Billy Blagg's 17th Annual Advent Calendar of Christmas Songs

[Billy Blagg]

"The place where this year, to save you from tears, you'll give it to someone special. Home page at: https://www.billyblaggsannualadventcalendarofchristmassongs.co.uk/ 17th Annual Page at: https://blaggadventcalendarchristmassongs2023.blogspot.com/"

[Billy Blagg]

"A Happy 2024 to you all. Mex Martillo 11:47 Tue Dec 26 I'll WHOmail you on this but I do check all links - To be honest, I'm totally anal on the whole thing! - but I have noticed sometimes Blogger has the wrong Youtube pic against the wrong track and I've had a mini-panic that a refresh has easily sorted. It doesn't seem to be an issue this end so I'm assuming it's some speed issue on the Blogger server? Genuine thanks for pointing it out though. And sorry to laugh and point but I did say the Go-Go's Belinda Carlisle reference was a joke. The 'Dalek' Go-Go's were a good ten years prior to the Carlisle/Weidlin punk pioneers. BTW The Vince Vance hairstyle was a big hit with the ladies so I'm keeping it for next year."

[Mex Martillo]

"Fun stuff, Bruce was ths winnsr this year for me, Day 6 - Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Bruce Springsteen But these also stood out. Day 20 - Baby Don't Leave Me (All Alone At Christmas) - Echosmith - Shame about the lyrics as I really liked the beat. Day 14 - When A Child Is Born - Sinead O' Connor & Danny O' Reilly Day 12 - Christmas Won't Be The Same Without You - Plain White T's probably second and family also l liked it. Day 9 - Mary's Boy Child - Harry Belafonte / Boney M / Enoch Kent - the original or 1st narrowly beat Boney M Day 4 - White Christmas - Darlene Love Also mention for this which was pretty terrible, but liked that it was early Belinda Carlisle. Day 7 - I'm Gonna Spend My Christmas With A Dalek - The Go-Go's Worst one for me goes to Day 10 - Joy To The World - Johnny 'Bowtie' Barstow - I dont have a good ear for music, but that guy was completely out of tune wasn't he?! Probably me or lets say my device, but on the blogg, seems that some of the links change and take me to the wrong song? Hate to say, but I had to put the head phones on to finish as the calender was not being appreciated by the family! Lastly how did the Vince hair style go down yesterday? Thanks Billy"

[Mex Martillo]

"Thank you Billy for an amazing job. I'll go through the whole list this morning. I expect some moaning from the family, a really tough audience even or especially on Christmas day. I haven't caught many, but Sant is coming to town by Bruce is an absolute classic that I love. Great to be reminded of that one. MERRY CHRISTMAS"

[Billy Blagg]

"Thank you to everyone who has commented, Whomailed, emailed, sent suggestions, greetings or posted anything at all. The support I get here is one of the reasons I do this nonsense every year. Please visit the 17th blog. It has additional stuff on it and it helps support the endeavour. Also, don't forget the main page (above) has links to all 17 years PLUS all years are now on Spotify. I never repeat a track so you're looking at well over 525 songs to last you till January 6th. Or bookmark for next year. Merry Christmas everybody and all the best for 2024. See you in Dublin!"

[Billy Blagg]

The Lifters are Ron Preyer, Terrence Brannon and Clarence Metheny and, following the toll of the bells, they are praying for love and peace and understanding for the world.

'Cos my time is your time and Yuletime is my time, baby! It's time for love, not only now but beyond December.'

And why not? Merry Christmas Everybody!


 

[Coffee]

"Thanks, Billy. One of my favourite carols. But one that never fails to raise a wry smile when the temperature here is in the consistently pleasant low 20s. Earth rarely stands cold as iron in these parts, except under the influence of malaria."

[Billy Blagg]

There are 25 windows on the BB Calendar. Be here on Christmas Day bright and early.

[Billy Blagg]

December 24th. Another Christmas Eve. That noise is either one of two things; it's the sound of a man traipsing the West End hand-in-hand with the Ghost of Christmases Past but equally, this year, it could be me chewing on some humble pie.

On last year's Calendar on Day 7 was a version of 'Santa Baby' by the usually excellent Wolf Alice. I was very dismissive of it, saying 'File under Must Do Better' but actually it was me that needed to improve because had I searched more thoroughly, I could have ignored the dull seven-year-old Eartha Kitt cover that I went with and replaced it with this dreamy, shimmering gem from December 2022.

