Mike Oxsaw
2:58 Sun Dec 17
Re: Day 17 - We Wish You A Merry Christmas - Weezer
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Coffee 7:24 Sun Dec 17
If you are using a VPN, switch to a non-UK based one and try again; it should reset the strike count to zero.
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Kaiser Zoso
8:24 Sun Dec 17
Re: Day 17 - We Wish You A Merry Christmas - Weezer
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@kayokojiro
1 month ago
The best day of my life was when I discovered “Christmas with Weezer.” I was anxious, depressed, ginger, short, British. And one listen to “Christmas with Weezer” cured me of my illnesses. And it can heal you too! “Christmas with Weezer” helped me get back into the Christmas spirit. You saved my life, Weezer
Bit OTT
Love how short it is. You’re not missing much, coffee old bean.
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Coffee
7:24 Sun Dec 17
Re: Day 17 - We Wish You A Merry Christmas - Weezer
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Video unavailable
This video is not available
Thanks, youtube.
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Billy Blagg
3:14 Sun Dec 17
Day 17 - We Wish You A Merry Christmas - Weezer
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Here's one for all you geeks and nerds. Remember when Windows 95 came with an installation CD that had Weezer's 'Buddy Holly' song on it? The video where the band perform the track blended into scenes of TV's 'Happy Days' with the Fonz, Ritchie, Ralph and Potsie at Arnold's Drive-In?
Whaddya mean 'No, how old are you Grandad?' Cheeky *****! If you've not seen it then you need to.
Watching a video on a PC was rare then and the popularity of the song - and more significantly the video - was seismic. You could barely find anyone who had Windows 95 who hadn't watched it what seemed like a hundred times. It catapulted Weezer into the mainstream, landed them with a hit on both sides of the Atlantic and gave them a career they still have today.
Anyway, I mention this as Weezer have a six-song Christmas CD where every track sounds vaguely like 'Buddy Holly'. Want to hear 'O Come All Ye Faithful, 'The First Noel' or 'Hark, the Herald Angels Sing' and be reminded of Windows 95? Then 'Christmas With Weezer' is for you. It only lasts just under 15 minutes and is the record you didn't know you needed.
'We Wish You A Merry Christmas' is a Carol that's not been on the Calendar before and at 1' 24" it doesn't outstay its welcome either. Play it while you convert some MS-DOS files.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNYKM4-pm5w
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Coffee
7:21 Sat Dec 16
Re: Day 16 - Christmas Bop - T Rex
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Ride a white Christmas
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Billy Blagg
3:49 Sat Dec 16
Day 16 - Christmas Bop - T Rex
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Well, if it's not the Bopping Elf himself on something of a festive rarity.
Mooted for release as a Christmas single in 1975, it was eventually pulled just as T-Rextasy started to wane. With that curious Glam / Soul hybrid that was permeating his output by then, had it been released it might just have provided Bolan with one last top-ten hit.
Meanwhile, our Marc implores us to:
"Get out your silk jeans and your space shoes"
And you know I would, but mine are still at the Dry Cleaners.
I really must find that ticket...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IinCXcqXsws
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claypole
1:48 Fri Dec 15
Re: Day 15 - Christmas Is The Time To Be With Your Baby - The Orchids
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Johnny Bowtie has been my favourite so far, really captures my feelings towards Christmas
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Kaiser Zoso
12:57 Fri Dec 15
Re: Day 15 - Christmas Is The Time To Be With Your Baby - The Orchids
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Any image thrown out is welcome, just help me get past Johnny bow tie ffs
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Coffee
11:27 Fri Dec 15
Re: Day 15 - Christmas Is The Time To Be With Your Baby - The Orchids
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Tracy from HR must be approaching retirement by now.
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Billy Blagg
2:16 Fri Dec 15
Day 15 - Christmas Is The Time To Be With Your Baby - The Orchids
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"The Orchids? Again, Blagg? Won't it mess with your latent OCD to have the same group on the same calendar?"
Well, au contraire mon ami because this isn't the same Orchids. Nearly 3,400 miles from Coventry comes this US version of the group of the same name with a lovely Christmas song just right for Friday party night.
I can't tell you much of interest about this group but what do you care? It's 2' 30"'s worth of opportunity to shuffle along with Tracy from HR.
Thank me later.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTibepqFFIY
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easthammer
1:18 Thu Dec 14
Re: Day 14 - When A Child Is Born - Sinead O'Connor & Danny O'Reilly
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I have been catching up again.
I think Jonny's Bow Tie was much too tight as it crushed his vocal cords.
Mr Scrooge did have redeeming qualities
The Plain White Ts number was all white (sic)
Ruperts Reggae didn't send me to the Doctors which is just as well as I wouldn't get in until next year!
When a Child is Born: Blimey O'Reilly I would like to hear just O'Connor sing this to compare it with the Mathis classic. This version didn't convince me that the duo were well paired
Thanks Billy
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Billy Blagg
2:33 Thu Dec 14
Day 14 - When A Child Is Born - Sinead O'Connor & Danny O'Reilly
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"They tried to bury me but they planted a seed"
A brilliant quote from the wonderful 'Nothing Compares', Kathryn Ferguson's documentary film about Sinead O' Connor that was made available on Netflix this year. It's well worth watching.
Sadly, O'Connor died in July of this year, and though the documentary only scratches the surface of what a complex, fascinating and brave individual she was, it does underline her astonishing musical legacy and made me go back and listen to some things I'd missed.
In Calendar terms, I'm pleased to report that Sinead was on the very first edition of this nonsense back in 2007 and I'd link to the day (12) but, because the page was created on MySpace - Can you imagine such a thing? - you can only see the whole page and not the one day (Not that that should stop you, mind).
