Paul McCartney & Wings - Wonderful Christmastime (1979)
It could just be because I absolutely worship Paul McCartney, but I have always loved this song. It's been my favourite Christmas tune since I was a little girl, and it always puts me in a really happy mood. It has taken on a whole new significance for me since I saw Paul perform it live at the O2 in Dublin on 20 December 2009. As if it wasn't enough seeing the man himself - a dream I never imagined would come true in a million years - witnessing him perform this for the first time in years, five days before Christmas, surrounded by people in Santa hats, was a special moment that I'll never forget.
Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody (1973)
Another one that I've always loved. Slade are a great band, and this is one of the best Christmas songs of all time. It's just a feel-good, singalong song that I personally will never tire of hearing. As soon as I hear this one, it's Christmas as far as I'm concerned. For some people, that moment comes when they see the famous Coca-Cola advert on television. This is mine.
The Pretenders - 2000 Miles (1983)
Can you see a pattern emerging? I'm really going for the rock artists here! Chrissie Hynde is one of my favourite female singers, and the guitar in this song is just beautiful. This is another of those Christmas songs that was always played in our house, thanks to the compilation albums we had that it appeared on. This song was actually written for guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, who had died the previous year, but it has been interpreted by many people as being about two people who are apart over the festive season.
Greg Lake - I Believe in Father Christmas (1975)
This is the song I'd play while tucked up on the sofa in my new Christmas pyjamas with a mug of hot chocolate and marshmallows. Interestingly, this is Greg Lake's only solo hit single, away from ELP. The lovely little piece of music in between the verses is taken from Sergei Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kijé Suite. This wasn't originally intended as a Christmas song, despite its title, but it has become a festive favourite for many people. The above promotional video is also very interesting, featuring scenes from the Vietnam War.
Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song (1946)
Or, as many people call it, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire. Written in 1944 by Mel Tormé and Bob Wells, it has been recorded many times by loads of different artists, but by far the best version is the original by Nat King Cole, from 1946 (though he recorded a few different versions of it). It's such a beautiful song, a timeless classic, with lovely lyrics and instrumentation.
In my next post, I'll be listing my favourite Christmas films, so stay tuned for that.
No comments:
Post a Comment