Mariah Carey joined Jimmy Fallon and The Roots for a new take on “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” (NBC/Contributed Image)
All hail the melodica. The instrument isn’t just for Idyllwild’s Casey Abrams anymore. The Roots and Jimmy Fallon channeled its power along with a children’s xylophone and one of those recorders we all had to play in elementary school* to breathe new life into Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
Oh yeah, Mariah Carey shows up, too. The original might be my all-time favorite guilty pleasure song, but this is even better.
Also, I’m pretty sure that Jimmy Fallon found my first-ever Casio keyboard (I had that mini white one) for use in this video.
The Roots are the most amazing thing ever about anything, including this video. I think Questlove’s sweater might even be better than the melodica.
I’ve been fortunate enough to see The Roots a few times between Rock the Bells, Coachella and various other concerts over the years. They’re freaking phenomenal. Here’s “How I Got Over.”
This isn’t the first time Fallon and the Roots have used the children’s instruments to rock out, either. Here they are performing perhaps my other favorite guilty pleasure song of all-time (and current “Rock Band” vocal favorite), Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.”
*Fun Fact: I can play both the “Top Gun” theme and MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This” on the recorder.
So what do you think–do you prefer the new version of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” or the original? Tell me in the comments below.
Want to know what other songs have made my holiday list? Below the Wham! Christmas photo you can keep up with all of the other artists I’ve been writing about this month:
Wham! The other outtakes from the “Last Christmas” single are even more disturbing. (Contributed Image)
Dec. 1: Wham!
Dec. 2: Richard Marx
Dec. 3: Gram Rabbit
Dec. 4: Nat King Cole