First of all, Merry Christmas from Mott the Dog and
Meow the Cat. Christmas is always such a good time of the year.
Happiness to all humans and animals.
Associated with Christmas is always Christmas music,
giving everybody a bit of cheer as they wander round buying presents for
family and near ones, eating way too much food, and imbibing on the odd
ale. (Old Speckled Hen seeming to be the drink of choice this year.)
Christmas music does come in two distinct categories.
The traditional Christmas music, as in Carols ‘Good King Wenceslas’,
‘Silent Night’, and of course the obligatory ‘Jingle Bells’. All
excluding bonhomie, and making you feel goodwill to all.
Then of course there are the newer Christmas tunes
that have roared up the charts over the last half decade or so. Some of
these can become extremely tiresome if heard over and over again,
especially if by some cheap covers band on dubious compilations albums,
played from late October to early February in supermarkets, hotel
lobbies, or even worse, elevators where there really is no escape. But
there are plenty of classics that have sprung up over the years, and
here is Mott’s top ten Christmas crackers to liven up your Christmas
shindig.
At Number Ten we have ‘Do They Know It’s
Christmas’ which was written by Bob Geldof (of course now Sir Bob) and
Midge Ure. It was number one all over the world at Christmas in 1984,
raising money for children in need, and featuring just about every top
pop artist from the United Kingdom from ‘Status Quo’ to
‘Bannanrama’. It may not have been the greatest song ever written,
but it was certainly the one with the biggest heart and the best
intentions. Over the years it has raised over fifty million pounds for
worthy children’s causes. A song that warms your heart when you hear
it.
On the last ever Bing Crosby Christmas show there was
a wonderful duet between the man himself and David Bowie singing
‘Little Drummer Boy’, which comes in at number nine. The two
stars’ voices compliment each other superbly, and the spectacle of
them standing at the fireplace together is heartwarming, although it is
quite apparent that Bing Crosby is not actually sure who the young
skinny chap with the bad teeth is that is singing with him.
To give the Christmas chart a bit of street cred is
the Boss himself Bruce Springsteen, who with the E Street Band gives us
a raucous live version of ‘Santa Claus Is Coming To Town’. The band
have a very festive time blowing the cobwebs off this old chestnut, with
solos from all the musicians blasting out all over, whilst Springsteen
himself roars out the vocals. Worthy of a Christmas number eight
placing.
At number seven is the Father Christmas of Pop Elton
John with ‘Step Into Christmas’ from 1995. A typical Elton John
rocker, it is the perfect vehicle for Elton to make his mark on
Christmas, and of course give him one more chance to dress up. For all
the charity work that he has done over the years who could possibly
begrudge Reginald Dwight a place in the Christmas top ten?
Number six, probably the most unusual entry, is the
Christmas smash hit from 1975 with Greg Lake and ‘I Believe In Father
Christmas’. Who would have thought that the voice and bass guitar from
heavy progressive rock giants King Crimson and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer
would have come up with a Yuletide hit? This is not some novelty song,
but a great song, with a wonderful tune, brilliantly executed musically,
particularly showing off Greg Lake’s rock throat.
As we move into the top five, Wham’s ‘Last
Christmas’ may not exactly be very rock ‘n’ roll, but you cannot
deny that it is very Christmassy, and a real toe tapper to boot. What
exactly Andrew Ridgley did on this song I am not sure, but these days I
am sure he is glad of the royalties. George Michael turns in one of his
vocal performances, which showed why he remains to this day one of the
pop world’s leading superstars.
Glam Rock in the early Seventies produced many a fine
Christmas tune, and at number four I have put Mud’s ‘Lonely This
Christmas’ from 1974. Not, I will admit, the most cheerful of ditties,
as Christmas is certainly not the time of year to be on your own. But
Les Grey’s wonderful Elvis Presley impersonation on vocals is simply
irresistible, and perhaps this song adds a bit of balance to the gaiety
of all the others of its time.
After being a member of both The Move and The
Electric Light Orchestra, Roy Wood blew into Glam Rock with a vengeance
when he form his own band Wizzard. Like a multi-colored Santa Claus, Roy
Wood led the band through many hits, the best of which was probably ‘I
Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day’ with its fantastic chorus and
Phil Spectrish wall of sound. Even though it was a massive hit the
single was still supposed to have lost money and split up the band, such
was Roy Wood’s insistence on perfection and multi-layering the sound
time and time again. But in the end it was certainly worth it, and would
definitely have been a number one had it not been released in 1973 along
with another record.
A Christmas song that was released from the heart,
and certainly plucks a few strings, is John Lennon’s ‘Happy Xmas
(War Is Over)’. At any time of year this song would have been a huge
hit, and delivered a very strong message. You cannot help feeling that
John Lennon threw all his musical ability and strong personality into
this song; the fact that it is regarded as one of the all time classic
songs is a great testament to its writer. The message of ‘Happy Xmas
(War Is Over)’ is as relevant now as it was when it was written.
That certain other song that kept Wizzard off the top
spot in 1973 was of course Slade’s ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’. It
has since been released almost every year, and always makes it towards
the top of the charts. In 1973 Slade were probably the biggest pop band
in the British Isles, and the fact that they wrote the all time
Christmas party record only enhanced their status. With Noddy Holder’s
infectious loud hailer vocals, the screaming guitar of Dave Hill, and
the thundering rhythm section of Jimmy Lea on bass and Don Powell on
drums, it is guaranteed to bring any party up on its feet and dancing.
Whenever Slade play these days, even on a mid Summer day in July, they
have to bring along their own snow machine so they can have a quick run
through their most famous song.
There are of course plenty of other jolly good
Christmas songs; this is merely a selection of Mott’s favorites. One
song that should be in there, at the top of the tree is Bing Crosby’s
‘White Christmas’ but I just could not make up my mind which
category to put it in.
Once again, as Noddy Holder finishes off, “Merry
Christmas Everybody”.
It
begins with a sobering paragraph stating that several years ago when a group
of eminent university professors and other notables from Chiang Mai came on
a visit to Luang Phabang, their tour of the city drew an emotional response.
“Chiang Mai was like this fifty years ago,” they lamented. “Now we
have destroyed it. Don’t make the same mistake here.” UNESCO itself has
stated, “Luang Phabang is an outstanding example of the fusion of
traditional architecture and Lao urban structures with those built by
European colonial authorities in the 19th and 20th centuries. Its unique,
remarkably well preserved townscape illustrates a key stage in the blending
of these two distinct traditions.”
Mott’s CD review: Christmas Songs
5
Stars *****