Aside from compiling my daily Advent (which if truth be told is written weeks in advance and scheduled for automatic updates and anyway is hardly ‘festive’ other than counting down the first 24 days of December) I’ve struggled to get into much of a festive mood so far this year. Blame it on what feels like endless recurring illnesses and the fact that it seems like I’ve barely seen daylight for what feels like an age. Certainly I have paid scant regard to any ‘Christmas’ releases, and had no plan to make any kind of Christmas mix. However a request from a former student on Twitter made me think ‘ah what the heck’, and so I cobbled together the following. It’s a combination of old and new favourites, picked up from here, there and everywhere. Some, like The Waitresses, are amongst the established canon of greats (though it wasn’t always the case - for a long time that song was unavailable anywhere) whilst others, like Decoration’s ace ‘I Just Froze’ are certainly in the Unpopular canon of greats even if nowhere else. There’s also a few I had kind of forgotten about, like Linda Scott, The Flirtations and Spearmint’s ‘Oklahoma!’ from that lovely little ‘concept’ record from (gulp) thirteen years ago… My, how time flies. Anyway, I gave the mix a test drive tonight and it certainly lifted my spirits. Or at least inspired me to lift a glass of spirits, which may arguably amount to the same thing. Cheers, and happy St Lucia's day!
Jingle Bells, piney smells < If you'd been here at Christmas time you could have clicked those words. It was a download link.
Christmas Time Is Here Again - The Flirtations
I Was Born On Christmas Day - Saint Etienne
Anorak Christmas - Sally Shapiro
Christmas Chimes - The Chills
Egg Nog - Luna
The Thought That Counts - The Lucksmiths
George And Andrew - Boy Least Likely To
Last Christmas - Coming Soon
Thanks For Christmas - The Three Wise Men (Aka XTC)
Christmas Day - Linda Scott
Baby, It's Cold Outside - Allo, Darlin'
White Christmas - The Pipettes
Father Christmas - The Kinks
Christmas Wrapping - Waitresses
Stop The Revelry - Shrag
It's Clichéd To Be Cynical At Christmas - Half Man Half Biscuit
Spend Christmas Day With Me - Darren Hanlon
Oklahoma! - Spearmint
I Just Froze - Decoration
I Will Cry At Christmas - Denim
remember the kids who got nothin', while you're drinkin down your wine
A tasty collection Alistair, and a welcome relief from the droning dreck dribbling down in Tesco's (surely the staff get counseling at some point?). Not only that you prompted me to add another saint to my roll of divines! Never heard of her before ( not sure if this is a huge admission). Also enjoying your (much anticipated) Advent series - perhaps Christmas is really just round the corner.
Posted by: rob | December 15, 2013 at 10:19