The Soundtrack to my Festive Season

This post is where we learn just how deeply uncool I am!!

I wholly intended to do Blogmas this year, but life got in the way and I’ve decided to cheer myself up with a little laugh and a indulgence outside of books in a Christmassy post.

I think a lot of my Christmassy music is shaped by having parents who were young during the pinnacle of Christmas songs popularity so Christmas songs from their teens and early adulthood in the 70s and 80s were the soundtrack to my childhood Christmas. However, with my parents being both the youngest children in their families this also means I had the experience through my grandparents ‘classic’ Bing & co Christmas songs too.

However I stand by the statement that Simon Cowell really did kill the Christmas song in the UK.

Of course there are many classics (Wizzard, Slade et al) but these are ones I particularly look forward to.

Merry Christmas Everyone- Shakin’ Stevens

My parents were rather fond of Shaky (all the people under 30 or not from UK are saying who?) and whilst it has admittedly the creepiest video I can’t help but love this unabashedly cheesy song.

Last Christmas- Wham!

Need I say more really? (This song is why I deliberately didn’t put links to the songs/videos in case anyone is still ‘in’ with Whamaggedon- I am happily out but I’m not cruel!)

Holly Jolly Christmas- Lady Antebellum

Basically this whole album, but I adore their arrangement of this (and Blue Christmas) bouncy song.

Feliz Navidad- José Feliciano

If you’ve ever seen the Bohemian Rhapsody car scene in Wayne’s World and every one sings with pure joy this basically my family whenever Feliz Navidad comes on in the car- often with hilarious mistakes from my dad on the prospero año y felicidad bit!

Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree- Brenda Lee

It has to be the original, that Voice!! Can you believe she was 13!!! Ever since I saw Macauley Culkin hopping about to this with his train sets and skipping ropes faking a party to distract the robbers in Home Alone this has been one of my Festive must haves!!

Mele Kalikimaka – Bing Crosby & the Andrews Sisters

Ok this is partly sentimental and partly National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation but I do love this bouncy love letter to a Hawaiian Christmas Day.

Ding Dong Merrily on High- Mediaeval Baebes

Yes it’s a religious song which isn’t the usual for us, but as a former choir girl/ music geek I do have a fondness for well arranged vocals especially in carols and have a deep love for this group.

Both girls are big fans of the group but this song is one of Tinyfae’s Faevorites!!

What Christmas means to me- Stevie Wonder

I’m a fan of Motown and this soulful cracker of a tune is one of my absolute favourites hands down! I’m hard pressed to find a cover version that I will accept either because the absolute joy and power in those vocals is unbeatable, and I even love the way when he pushes at certain notes the vocal track distorts with the strength of the sound.

All I want for Christmas is you- Mariah Carey

Again this is a song I struggle to remember a Christmas without but it has an extra poignancy, whilst I may give it some welly as a soprano who can comfortably sing outside that range (curtseys ) my heart will always crack on this chorus as I used to sing this about my first dog Maddie who was often affectionately known as Moo (from the noise she made when comfortable).

I would interchange her name for You as this song for me is basically about her, I told my parents they could give me nothing else for Christmas I just desperately wanted a dog and after months of holding out hard, we found this tiny little puppy and brought her home from the rescue centre just before Christmas . All I wanted for Christmas was her and I miss her every day, and more so when I hear this song.

One I wish for:

Christmas Island – Max Bygraves

Ok this seems an odd one, and if my mum is reading she’s probably already crying from Mariah Carey and will now be in bits. I may never get this on download or cd but my grandparents were huge fans of Max Bygraves and his Christmas album SongalongaMax was the soundtrack to our visits every December and the imagination behind the song Christmas Island captured my childhood imagination, and now my nostalgic heart.

Plus even thinking about it reminds me of the Christmas Day my dad completely forgot he went on Am*zon whilst a little tipsy… and then wondered why he received Boxset of Max Bygraves cds a few days later! ☺️

Worst bit was he had all these cds and Christmas Island wasn’t even on any of them. 🤣

What I’d like to know is which is your favourite version of ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town‘?

Mine is a split decision between the ABBA Tribute Bjorn Again (seriously google it if you don’t know it, there’s a video and everything!) and Bruce Springsteen.

And what songs are part of your festive tradition?