Well I couldn’t resist doing my festive bit and compiling my 10 favourite christmas songs from across the years.
Originally I was not going to put them into in any order but that would have been a cop out. So here we go………..
10 BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN ~ SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN
I make no apologies for including the boss in my christmas listing and in all honesty Springsteen makes the Top Ten because he is Springsteen.
Universal christmas song covered by one of the musical legends of our time. Smoking!!!
9 KINKS ~ FATHER CHRISTMAS
The mighty Kinks performing a humorous take on a christmas song with Ray Davies taking a lyrical stab at society and the strain of poverty.
Always with his finger on the pulse this much loved and often ignored slice of christmas class has to be in my Top Ten.
8 DAVID BOWIE & BING CROSBY ~ THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY / PEACE ON EARTH
I actually watched the Bing Crosby Christmas Special where this was first aired so it has always stuck in my head.
Bing Crosby always seems to be Mr. Christmas to me and David Bowie is just a hero.
Fantastic and wonderfully christmas. Bing died a month after taping this sadly.
7 SLADE ~ MERRY XMAS EVERYBODY
Loud, noisy and from Wolverhampton. The unlikeliest rock act from the Midlands create one of the most famous singalong christmas songs ever.
Big boots and glam from the rest of the band with big sideburns from Noddy Holder and a Top Of The Pops intro from another legend… Jimmy Saville.
R.I.P Jimmy……gone but never ever forgotten.
6 JOHN LENNON & YOKO ONO ~ HAPPY CHRISTMAS WAR IS OVER (IF YOU WANT IT)
John Lennon with his anti-war christmas message.
This particular video also contains an interview with John in which he explains the message he is trying to get across far more clearly than I could hope to do with a few lines of text.
It also contains some distressing scenes to emphasise the subject matter, so please do not view if you find this upsetting.
Another great musician whose life was sadly ended prematurely. I remember the day he died as I was standing by a newspaper kiosk vendor in Putney, London who bellowed out the words, “John Lennon shot – read all about it!”
I remember just looking at him in disbelief.
Great man, great christmas song!!!
5 THE POGUES FEATURING KIRSTY MACCOLL ~ FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK
Another sadly missed great artist in Kirsty MacColl.
This song captures the pathos, sadness and bitterness that christmas can bring to the front at times.
I could easily have put this as the number one in my christmas top ten but the top four songs are my absolute favourites.
4 WIZZARD – I WISH IT COULD BE CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY
The ultimate good time christmas record for me and it’s performed by fellow Brummies!!
With all the sadness and regret around at christmas time this is just the ultimate pick me up christmas record.
Marvellously manic and tons of fun!! Cheers Wizzard!!!
3 GREG LAKE – I BELIEVE IN FATHER CHRISTMAS
Greg Lake’s christmas message manages to provoke arguments between religious groups and atheists continually.
Pompous and utterly ELPish Greg produces a brilliantly thought out “look at yourself” christmas song.
The arguments continue to rage about the true meaning of the song when it sits there in the very last line.
“Hallelujah, Noel be it heaven or hell. The christmas you get you deserve!”
Karma christmas time.
2 BING CROSBY ~ WHITE CHRISTMAS
This has stuck me with as the christmas song since I was a kid. It’s the all embracing and happy christmas epic that everybody knows and everybody sings.
Epic christmas song……period!!!
AND THE NUMBER ONE VINYLIZATION CHRISTMAS SONG IS!!
1
PETER AUTY ~ WALKING IN THE AIR
The whole song captures the beauty and magic of christmas.
No pricking of consciousness and no messages to argue about.
Ethereal with swathing orchestration, I am an absolute sucker for this one.
Beautifully sung and played.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!
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