With Christmas Eve falling on a Sunday this year I needed a Carol of substance, and though I try to avoid putting artists on the Calendar who've appeared the previous year I just couldn't leave this majestic, haunting rendition off. Have a Peaceful Day and be with the one you love - wherever they are.

[Billy Blagg]

A gorgeous, gospel-tinged, festive tour-de-force - that voice! - that will have you reaching for the brandy and Christmas pudding-flavoured crisps. If you get chills at four minutes odd when the strings and gospel choir come in, it might not be because the cat has pushed the door open.

[Billy Blagg]

A seasonal heartbreaker from Bear's Den - an Indie folk/country outfit from London - telling of how she left in '99 and nobody knows where she went but every year he hopes she'll return. Did he love her? Probably not, but he'll think of her this and every Christmas and wonder why she went and what he did 'cos that's what December is for.

An affecting video of a London street and a suspiciously empty pub make this an enchanting experience. Since we've all moved on apace from when this Calendar used to go out on a C90 cassette, I suppose this immersive audio - listen on your headphones! - stops only just short of a time when I will beaming this directly into your brain. Perhaps next year? Who can say?

I'll confide in the quiet Winter light gathering / Hoping to find / Some peace of mind / This Christmas, hopefully
I don't think anyone can ask for more than that.

[Coffee]

"Happy Christmas, Manuel."

[Manuel]

Coffee - I bet you were fucking delighted with that last night. Sorry that some are upset and venting on a West Ham forum. Start a Moyes in thread.

[Coffee]

So much better listening to this than reading the post-Liverpool anti-Moyes outpourings.

[Billy Blagg]

There's nothing like a driving home for Christmas song and Ms Hackman has managed to capture the essence of a Winter's night on the road, snow in the headlights, heater up full, festive music on the radio, looking forward to getting home for a festive kummel and a bag of Tesco Finest Maple Nut Selection.

[Billy Blagg]

Echosmith were originally a quartet of siblings Sydney, Jamie, Graham and Noah Sierota from California - now a trio after the eldest Jamie left - and this is from a three-track Christmas single called, not unreasonably, 'An Echosmith Christmas' that features an Indie version of 'Happy Xmas (War is Over)' - better than you might have expected - and 'I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day' which is also worth a listen.

[North Bank]

"Blagg great choice there and how often do you hear a kazoo in a song these days, remember my sister relentlessly annoying me with one as a kid, such a shame she 'lost' it"

[Billy Blagg]

"...Because it's Christmas in Hawaii but, seemingly, not in the West End, where yesterday I witnessed Christmas Trees being taken down in The Conran Shop in Marylebone High Street to accommodate the store sale. There's another week to go! I hope their tinsel has mites in and they escape and find solace in their furniture. No fate is too bad.

K.T Tunstall's version of the old Bing Crosby song is a pure delight and features a wonderous kazoo solo - and who doesn't want that? The Xylophone Union must have been happy when they got the call for this one too. But I realised as I was searching for K.T's version that there is also one by Jimmy Buffett who we sadly lost back in September and this Calendar does not want the loss of the man who gave us the wonderous 'Margaretville' or who was half-responsible for the equally joyous 'It's Five o' Clock Somewhere' to go unrecognised so Jimmy's is being attached here too.

There needs to be room in your heart for both of them this Christmas. Unlike stores that take down their decorations a week before Christmas Day!

KT:-

Jimmy:-

[Billy Blagg]

"I'll slide down your chimney and bring you lots of joy / What I got for you mama it's not just a toy"
Well, that certainly sounds exciting, doesn't it? I'm guessing it's one of those Air-fryer things.

I'll be at the Royal Albert Hall tonight for Trevor Nelson's Soul Christmas so I need to be in a funky mood, and this seasonal stormer is guaranteed to get me doing my thang. I hope it gets you doing yours too.

[Kaiser Zoso]

"Sing it out loud yourself, twice You’d probably sound better than Weezer"

[Coffee]

"Thanks for that, Mike. Another question, if you don't mind: would you recommend doing it for three minutes of seasonal Weezer?"

[Mike Oxsaw]

"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."

[Mike Oxsaw]

"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."

[Kaiser Zoso]

"@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."

[Coffee]

"Video unavailable This video is not available Thanks, youtube."

[Billy Blagg]

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.