The current singles chart is full of Christmas songs old and, er, old. Mariah Carey's warbler All I Want For Christmas Is You is the ladies' choice to download. The Pogues are chasing Mariah's ample behind, pissed as newts. Roy Wood is dangling his luxurious split-ended hair over her barely covered tits. Band Aid are sticking plasters on her scuffed heels. Slade are taking it in manly turns to lift her off the dance floor. A be-jumpered Shakin' Stevens is tinkling sleigh bells with Andy Williams in the background.
But enough of my fantasy!
It gets me thinking. I need some more Christmas songs in my collection.
I mean, I love Phil Spector's album. By all rights it should be shooting up the charts. But I need more. If only I had the all time classic Christmas album in my collection.
I used to. White vinyl, just like snow. December 1981. A great time to be young, dumb and full of Christmas spirit.
What a great album! Cristina, Suicide, Was (Not Was), Material, James White. August Darnell (Kid Creole before he was shit). You'll all know The Waitresses' Christmas Wrapping, of course.
And then in the late eighties, I moved. I gave away my records as they weren't the future. But every Christmas from then on I've wanted my Ze album back.
So I look on Amazon, and there it is. Re-released on CD in 2004. Why didn't I see it before?
So this is my Christmas present to myself. It won't arrive 'til after the big day. But I'll play it in my head this year.
Things fall apart but they never leave my heart
Good Morning Midnight: it's Christmas...
Cristina - Things Fall Apart
I'm a bit worried about your fantasy Geoff.
ReplyDeleteHere's someone after your own heart though.
Thanks, Murph. They got there two years earlier. Those wasted years...
ReplyDeleteIt's A Wonderful Life is heartbreaking, too. Those Yanks sure do tug at the old heartstrings.
I'm very happy for you - it's lovely when this sort of thing happens.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's great to be the sort of person who knows what they really like isn't it?
I'm just waiting for the Jona Lewie revival.
ReplyDeleteChristmas Wrapping is my favourite yuletide song by a country mile - good call.
ReplyDeleteTheyv'e also got a fab song all about being single that is so great I might have to do a post about it meself.
Kaz - I know what I like and I like what I know (Genesis). Well, not Genesis, but you know what I mean.
ReplyDeleteTim - It was tragic when he was blown up in the trenches.
Spin - I haven't heard The Waitresses yet this Christmas. Yet we heard The Darkness in ASDA. Life is cruel.
Hurray!
ReplyDeleteA happy ending.
I am heartwarmed.
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
ReplyDeleteBut the very next day, You gave it away...
This year, to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special (Repeat)
Damn thing is stuck in my brain.
Beth - With extra tracks, too!
ReplyDeleteDick - I can see the video now. George and Andrew and their friends...I long for the 80s so much.
Full of music old and old? The Christmas No 1 in the charts always used to be something to look forward to. Then it became a farce. Let's hear it for Slade and Wizzard and their good old Christmas songs!!
ReplyDeleteLet's hear it for Slade, Wizzard and Greg Lake.
ReplyDeleteAnd nobody else, please!
The Ze Christmas album, best ever Chrissy cash-in.
ReplyDeleteThe Suicide track is a work of sheer genuis, beaten only by the mighty James Chance and his bile-soaked rant about spending Christmas with Old Nick himself.
Well that's two of us with an interest in it, Anthony.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's why it didn't top the charts.