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Since the holiday season is upon us. I thought this list from CdBaby might be helpful. For those who don’t write their own - here’s a list of public domain Christmas songs that anyone is free to cover. So here’s your chance to show off your real band and BIAB chops even if you don’t write originals.

Angels We Have Heard On High
Auld Lang Syne
Away In A Manger
Coventry Carol
Deck The Halls
For Unto Us
Go Tell It On The Mountain
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Good King Wenceslas
Hallelujah Chorus
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Here We Come A-Caroling (Wassail Song)
I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
I Saw Three Ships
In The Bleak Midwinter
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
Jingle Bells
Jolly Old St. Nicholas
Joy To The World
O Come All Ye Faithful
O Come O Come Emmanuel
O Holy Night
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Once In Royal David’s City
Silent Night
The First Noel
The Twelve Days of Christmas
Up On The Housetop
We Three Kings
We Wish You A Merry Christma
What Child Is This


NOT IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN - All below are under Copyright meaning covers require permission from the copyright holder.

A Holly Jolly Christmas
All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth
Carol Of The Bells
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Feliz Navidad
Frosty The Snowman
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)
I’ll Be Home For Christmas
It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
Jingle Bell Rock
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
Little Drummer Boy
Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree
Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Silver Bells
Sleigh Ride
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
White Christmas
Winter Wonderland
thanks Josie!
Handel's Messiah


That's GOT to be public domain.



--Mac
nice list!

I don't think you need permission if the work has been published. but you would need to pay royalties. as a practical matter, if you're not making money off it you can probably record any of the songs and never be bothered!
Quote:

nice list!

I don't think you need permission if the work has been published. but you would need to pay royalties. as a practical matter, if you're not making money off it you can probably record any of the songs and never be bothered!




If you don't distribute them and keep them off the internet then ok.
About 'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day' -- the poem by Longfellow has been set by more than one composer and not all versions are public domain. Make sure you do the old Calkin version, not the more modern one by Johnny Marks (both are lovely tunes).
You can get many of these already entered by getting Norton's Christmas Fake Disk:
http://www.nortonmusic.com/fake15.html

275 Holiday tunes! It's a Holiday Party-in-a-Box!

Notes
Quote:

About 'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day' -- the poem by Longfellow has been set by more than one composer and not all versions are public domain. Make sure you do the old Calkin version, not the more modern one by Johnny Marks (both are lovely tunes).




I think Josie was coming from the direction of making our own versions of these songs and posting them to the showcase (since they are PD) rather than covering an existing version that is protected. But you're right, just because the SONG is PD doesn't mean that we can copy specific versions

I'm looking forward to hearing some PD Christmas song interpretations on the showcase pretty soon! (good idea, Josie! I can't wait to hear YOUR adaptations of as many Christmas songs as you can come up with))
For covers it's easy to go through Harry Fox or Limelight but I added those still under copyright because those songs are so popular that sometimes people assume they are PD when they're not.

Pat that's exactly what I meant - for people here to do their own version of a PD. I think it would be fun to hear people we don't get to hear much on the user's showcase and for those that we do too. So I'm hoping you'll do one and other guys/gals will post one as well. I'm planning on doing one.
Quote:

For covers it's easy to go through Harry Fox or Limelight but I added those still under copyright because those songs are so popular that sometimes people assume they are PD when they're not.

Pat that's exactly what I meant - for people here to do their own version of a PD. I think it would be fun to hear people we don't get to hear much on the user's showcase and for those that we do too. So I'm hoping you'll do one and other guys/gals will post one as well. I'm planning on doing one.




The year RB was first introduced I immediately made a couple of Christmas carols I liked a lot.. and just before I posted them, a thread like this made me aware that they were BOTH still under copyright! Which illustrates your point that it's easy to assume that songs we've listened to forever must be PD, and which makes me thankful that you reminded us which are which SO I DON'T GO OLD MAN BRAIN DEAD AND REPEAT MY MISTAKE!

Come on people! Let's rally around Josie's idea and post some original versions of Christmas music!


CHRISTMAS SPIRIT-O-METER
Grinch_____________/_Josie

I produced a 2-CD Christmas Album for Clare Brett - 80% of the backing is BIAB. We had to license 20 of the songs. Clare has been performing these songs for years and wanted to record them so they were 'on record' so to speak. The album can be heard here:

CD Baby
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/clarebrett (CD and mp3)
iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mistletoe-memories/id576124322 (mp3 quality)
Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Mistletoe-Memories...71&sr=301-1 (mp3 quality)
Quote:

Quote:

About 'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day' -- the poem by Longfellow has been set by more than one composer and not all versions are public domain. Make sure you do the old Calkin version, not the more modern one by Johnny Marks (both are lovely tunes).




I think Josie was coming from the direction of making our own versions of these songs and posting them to the showcase (since they are PD) rather than covering an existing version that is protected. But you're right, just because the SONG is PD doesn't mean that we can copy specific versions

I'm looking forward to hearing some PD Christmas song interpretations on the showcase pretty soon! (good idea, Josie! I can't wait to hear YOUR adaptations of as many Christmas songs as you can come up with))




I wasn't talking about arrangements -- I meant two totally different tunes, one of which is public domain and the other copyrighted. Both are out there on sheet music so check the composer's name.
Quote:

I wasn't talking about arrangements -- I meant two totally different tunes, one of which is public domain and the other copyrighted. Both are out there on sheet music so check the composer's name.



good point. I misunderstood
I did this version of the Huron Carol in the native American Huron language 4 years ago. Supposedly, there's perhaps one person left on the planet that spoke this language as a first language. Bruce Cockburn did this song in a much faster pace, but the minor chord carols to me should always be slowed and chilled. Best when listened to with headphones.

