Christmas Chart #1 – December Will Be Magic Again

You’ve waited long and hard for this #1 moment and so without further ado may I present Kate Bush performing December Will Be Magic Again from her 1979 Christmas Special!

This might be a surprise to some of you, but this is my favourite “Christmas” tune.  It may only have reached #39 in the UK charts when originally released in 1980, but it seems to get played more and more frequently now, which is surprising since it never had an album release, appearing originally as a single, then as a B-side re-release, and after a brief foray on a couple of Christmas compilation CDs it managed to get included in the “This Woman’s Work” boxed set.

The video is well preserved and the audio allows you to hear clearly lyrics that were described as “brilliant but unitelligable” by BBC Radio1 DJ Nicky Campbell on my original “taped-off-the-air” copy.  The combination of beautiful lyrics, a simple yet festive tune, and Kate’s magnificent voice make this a real treasure, and yes, before anybody asks I do own a copy on vinyl!

So now, with my favourite Christmas tune playing in your ears, and the promise of presents, Christmas pudding, and The Queen’s speech (Available on YouTube from 3pm GMT Christmas Day)  to look forwards to may I wish all of my readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Christmas Chart #5 – Driving Home for Christmas

Chris Rea writes some stunning driving tunes, and now that I get to spend around 2 hours a day sat in northern Virginian traffic I appreciate the tunes all the more.  So if you want to know what tune I’ve been listening to whilst on the homebound commute the last few days the answer is easy…

Christmas Chart #12 – Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy

Now these songs aren’t really festive favourites of mine, but this performance from Bing Crosby’s 1977 show “Bing’s Merry Olde Christmas” ensures it a place in my chart.

For David Bowie this appearance on a traditional Christmas special was a chance to “normalise” his career, increasing his American fanbase.  For Bing Crosby this was one of his last recorded performances, he passed away just over a month before it was broadcast on November 30, 1977.  The performance could appear stilted if it wasn’t for the acting ability, and comic talent that both stars have.  They take what could be a cringeworthy studio sequence and turn it into a funny (but still cringeworthy) studio sequence.

So grit your teeth, and brace yourself to enjoy the surreal experience that is Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy:

Christmas Chart #14 – Baby It’s Cold Outside

Some things do not go well together (chocolate ice-cream and mustard spring to mind) but some things, though seemingly disimmilar, work exceptionally well together, and today’s song is a perfect example.

Tom Jones is a musical giant, his voice instantly recognisable, and his solo career measured in decades of gold discs.  Cerys Matthews is the lead singer of Catatonia, has lived in Nashville, Tennessee, and has a considerably shorter solo career.  Both are Welsh, and both have stunning voices.

In 1999 they got together for a song  on Tom Jones’ cover album Reload, and that song is today’s top Christmas tune, the classic “Baby, It’s Cold Outside“:

Christmas Chart #15 – A Winter’s Tale

Wow, a trip down memory lane here and also another UK #2 Christmas hit.  If you grew up in Britain in the ’70s and ’80s you couldn’t escape the cheery face of David Essex.  His career spanned stage, screen, and the radio waves, with a broad range of roles from the comic characters (and canned laughter) of “Carry on Henry” and “The River” to songs of romance and festive wonder like today’s pick.  So pull on your stonewashed jeans, boots, and cravat, borrow the collie from the farmer down the lane, and go for a stroll across moody hillsides humming “A Winter’s Tale”:

Just don’t confuse David Essex’s tune with Queen’s identically titled “A Winter’s Tale”