Billy Blagg's 18th Annual Advent Calendar of Christmas Songs

[Billy Blagg]

Bloody hell! They've tarted this place up, haven't they? I remember back in the day when this was The Ironworks and Alex V, me and Major Wager were working from out of a wooden shed at the bottom of Alex's garden. Now look at it! It's even a .co.uk. How exciting is this? 

Anyway, as long as this site survives in some form and I've got breath in my body, there will always be an Advent Calendar, and it returns for its 18th run starting December 1st. It's the usual guff: one song each day of Advent up until the 25th. No repeats, all genres, some crackers, a few chestnuts, a good few turkeys, some stuff to make your heart sing and some to make you long for January.

As usual, there is a landing page at:
https://www.billyblaggsannualadventcale ... ngs.co.uk/ 
This page has links to all previous Calendars and every corresponding Spotify page.
There will also be a 2024 Calendar page at 
https://blaggadventcalendarchristmasson ... gspot.com/

Stop moaning now. Remember Comfort & Joy.

[One Sunny Day]

Thank you Billy for an absolute gem of a thread in a sea of shit. Hope you had a lovely Christmas, or at least a bearable one, and thank you.

[kylay]

Happy Xmas Billy and to all Who'ers. With Apologies to Blagg and in honor of day 21, I'm putting the hurl back in churl:

[Trilby55]

Thanks Billy , great effort . One back at ya …… Gayla Peevey …I want a hippopotamus for Christmas . 

[Mex Martillo]

Great stuff Billy
A massive Merry Christmas!

[honky cat]

You can't beat a bit of silver bells. Thanks for putting this together, all the best 

[only1billybonds]

Great work as ever Mr Blagg, I've sent that Spotify link out to a few non Whoers.

Many thanks.

[stubbo-admin]

Here's Billy's full Spotify track this for this year for anyone looking for a soundtrack to get your morning off to a festive start:

[stubbo-admin]

Many thanks to everyone who has contacted me via Whomail, comment, text or carrier pigeon this Advent. I really do appreciate the support as this enterprise takes far longer than anyone has a right to expect.

Have a great day and Merry Christmas and all the best to everyone in 2025.

Deity of choice depending perhaps we can do it all next year. 


 

Thanks Billy. Enjoyable as ever and don't be a stranger....I'll repost the Spotify link for anyone looking for a soundtrack to start their morning.

[Billy Blagg]

Many thanks to everyone who has contacted me via Whomail, comment, text or carrier pigeon this Advent. I really do appreciate the support as this enterprise takes far longer than anyone has a right to expect.

Have a great day and Merry Christmas and all the best to everyone in 2025.

Deity of choice depending perhaps we can do it all next year. 

 

[Billy Blagg]

The original version of 'Silver Bells' comes from the 1951 film The Lemon Drop Kid, although the first recorded version was by Bing Crosby and Carol Richards. Once the song proved popular, Hope and Maxwell went into a studio to make their own recording.

This song has appeared once on the Calendar before, an excellent soul version by Wilson Pickett that you can hear here, and I urge you to seek it out later today.

Anyone who thinks I'm running this on Day 25 this year just to crack a joke about this being the only Hope you can expect this Christmas or New Year should stop me if you see me in the street. We've probably got a lot in common and would get on well. Enjoy your day and Merry Christmas! 

[Billy Blagg]

Don't forget, by the way, there are 25 windows on this Calendar! 

[Mex Martillo]

Classic!
Thanks Billy

[Billy Blagg]

If you know, you know...

[honky cat]

The Staves had a lovely song a few years back - Winter Trees. 

[Mex Martillo]

Lovely stuff. Wallace & Gromit is certainly preferable. Home alone is a pretty awful film, gladly I have not had to endure Home Alone 2. Or was it Home Alone too? Not clear to me.
That Andy Williams took me back. He was a favourite of my dear departed Mother. I think he got it right its a wonderful time. Loads of great memories. We, my mates, used to have a big party down the local pubs Christmas Eve. Mum was big on all the family doing church on Christmas morning. I struggled with that, but did enjoy singing the hymns and carols until I got a sharp reprimand to not breath my beery breath while singing! Not easy to do that!

[Billy Blagg]

The Staves are a Watford-based duo Jessica and Camilla Staveley-Taylor - though a third sister, Emily was in the band when this was recorded - and this sad, beautiful song is ideally suited to the seasonal weltschmerz. I'll be home alone too, but I'm more likely to watch Wallace & Gromit.