The song posted there was her version of 'Silent Night'. I've listened to a lot of versions since then (you can imagine!) but Sinead's breathless, sparse and haunting rendition is still my favourite by some distance. If you've not listened to it yet, then you must.
'When a Child is Born' isn't a song that's appeared on the Calendar before and I suppose it should, so this version with Sinead accompanied by Danny O'Reilly from the Coronas and the full weight of the RTE Orchestra is probably the way to go, particularly as I can match it up on Spotify.
If the lush orchestration isn't for you though - and I could fully understand why - several live versions on YouTube highlight Sinead's beautiful voice with sparse accompaniment. Many of those are taken on mobiles and capture the warmth and humour of someone who was taken far too early.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWiRB43oej8
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Billy Blagg
2:16 Wed Dec 13
Day 13 - Christmas Parade - Rupie Edwards
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We've not had any Christmas Reggae for a while, so here's a great track from 1972 from New York-born Rupert. If this doesn't have you looking for the nutcrackers and trying to pick the end off the Sellotape then you probably need to see a doctor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_9S7DzHgqk
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Billy Blagg
4:00 Tue Dec 12
Day 12 - Christmas Won't Be The Same Without You - Plain White T's
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Plain White T's had a successful 2007 in the UK with a No:2 single 'Hey Dear Delilah' and a No: 3 album 'Every Second Counts'. In 1999, they released an EP called 'I'm Dreaming of a Plain White Christmas' which is a good title and I salute them for it. Feel free to seek that out, though this track isn't on it.
Instead, this offering from the Illinois four-piece outfit is a track from a Christmas sampler called 'All Wrapped Up' that features artists from the Hollywood Records label.
Christmas won't be the same without you. Ain't that the truth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDiRW1Y3lUA
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Coffee
11:38 Mon Dec 11
Re: Day 11 - Mr Scrooge - The Orchids
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"Excruciating lol" is a massive understatement!
Mr Scrooge is curiously catchy.
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Kaiser Zoso
9:19 Mon Dec 11
Re: Day 11 - Mr Scrooge - The Orchids
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Jesus, Blagg son — I could do a better job than Johnny ‘Bow Tie’ Barstow
Excruciating lol
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Mex Martillo
9:04 Mon Dec 11
Re: Day 11 - Mr Scrooge - The Orchids
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I cannot see it working with those Arsenal scarves. Maybe a rebranding with the hammers. Great sixties sound though. I like the complete lack of some marketing image do over.
Must be some catch up, missed most since the 1st!
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Billy Blagg
3:01 Mon Dec 11
Day 11 - Mr Scrooge - The Orchids
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The Orchids could probably lay claim to being Britain's first girl group. Formed in the early 60s in Coventry and consisting of three 14-year-olds from Stoke Park Grammar School, Georgina Oliver, Pamela Jarman, and Valerie Jones found themselves with a Decca recording contract and in the orbit of people like Kinks manager Larry Page, who heard them at a talent contest and brought in top producer Shel Talmy - later to produce The Kinks, the Who and the Easybeats - to work with them.
Sadly, despite accumulating an enthusiastic following, the Orchids never made the big time, but despite some marketing techniques that would be considered unsuitable today - getting the girls to only perform in their school uniforms - their small legacy has endured mainly because their records owe a lot to early Tamla and 'Wall of Sound' Spector.
There's another reason I've added this to the Calendar though. When I found it originally, I was a bit puzzled by the quality of the video considering its age, but then discovered it's a clip from a film called 'Just For You' and I have a strong memory of my mum taking me to see this film when I was a small lad. So this is dedicated to anyone who hasn't got their mum with them this Christmas.
I'm thinking the Orchids should reform and tour with similarly returning Girls Aloud and The Sugarbabes next year. Who wouldn't want a ticket for that?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjmObHWgz7g
In 2016, the Orchids met up again as part of the celebration of the Coventry Music Museum providing us with a wonderful visual reminder of the passing of fifty years.
You can see this over at the blog:
https://blaggadventcalendarchristmassongs2023.blogspot.com/
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Billy Blagg
3:13 Sun Dec 10
Day 10 - Joy to the World - Johnny 'Bowtie' Barstow
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"Every now and then an artist emerges whose vision is so unique that it creates an entirely new musical paradigm. Stretching the realm of technique by introducing harmonic or rhythmic contexts far removed from the norm, they're often unappreciated in their time, but the passage of years can ultimately bring recognition for their genius. Ornette Coleman was one such artist. Now we have singer Johnny "Bowtie" Barstow."
So says John Kelman back in 2005 on the allaboutjazz website. I assume those passage of years haven't yet reached fruition.
This comes from the album 'A Bowtie Christmas and More' and if you're 'unshackled by musical convention' and appreciate 'a truly emancipated harmonic approach' then you can enjoy other such Calendar favourites as 'O Come All Ye Faithful', 'Winter Wonderland' and 'Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer'.
The Blagg Advent Calendar: "He listens so you don't have to"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlmRZhjUhyY
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Billy Blagg
3:10 Sun Dec 10
Thank You!
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Thanks for the wishes all.
Easthammer, I never got out to the party as I was too busy leaning over a sink or toilet. Feeling better today though.
Thanks to Jaan Kenbrovin who C&P for me though there was a later update with Enoch Kent added to make it a triple so I've just amended the post to include it.
I am trying to boost the blog though as FaceBook has banned me from posting links to it now as I'm apparently 'breaking policy' so feel free to get the site hits up.
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easthammer
2:41 Sun Dec 10
Re: Day 9 - Mary's Boy Child - Harry Belafonte / Boney M
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P.S Hope you are better soon Billy, was it the party what caused it!
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