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.

[Billy Blagg]

Former War on Drugs lead guitarist Vile covered what he thought was a Dylan song from Bob's 'Christmas In The Heart' album, only to find it was actually written by Hal Moore and Bill Fredricks and was originally released in 1960. In fact, early UK rocker Tommy Steele had a minor hit with it a year later.

If you want to hear Dylan's version - and you really should - you can find it here on Day 1. With his daughters accompanying him on vocals, Vile turns the song into an oddly affecting synth version

[easthammer]

Having just caught up again.I have to say of the last four offerings there is only one winner, although the clue being in their name quite enjoyed Christmas ( I won't be alone)

[Billy Blagg]

This is the opening track on a vinyl album I actually own called 'Rockin' Christmas: The 60s'. 

The song itself is a pretty mundane, throwaway ditty with little to recommend it but it does have an interesting history. Written by Howard Kaylan and Chip Douglas of The Turtles, the track was recorded by the pair in a studio one day in 1968 under a pseudonym band name. When they arrived, they found fellow Turtle Mark Volman there, he was working with Byrds alumni Gram and Gene Parsons (no relation), Linda Ronstadt, Gospel singer Bessie Griffin, and two members of the Modern Folk Quartet, who then all came into the Kaylan / Douglas session to help out on the record. 

That's a prodigious amount of talent to produce something so dull, making it something of a festive oddity. Even so, it could be worse. The Turtles also recorded a song called 'Santa and the Sidewalk Surfer' that is so awful it will make your ears bleed. I'll let you find that one yourself.


 

[Billy Blagg]

Well, I'll be alone Mex! I suppose I could ask them round but I've bought the turkey now.

There is a 'Best of' of sorts. It's at
 

I decided to only do 25 in keeping with the spirit of the thing and chose 25 I play a lot - though it could do with revising, I guess

[Mex Martillo]

Bit sad that. Hope none of them are alone, maybe send them an invite?

Billy, have you ever thought to do a Spotify best of BillyBlaggs Christmas Avent Calender?

[Billy Blagg]

A little cracker from Leigh Indie band The Lottery Winners.

[Mex Martillo]

Lovely stuff Billy.
What was that about Joe? Clearly that was Elvis, you found him!
Surprisingly, I liked that carol. The best was the dancing, that is my kind of dancing. I thought professionals could not emulate me!

[Billy Blagg]

The third Sunday Carol of this year's Calendar finds us with U.S duo Pomplamoose, a husband and wife couple Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn, performing a Carol that's not been featured before. 

In the UK we'd know this better as 'Here We Come A-Wassailing',  a traditional Carol from the mid-19th century. They don't wassail in California - more's the pity - and annoyingly the Video features an ad for upcoming shows so stop it after 2' 48" or better still head over to the BB Spotify page where you can listen to it unencumbered while you peel the sprouts. 

[Billy Blagg]

...And rightly so. I think we can all appreciate Joe's intentions here but he doesn't really tell us how he is going to do it. I suppose if he buys her a present or massages her feet every day she'd be appreciative, but if he makes her eat a mince pie and baste a turkey then I think she's going to be looking for the exit by March. We need more information. 


 

[easthammer]

I don't really get rap, age thing I guess. So Ghostface Killah was not going to be my thing but I was surprised to find that it was okay in its Christmas sentiment. Now I do like a bit of Soul Music and I did like the groove on Santa was a Freak like me but I found myself thinking that the lyrics were a little bit on the sleazy side, my puritan ethics are obviously over-sensitive around Christmas time.

[Mex Martillo]

I need a doctor, too slow for my dancing.
Didn't feel Christmasey, but some very nice soul!

[Billy Blagg]

The second Christmas Party nights of the season and if this doesn't get you on the dancefloor doing your funky stuff then you need to book in to see your doctor.

The Louisiana Blues Brothers are Tyree Neal, Pokey and Adrian Bager and here they promise that Santa is looking for those that are naughty 'he don't want no nice' so that's good news for most of us then.

[Mex Martillo]

Did a bit of catchup, will try harder to listen daily!
Not a rap fan, but love the words, it is poetry.
Clear winner for me so far is Day 7 - I Don't Intend To Spend Christmas Without You - Claudine Longet / The Garlands.
The Garlands really topped it, excellent!

[Billy Blagg]

Ghostface - or Dennis Coles as his mum shouts out when she calls him in for his tea - is a rapper with the Wu-Tang Clan so you might expect his X-mas might be a cynical denouncement of the season and include the type of Ho-Ho-Ho's you'll not hear from the Santa you saw earlier this week at the Co-op. 

But you'd be wrong.

In fact, 'Ghostface X-Mas' might have the most seasonal sentiments of any song on this year's calendar. Set to a sample of 'Carol of the Bells', the whole thing sings with lines like 'Smell the pinetrees in the air', 'Snowmen, snowflakes, cinnamon cakes', 'Wooden soldiers and chestnuts' and 'Cookies and milk on the mantle / the mistletoe, that scent from the peppermint candles'. I mean, you could give this to Bing or Sinatra and they'd be happy with the emotion of it all. 

Even when 'ol Killah says at one point 'Ghost knows when you be sleeping / Ghost knows when you awake' it sounds more of a promise than a threat. In fact, the only thing that might cause consternation is the line 'That warm French vanilla / Mean coat with zippers / Bearskin robe dragon with Versace slippers' as it might confuse those of us who get our dressing gown and slippers from Next. 

Wu-Tang for the children? Well, perhaps.

[honky cat]

Nice bit of perce today. My fav so far is that claudine one who shot the skier. Always good to see pictures of cats with moet

[easthammer]

Loved Billy Fury back in the day. His quiff was iconic. However, this Christmas offering only took me halfway to paradise. Percy Sledge was a great voice and Green Day was also a decent offering

[Billy Blagg]

Percy Sledge, who left this world in 2015, was of course, the man who brought us the classic 'When a Man Loves a Woman' and he's in fine voice here on a gorgeous song that implores 'May every man be your brother'.

That seems a decent wish any season of the year. Even on WHO.

[stubbo-admin]

Cheers Billy. Good stuff.

[Billy Blagg]

Californian rockers Green Day on the type of seasonal headbanger you'd probably expect.

[Billy Blagg]

The former Ronald Wycherley - as his mum knew him - has a Christmas prayer from 1959, and if you didn't know it was from the 50s, the girlie backing singing 'Bong' at the end of every line might give you a clue.

[jimmy iron]

Just back onto WHO recently after the update.. nice to come back to the Blagg Advent Calendar! 

[BRANDED]

loving these Billy. Thanks

[easthammer]

Longet's backstory is much more interesting than her music and having just listened to Christopher Lee I am searching for some garlic cloves to push in my ears

[Billy Blagg]

Among the many strange turns this Calendar has taken over the eighteen years we've had until it was old enough to vote is one rule - now fortunately fallen by the wayside -  that each year had to have one version of 'White Christmas' on it.

Even amongst the insanity of those early years though, we never had anything quite this bonkers. This is the Christopher Lee - Hammer Dracula, Saruman etc - singing (and I use the word loosely there) a Heavy Metal Christmas version of the old Bing classic.

The weird thing is that as it starts you think 'Oh no, surely not? Please!...' but after a couple of minutes you're shaking your head and flipping rock signs to your neighbours. No? Just me then...

For reference, Heavy Metal Christmas also features a version of 'The Little Drummer Boy' and - wait for it! - there is also a 'Heavy Metal Too' featuring more festive nonsense, a 'Darkest Carols, Faithful Sing' version of 'Hark, The Herald Angels' and a full non-Christmas related concept album. Still, I'll leave you to investigate that.

This whole thing has reminded me that when I was a younger man working in the glittering West End of London I once passed Christopher Lee in Berkeley Square. I can confirm, that he was very tall, very imposing, and definitely not a man you'd approach for a chat. 

Rock on Scaramanga! 

[Mike Oxsaw]

For pedants everywhere!



 

Superb!

Or, God Rest Ye Jerry Mental Men, as a mate & I used to sing in Christmas assembly in school, reducing those around us to fits of laughter (we were easily amused back in the day).

Teachers prowling the aisle to maintain discipline  never cottoned on it was us.