Iesus Ahatonnia - Scott Lake, Andy McRory and Victor Eijkhout

Some credits necessary - from across the interwebs, Andy McRory sent me a fretless bass guitar track, and Victor Eijkhout sent me several tracks of wooden recorders that I also dubbed in. The nature sounds are all from the Freesound Project, manipulated and edited by me. I played classical guitar, and synth lead. The classical guitar tracks were played single notes at a time, since some of the chords really spread larger on the fretboard than what I could physically play. I also did the singing and tried not to butcher but pay respect to the wonder and perhaps confusion that the native Americans felt when presented with the story of Christ. There are some syllables which sound 'closed' and supposedly that is the way that they are pronounced.

Certainly not a popular Christmas song, but one that has haunted me since first hearing an instrumental version on a Dan Gibson Solitudes CD 20 years or so ago. I owe deep gratitude to Andy and Victor for adding real class to the song. Out of all of the 'experimental' music I have attempted over the years, this one is one of my favorites. I really dig Andy and Victor's parts. I could listen to fretless bass for hours!

For the lyrics, Bruce Cockburn has an article on it on this website: http://cockburnproject.net/songs&music/ia.html

Last Christmas, I did a quick version of Greensleeves/What Child Is This? on classical guitar.

http://rockstarnot.rekkerd.org/songs/2011/Scott%20Lake%20-%20What%20Child%20Is%20This.mp3

-Scott
Truly wonderful, both songs. I have shivers all over and can feel the spirit of Christmas. I performed "What child is this" at a Christmas concert a couple of years and it always brings a lump to my throat. Thanks for sharing
Well done, Scott! Bravo!!!

Happy Holidays!

Mike
Scott,

Thanks for posting these. . . very enjoyable listen.

You should be very proud of both these performances.

Later,
Thanks for the comments. Where's everyone else's offerings?
Wow, very cool!

I'm working on In The Bleak Midwinter as my contribution. It's got some lovely BIAB cello on it.

But I've got some very pitchy vocals that need to be fixed, so I may have to go back an punch in some parts. There's only so much that pitch correction software can do.

In the mean time, here's my Christmas instrumental from last year: O Come, O Come Emmanuel
I am going to try and record It came upon a midnight clear. I have the backing but just need to find time to put the vocals down…Time is short..I am off skiing in the Alps on Friday 7th right up till Xmas so wont have time to do any music while on my skis!
dcuny - that's a happy sounding Veni Emmanuel! The minor chords always have me playing it about 1/2 speed of what you have there, so it's interesting to hear a different take on it.
Very cool Scott.

Really nice ones in the users showcase from everyone so far too. Both PD and originals.
Another song, although not as well-known as the ones listed, is Night Of Silence. It is not in the public domain.
Cool this post got bumped and revived. It is a good time to be working up some arrangements for Christmas.

Thanks to Sundance for publishing the list for here on the forum.
I'm looking for a classical pianist willing to record some Nutcracker Christmas songs for my Royalty Free website. Please contact rick@freemusicpublicdomain.com Thanks
Here's a few beautiful christmas carols on classical guitar. All royalty free. http://www.freemusicpublicdomain.com/royalty-free-christmas-music/
Any time you plan to record something that has been written by someone else, never assume it is in the public domain simply because it's old.

Always do your research. As has been pointed out, some songs that we think are PD have several versions and the one we know is a more recent version that is still protected by copyright.

It only takes a few minutes to do the research and avoid the grief of a "cease and desist" letter or a claim against you for copyright infringement.

The only time it is "OK" to do covers of copyrighted material is:
1. For your own personal listening and recording pleasure where no one else will hear it.....ever.
2. If your publisher asks for a cover version of a song for a specific project and obtains the rights for that song pursuant to your written contract with that publisher.
3. You obtain the proper permissions for the intended use.
Herb, technology such as content ID is rapidly changing the landscape for recording cover songs. Right now, you can post a popular cover song to YouTube and the content Id system will most of the time pick this up and reimburse the copyright holder.

Thinks are changing rapidly. You no longer have to have a relationship to the music establishment (eg publisher) to make a name in the new model. Many artists have launched their careers by posting covers on YouTube.

I personally would love people to cover my songs and post them to YouTube.

Just my 2 cents worth..

Edited to add: I know the technology is not yet perfect but we should not ignore that it is on the way and it is most likely going to change the landscape for cover songs published on other platforms.

For most musicians obscurity is a much bigger threat than theft.
Originally Posted By: JosieC


For most musicians obscurity is a much bigger threat than theft.





+1
What a great and useful thread!

And this line...

Quote:
For most musicians obscurity is a much bigger threat than theft.


was brilliant! I find most people don't steal what they have never heard.
Yes things have changed a lot on YouTube since this was first posted. I think Youtube came up with a brilliant way to benefit all parties.

However, if someone's going to put a Christmas cover song out somewhere other than Youtube it might still be wise to shell out the bucks for a license or stick with the public domain songs unless the new model is across whatever platform site they're intending to use.
Originally Posted By: Sundance
Yes things have changed a lot on YouTube since this was first posted. I think Youtube came up with a brilliant way to benefit all parties.

However, if someone's going to put a Christmas cover song out somewhere other than Youtube it might still be wise to shell out the bucks for a license or stick with the public domain songs unless the new model is across whatever platform site they're intending to use.


That is 100% correct Josie. As far as I know content Id is only for YouTube right now so for other digital platforms you still need to purchase a license for copyrighted material.

Of course there are still some copyright owners who are being sticky about YouTube and will demand that your video be taken down but I think these are very few and far between. Even they are beginning to see the light that it is a win win suitation.
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