 

[honky cat]

I find Christmas a bit difficult for reasons a bit different to yours, and my Christmas for the past few years has been a few days away in Spain. Watch a bit of west ham in a bar with some bargain loving brits abroad, darts. hike up the mountain, swim in the sea, and the sunshine always makes life a bit easier. Today I'm listening to Robert elms playing Christmas songs on radio London . I do enjoy your Christmas calendar very much. All the best mate and I hope everyone finds something in Christmas, even if its just a day or two off work .

[Billy Blagg]

The Fab Four are a Californian Beatles tribute band that perform Carols in a real Fabs style. They've been around the Calendar a number of times, but it's been a good few years since we last heard them. Here they are with another track from the wonderful 'Hark' album. Want to hear 'Sleigh Ride' in a 'Lady Madonna' style? 'The First Noel' as 'Let It Be'? 'Silent Night' as 'Norwegian Wood'? If the answer is 'yes' then this is for you. If you answered 'No' then I beg you to reconsider as that is the wrong answer.'It Came Upon A Midnight Clear' is the final Carol on this year's Calendar. It's also 'Baby's In Black' - and who doesn't want that?

[Billy Blagg]

Of course, you've heard it a million times already this year but that's because some scurrilous holiday company have purloined it for their own hideous purposes. Andy hasn't appeared on the Calendar before but he got a mention earlier on this year (See Claudine Longet) and it seems churlish to leave him off any longer, and I need him onside to spearhead my campaign to reclaim this joyous song back for Christmas. The fight starts here, Brothers & Sisters! 

[Mex Martillo]

I didn't know about the bonuses for everyone involved. She is an amazing person. I find her completely different from all other women artists, she really is doing it her way and seems to understand what people like or that she is saying this is who I am and people like that. But her music is not for me!
What's with this unpinning? Took me a minute to find the thread, thought it had been deleted!

[Billy Blagg]

Taylor Swift's 'Eras' tour may not be something that interested everyone this year, but there is no doubting the staggering cultural and socioeconomic success of a world tour that started in Arizona in March 2023 and had made over $2billion at its conclusion on December 8th this year in Vancouver. 

The resulting book of the tour sold over 814,000 copies in its first two days making it the most successful book launch of the year, while Swift was also the most streamed artist of 2024 and her 'Tortured Poets Society' was the top-streamed album of the year. 

It's also worth recognising that Swift gave everyone connected with the tour bonuses totalling $197 million While a nod might be expected for the dancers, lighting and sound staff, the rewards were just as generous to the drivers, technical staff and even the Merchandise people. This was all on top of providing generous donations to all food banks in every city she played. 

While here at the Calendar we like to nibble around the crusty edges of the Christmas pie, we're not beyond looking at the big hitters from time to time, although oddly, Taylor Swift's 2019 Christmas single 'Christmas Tree Farm' was only a minor hit and got no further than a peak position of 44 in the UK despite being a lot better than most similar Christmas Fayre. I'd take it over Maria Carey any day of December.

[Billy Blagg]

Thanks for the support, Mex. I find being alone at Christmas really isn't that bad. I've tried everything since I lost Gail (Lady Blagg) in 2018 and just being on my own with my three lads (cats) just feels right. I also served the homeless and 'those spending Christmas alone' (ironically) at a Church in Central London. I loved the day but unfortunately, once everyone had gone and the Church closed up I had one of the worst evenings I've ever had and reached a real low point. Much as I'd like to do it again (and do it differently) I'm not sure I can. Even last year I went out for dinner but it doesn't feel right coming back to an empty house with no food smells or the ability to grab a turkey sandwich later on. There are signs I recognise in myself and if I feel them coming on I find it better to revert to what I know best and I'm just at my best on here, texting, ringing the kids etc. and doing some cooking. 

[Mex Martillo]

Nice one today Billy.
I wasn't big on the previous days. Bowie definitely better than Kurt. Bowie had a touch of the pogues for me, much better faster rhythm. Has to be said Kurt's family video was kind of weird and nice at the same time.
Alone at Christmas does not sound good, but no real reason that it ain't good. I've had a few Christmas kind of on my own. Once in a hostel, where we had a massive political argument at the Christmas dinner, there was an infiltration of Trotskyists from the Workers Party that kicked it all off and would not shutup. Another working in a live-in job in a high end resort, kind of ok, plenty of expensive booze was to hand. Probably the best, or most memorable was serving old folks that were living on their own, but brought together for a Christmas dinner by the church! I really did enjoy that.
Anyway, with WHO no ones alone, right!

[Billy Blagg]

When life imitates art

[kylay]

Also covered by Raffi on his christmas album. One of my daughter's favorites: