throw Hanukkah parties where we would exchange gifts. Those were fun. Donna A: Your parents made us the latkes. Donna F: They always make you a little bit sick afterwards. But they taste really good while youre eating them. Donna R: One Hanukkah I got the She-Ra castle. Its the crystal palace that she lives in in Eternia. When youre a kid and somethings more than three-feet tall youre like, Wow! I never thought I would own this! You think of it as really expensive. That was like my dream present. PEARL JAM Stone Gossard, guitarist: My favorite rock moment was when David Bowie and Bing Crosby were singing Little Drummer Boy. Thats the greatest thing Ive ever seen in my life. Such good singers, those guys. Bing Crosby: Whos this kid again? Whats his name? CRAZY TOWN Shifty Binzer, singer: When I was 17, I got into a huge fight Christmas Eve. It was right after my parents got divorced. I had a black eye and a big gash down the side of my face, and I had to come down that morning to open presents. I have this picture of me smoking a pipe by the Christmas tree. Were unwrapping presents and I'm wearing my Christmas colors, but Ive got that black eye and blood dripping down the side of my face. SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER Leigh Nash: I grew up in Texas, so it was warm enough to go outside on Christmas. One year, the whole family ran across the street and played baseball all afternoon. My 71-year-old grandma was pulling in the home runs. My favorite Christmas song? "O Holy Night." That really rocks. BUSTA RHYMES What did I want? When I turned 11 years old I wanted Santa to bring the truth to my house. I said, Come clean, homey. Do you really exist? Im tired of hearing the stories about you, big fella. Show up at my house. Homey didnt never come through. So for me, it was a wrap - it wasnt cool no more. At that point, I figured it out - Santa wasnt the real thing! DAMON DASH The first time they shut the toy store FAO Schwarz down for me was a good present, because I hate going to department stores. I was like, They can shut FAO down just for me? I was happy about that! ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT Speedo, singer/guitarist: My dad plays Portuguese folk songs and Christmas songs on his accordion. We would go out and do door-to-door caroling. You would go into the houses, wake everyone up in the middle of the night, eat their food and drink their alcoholic beverages. Then they come with you and you go on to another house. As the night progresses you have a horde. We would go until about six in the morning. I wish we could still do it, but a lot of the old timers arent around anymore. We actually did a song for the Christmas record Happy Birthday Baby Jesus, called Cancel Christmas. Its just about a single parent father who cant afford any presents for his kids. Its a tear-in-the-beer sorta song! FAT JOE When I was like five or six years old my mother and father bought me a blue Ross bike. It was snowing outside but I still forced them to let me ride it in the snow. That was just the greatest feeling. Spanish people have this tradition where they go to other peoples houses at night, wake you up and serenade you. Then you join us and well go to visit another family member or the house of someone that were cool with; it goes on all night long, singing with the guitar and the drums. Its real old fashioned. One year we started in the Bronx and by the end of the night, we were in Long Island! LAURA PAUSINI I used to celebrate Christmas with my parents. Now I miss it a lot because I cant stay with them every Christmas, but I wanna imagine that my best Christmas is not already part of my past. My favorite Christmas song is Happy Christmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon. I think this is one of the most beautiful songs ever, including non-Christmas ones. I sang it in front of the Pope! FLOETRY Natalie Stewart, floacist: When it comes to celebrating, my mother does it right. Its all about family and food and LOVE. My best Christmas was my nieces first Christmas. We surrounded her with her presents and there were so many gifts, you couldnt even see her. That was a good Christmas, because that was like an initiation of a new squad member! Marsha Ambrosius, songstress:Two years ago had moved to Philadelphia and submitted the demo of "Butterflies" to Michael Jackson. I told my parents, "Oh my God, he might do my song! He might do my song!" I was excited, but when I went back to the U.K. for Christmas that year, I was so exhausted I slept 'til 12 noon and then I went back to bed at 7p.m.! That was the first time I've done that my entire life. I'm usually up at four and in bed by the following day! CLARENCE CLEMONS Every Christmas marks another year Ive been playing saxophone. When I was nine years old, I wanted an electric train for Christmas. My parents said, If youre good, youre gonna get what you want. This time I knew I was gonna get an electric train, because I had been good. I could not sleep that night. I remember my father put the gifts under the tree, because I was kind of peeking. I knew there was train in that box, man. As soon as they went to sleep, I ran in and I tore this thing open, trying to see this train. And it was this big shiny thing! I thought, What is this thing? My father had heard a sax player, Syl Austin, who really turned him on. He said, This guy made a horn talk and thats what I want my son to do. He had this vision of me playing saxophone. Ill tell you, I never forgave him! But one of the best moments of my life was calling him on the E Street Bands first trip to Europe. I said to him, Dad, that saxophone that you bought me has bought you and mama a trip to Europe. He said, Im all packed and Ive been waiting! |
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David Gray |
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Shania Twain |
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The Wallflowers |
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The Donnas |
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Pearl Jam |
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Crazy Town |
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Sixpence None The Richer |
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Busta Rhymes |
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Rocket from the Crypt |
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Fat Joe |
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Laura Pausini |
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Floetry |
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Clarence Clemons |
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