Songs For You...

Yes he is, Buddy. And the excitement
and expectation of that, happily fills the
 preceding three months. Just one day,
my arse.

'It's just a day.' 

Have you heard this sentiment recently? It seems when anyone is getting a little bit giddy with the joys of the season, the phrase, 'it's just a day' is the steadying voice of reason from someone with far more sense and control. 

Well, booooo to them. I'm not having it. Christmas Day might be just a day. But the season is as long or as short as you make it. This year - the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty, AKA the End Times - my Christmas season has just entered its third phase. Let me quickly bring you up to speed before we get cracking.

Phase One. Mid-October to the the start of November. It was a brief spell, but one where Summer became Winter. (Like Spring, Autumn needs to pick a side and get off the fence.) Phase One was when it got dark earlier, central heating was required, and Christmas stuff appeared in the shops. It was also when The Feels started. 

This saccharine schmaltz is
courtesy of the Hallmark channel.

Phase Two. The whole of November. A solid month of build-up glitz and sparkle. Netflix dropped saccharine schmalz, presents were bought, and plans (would have been) made. The odd box of mince pies or brie and cranberry breaded bites got added to the trolley, and weekend drinks started earlier and earlier. If I held off until Wednesday I was doing well. 

The palette of dreams. 
It only gets a look in,
during December, and
 even then I stick to
about four of the colours.
But still. SPARKLES.

Phase Three. December 1st to 26th. 
Here we are, bang up to speed, embarking on the final countdown. By now we're wearing sparkly eyeshadow every day. (That's the royal we btw.) We've got the decs up, we can't enter the kitchen without shovelling a cherry liqueur into our gobs, and Christmas music soundtracks our every move. Welcome to the beginning of the end of the season!

Now we're all on the same page, let's get to today's point and a word about that Christmas music. In our multi-platform, Spotify-laden world, the joy of the Christmas CD has been lost. I'll be honest, I'm still not over tapes going - their phasing out brought me great distress. CDs have always been second best for me, but I digress. When Alexa can churn out 14,532 Christmas songs any time you bother to ask, there's the missing element of discerning refinement. Having everything means losing the joy of something. A curated list of bangers is always going to top that. So here is my Phase Three gift to you. A list of nine marvellous Christmas tunes. Not definitive by any means - I wouldn't dream of being so presumptuous - but a bite-sized chunk of festive cheer via song title. Click the links, crank them up, and enjoy. 

White Wine in the Sun by Tim Minchin. A secular carol that's totes emosh under normal circumstances, but listening with 2020 hindsight offers an even deeper gut-punch. Click it and see.

The Christmas Song by Smith and Burrows featuring Agnes Obel. Covered by many, but this is my favourite. Small but perfectly formed, the harmonies alone make my festive heart sigh with happiness. Give it a whirl.

Christmas Wrapping originally by the Waitresses. What's better than the Waitresses? Not much TBH, but this version throws in Kylie, the Royal Albert Hall, a live orchestra and audience participation. Joy unconfined for five marvellous minutes. Get on it.
 
Maybe this Christmas by Ron Sexsmith. 
A chilled out, reflective little number. Not usually found on collections like Now That's What I Call Christmas 56,439, so I've included it here instead. Give it a go.

Must Be Santa by Bob Dylan. More lively jigging about with this cover. I guarantee you an ear worm but it'll be worth it. 

When the Thames Froze by Smith and Burrows. It's fabulous when you hear your new favourite Christmas song for the first time. Simon Mayo played this on his drive time show, in December 2011, just as I passed the Tesco on Rose Lane. The fact I remember when and where, surely shows its impact. Play it!

 

Christmas Lights by Coldplay. I realise Coldplay are the musical equivalent of Marmite these days, but stick with it. This makes me happy, mostly because of the jump from a 4/4 to 3/4 time signature, but that's just me. Try it. Do.

 
The Power of Love by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Now we're talking. Shivers. Tingles. Hauntingness. (Paging Susie Dent?) I once visited a friend at Uni in December, and we listened to this on repeat in the dark for ages. It remains a Christmas highlight.

And finally, Last Christmas by Wham. YES. HERE WE GO. Excuse me for just less than five minutes whilst I escape into my happy place. 

Do you like skiing, Nicky? 

Nooooo. 

Winter sports in general? 

Not for a tiny second. 

Why do you like this video then? 

I LIKE SNOW AND CABINS AND MEALS AROUND TABLES WITH FRIENDS AND SMOULDERING UNDERCURRENTS AND BROODING. THAT'S WHY I LIKE IT. NOW LEAVE ME ALONE.

Last Christmas cannot be played enough. I can only pity those that insist on participating in Whamageddon. At a minimum, it's a daily treat. Why deny yourself the pleasure? What are you? Masochists? Be gone with you and your puritanical ways. I've a video to gorge on.

So there we have it. My Christmas playlist offering. It's at the more niche end of the festive tune spectrum but I'm happy. There's plenty of room for your Noddy Holders and your Wizards, but my choices are less likely to be belted out from Marksies speakers when you're panic buying on the 23rd. (Wham, excepted.) Give them a go. What else have you got to do this year? Sit in your PJs eating crisps? Well, yeah, OK. Good call. Crack on with your day. (Just give them a listen while you do.)

Have a lovely week, folks.