25th Of December-Shakin' Stevens, Merry Christmas Everyone!


Shakin’ Stevens
Merry Christmas Everyone

Merry Christmas everyone! The big day is finally here! And who better to wish you a merry Christmas than ol’ Behind the Green Door himself; Shakin’ Stevens.

The release date for this festive classic was postponed for one year as to avoid clashing with Band Aids Do They Know Its Christmas (Clever move!) until early December 1985. It is literally Christmas wrapped into a song. Talk of snow falling, children playing having fun and the repetition of the phrase “Merry Christmas Everyone” ring throughout. It sums up a wonderful, if not slightly idyllic Christmas day, with parties, celebrations, mistletoe and so much more.  You can’t really blame Shakin’ for wishing that “Everyday was Christmas” cause “What a nice way to spend the year”.
The rhythmic clapping throughout and the triumphant trumpets make it hard not to dance too...But there’s probably no point telling you that; you’re already up and grooving away! The final chorus takes Shakin’ up an octave and there is a feeling that this song will never finish. But who would want it to anyway?!

So here we are; Christmas Day! So get back to it; Open those presents, eat that turkey and kiss someone under the mistletoe! Merry Christmas Everyone! 

“Time for Singing Christmas Songs!”

Merry Christmas 
Way Too Vocal 
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24th Of December-Mariah Carey, All I Want For Christmas Is You



Mariah Carey
All I want for Christmas is you

This song doesn’t really need an introduction. If you’re still not feeling the festive cheer (even though the big days tomorrow!) then you either need to buck up your ideas, or listen to the first note on this sublime Christmas song. 

Mariah’s “Iiiii” marks the start of the festive smash All I Want For Christmas Is You, and for many, the proper start of Christmas season. Great chiming bells strike as Mariah declares “I don’t care about the presents/underneath the Christmas tree”. Carey’s trademark vocals float up and the down the scales as she declares “All I want for Christmas is you (ooooo)”. Suddenly festivities explode with ringing sleigh bells, quick repetitive piano chords and the all-important backing choir. Its loud, proud 
and joyous anthem that instantly became/has become a contemporary Christmas classic.

A brilliant mix of pop and R&B rings throughout, as Mariah sings of longing and hope on the return of her lover. This is a beautifully crafted song that dips and dives through sliding piano keys and smashing cymbals. If a brisk sleigh ride through a festive snow storm could be translated into a song, this would be it. It is easy to see why this is Mariah Carey’s bestselling single in the UK. The song comes to a crescendo during the final chorus as Mariah stretches her smooth and silky voice to its limits, soaring above the gospel-like choir beneath her. True Christmas ecstasy.

“I’m just going to keep on waiting/underneath the mistletoe”

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23rd Of December-The Pogues Ft. Kristy MacColl, Fairytale Of New York



The Pogues
Fairytale of New York

When is a Christmas song not a Christmas song? Well, when it’s a song about alcoholism, bickering and squashed hopes and dreams, that’s when! Yes, on paper Fairytale of New York looks like an anti-Christmas song filled with pain and despair. But it is only when you listen to it do you truly understand why it’s been nominated as the “best Christmas song of all time” in various tv countdowns, magazines and publications.

Released in 1987, The Pogues frontman Shane Macgowen is joined by Kristy MacColl who duet perfectly together. Set on Christmas Eve, this Irish Ballad opens slowly and gently, with piano keys plodded as Shane provides a narrator-like overview of the scene. “I turned my face away and dreamed about you”. What follows is a call and response style song, darting back and forth between Shane and Kristy. The songs couple bicker and snarl as they recite and reminisce of how their hopes and dreams of yesteryear have been crushed by drugs and booze. Things turn for the worst when Kirsty throws insults after insults at Shane’s character. 

Kirsty’s tuneful, melodious vocals contrast sharply with Shane’s harsh and raspy voice, as he stumbles over his words and fights through others. The lyrics alter between bittersweet and just plain bitter, providing a real insight into this fictional couples lives. Lyrically, this is pure poetry, as the words playfully bounce along with the Irish-centred up-tempo backing track. The accompanying band of pipes and organs, guitars and drums are so wonderful they get their own segment, closing the song for the last minute with pure instrumental magic.

“Merry Christmas you arse/I Pray God its our last”

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22nd Of Christmas-Bo' Selecta!, Proper Crimbo



Bo’ Selecta!
Proper Crimbo

There are many ways to wish someone a “Merry Christmas”; Season’s Greetings or Happy Holidays for example. But how about wishing someone a “Reet Proper Crimbo”?
Released by the comic genius/absolute nutter, Leigh Francis (AKA Avid Merrion. AKA Keith Lemon and so on) as part of Bo’ Selecta back in 2003, Proper Crimbo is a Christmas song like none other. Here, Leigh/Avid/Keith performs predominately as Michael Jackson and Craig David throughout; “Can I Get A DeeeJay?” . Yes, on a side note, Bo’ Selecta!’s Craig David impression did kinda affect his career, but it is a brilliant impression. 

Musically it doesn’t rival any Bing Crosby Christmas classics, and it certainly doesn’t lyrically. But that’s what makes this such a great track; “I didn’t sleep that night/for santa to come/I wet the bed that’s what I had done” is hilariously followed by “Cause Christmas time is the place to be/I always wake up in a puddle of wee…!”. ‘Michael Jackson’ makes an appearance halfway through the track with a “HO HO HO” declaring “Got gifts for you/what you got for me?”

But nothing compares to the music video. Really, the video is what makes this song! Cameos include everyone from Jimmy Carr to Mel B, and David Gray to Kerry Katona. Even ol’ Bob Geldof turns up to bring some festive cheer. If you haven’t seen the video (and I mean the full extended one!) then do. Its mental and mad-capped, but absolutely brilliant too. Everything is rounded off a tuneful Gospel choir as flabby faced ‘Craig’ wishes listeners “Have a proper Bo’ Crim-bo!”

“Come now sing with me/ Proper Crimbo/ So Excited you might wee!”

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21st Of December-Wham! Last Christmas



Wham!
Last Christmas

Do you remember what you got for Christmas last Year? A Cd? The odd Dvd? SOCKS?! And then what did you do with said present; Keep it? Treasure it? Or did you give it away? Even if they are the most unsightly pair of Christmas socks you’ve ever seen, imagine how distraught your great aunt would be if she knew you had given them away?! Yeah, well know you know George Michael is so annoyed in the Christmas Classic Last Christmas.

Released back in 1984, Wham!’s Last Christmas details the heartbreak of losing a loved one over a period of one day. Literally George’s advances are shot down by Boxing Day (Harsh!); “Last Christmas, I gave you my heart/But the very next day you gave it away…”. So he decides that this year, he will give it to “someone special”. Lyrically beautiful the songs meaning is truly played out by the brilliant/awful 1980s music video shot in an alpine ski lodge. Snow, Skis and long, lingering looks circulate throughout as George sings of a love that never was; rejection hurts.

It’s hard to ever fault George Michael’s vocals, especially during the Wham! heydays. From the soaring long notes to the superbly hushed whisper of “Happy Christmas”, it’s possibly George at his best (Well, that or Freedom (Or Freedom 90!)). Covered many times from artists ranging from Billie Piper to Crazy Frog, no one comes close the magic and wonder of the original. It’s easy to see why it’s a beloved Christmas classic, and interestingly the most successful Christmas song in German chart history (Fact!).

“Next year, I’ll give it to someone special..”

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