millionreasons | Christmas Time

I love Christmas songs. From the carols we sang at school to the post-ironic noughties cover versions of old classics, and everything in between. I love Salvation Army brass bands. I remember the excitement of listening to the Chart rundown on the Sunday before Xmas as we crossed our fingers for the one we hoped had ‘got it’. St Etienne rather than Mr Blobby. Wham, not Band Aid, Pet Shop Boys over Cliff. But all Christmas songs are great, even the Slade one. Even the triete Merry Xmas (War is Over) because we (different we) always sing: “And so this is Luton/Grantham/Skeggy and what have we done?” as we travel up north for the season. Even Mistletoe and Wine, because it’s in 3/4 time and I’m a sucker for a waltz. The only Christmas song I hate is Paul McCartney’s Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time because it simply has a terrible tune.

Anyway, last year (to the derision of some of my friends-list), I did a 24 days of Xmas virtual advent calendar with pictures of things that I associate with Christmas (i.e. no donkeys, no baby Jesus) and so this year, I thought I’d post (with the help of yousendit), 24 Christmas songs which, if downloaded, might make a nice 70 minute CD. There will hopefully be a few weird things not previously heard thrown in with the classik choons.

Here’s the first: Elvis - Santa Claus is Back in Town. Elvis gets raw down and dirty with the blues. Fabulous piano and drum rolls.