80s UK Christmas Singles #9: Jason Donovan - When You Come Back To Me

Today's 80s UK Christmas Singles post is "Jason And His Amazing Stock Aitken Waterman Christmas Single!"

Jason Donovan - When You Come Back To Me
Former star of Australian TV soap opera Neighbours, Jason Donovan had made quite an impact on the music scene in 1989, which is in no small part due to the continued success of the writing and production team of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman.  With When You Come Back To Me, the three producers clearly contrived to make a Christmas song without it actually referring to the season.  Whilst it features the usual Stock Aitken Waterman hallmarks of synth brass and electronic percussion, it has a very seasonal feel to it; it's underpinned with timpani, swirling strings and prominent backing vocals, with chimes and tubular bells sprinkled on top.  There's a nod to the time of year in the lyrics, with references to people having "armful(s) of presents", and there being a "chill in the air".  It's a tale of separated lovers, which of course resonates deeply in the Christmas season.  It’s a typically melodic song from the hit-making trio—it’s full of hooks and has a killer chorus—and is perhaps one of the best tracks they came up with for Donovan.  In addition to the main single release, a second 7" was released featuring The Yuletide Sleigh List Mix—this very much turned the track into a Christmas song; opening up with a spoken intro by Donovan, the track removes most of the frenetic percussion and synths which adorn the main version, replacing them with choral backing vocals, tinkly bells and plucked strings.  Given both Donovan and Stock Aitken Waterman's huge success in 1989, this would have likely been a Christmas number one—had it not been for the rush-release of Band Aid II.

Written by: Mike Stock, Matt Aitken & Pete Waterman
Produced by: Mike Stock, Matt Aitken & Pete Waterman
PWL Records PWL 46 / #2

From my Kindle book "80s UK Christmas Singles" --  a bargain at 99p!

80s UK Christmas Singles #8: Chris Rea - Driving Home For Christmas

Today's 80s UK Christmas Singles post is a Rea-lly seasonal 1988 diatribe at the state of the roads in late December...

Chris Rea - Driving Home For Christmas 
Chris Rea's second attempt at a 1980s Christmas hit single was rather more successful than the previous year's Joys of Christmas, even though it was not a new song.  Rea states that the idea for Driving Home For Christmas came to him many years before he (wrote and) recorded it; apparently, his then girlfriend drove from Middlesbrough to London to pick Rea up and drive him back, as this method of travel was cheaper than the train.  It was this experience which is borne out in the lyrics; counterbalancing the frustration of Christmas motorway traffic with the anticipation of being reunited with family and friends.  Driven by a playful piano melody, underpinned by lush strings and carried along with light percussion, the jazz-tinged track makes for a wistful, easy listen.  Rea's trademark gravelly voice provides an interesting contrast with the lightness of the arrangement, suggesting that even a northerner can be softened by the prospect of the Yuletide season.  It is largely devoid of the usual sonic adornments that typify most Christmas tracks, although there is a smattering of sleigh bells midway through.  Driving Home for Christmas first emerged in 1986 as the B-side to the Hello Friend single, and it was two years until Rea and Magnet issued it as a lead track.  That said, this 1988 release of the Driving Home for Christmas EP was not as hugely successful as its later reputation would suggest, stalling at #53 that year.  However, the track found a second lease of life due to its use in advertising campaigns and the proliferation of Christmas compilation albums over the years.  The record has become a modern Christmas classic, and a staple of Yuletide airplay.  It is a perfectly judged seasonal piece, finding extra resonance these days thanks to the sheer insanity of Christmas motorway traffic.

Written by: Chris Rea
Produced by: Chris Rea & Jon Kelly
WEA Records YZ 325 / #53, 1988

From my Kindle book "80s UK Christmas Singles" --  a bargain at 99p!

80s UK Christmas Singles #7: Rick Astley - When I Fall In Love

Today's 80s UK Christmas Singles post is a "Not Really a Christmas song but..." entry, taking us back to 1987 when Pet Shop Boys and Nat King Cole ganged up against Rick Astley...

Rick Astley - When I Fall In Love
With a rich deep voice totally at odds with his youthful appearance, Rick Astley had exploded on to the music scene in 1987 with his smash hit debut solo single Never Gonna Give You Up.  Yet another successful act for the increasingly successful writing and production team Stock Aitken Waterman, Astley's boy-next-door looks and down-to-earth appeal led to a string of hits, including this faithful cover of the Nat King Cole classic When I Fall In Love.  Eschewing the synth-led dance sound of his earlier hits, Astley's cover was a sumptuous, string-laden affair, based on the original arrangement by Gordon Jenkins.  Whilst not a Christmas song per se, the warmth of the production and a video showing Astley wandering through the snow give the track a Christmassy feel.  Clearly designed to be the 1987 Christmas number one, it found itself in contention with another cover version, Pet Shop Boys' radical reworking of Always On My Mind.  However, EMI Records (via its Capitol imprint) re-issued the original Nat King Cole version—the back of the sleeve actually stated “This is the ORIGINAL ‘When I Fall In Love’”—which reached number 4 and took sales away from the almost-identical Astley cover, giving Pet Shop Boys—signed to EMI subsidiary label Parlophone—a clear run at the number one position.

Written by: Edward Heyman & Victor Young
Produced by: Mike Stock, Matt Aitken & Pete Waterman
RCA Records  PB 41683 / #2

From my Kindle book "80s UK Christmas Singles" --  a bargain at 99p!

80s UK Christmas Singles #6: Max Headroom - Merry Christmas Santa Claus (You're A Lovely Guy)

Max Headroom - Merry Christmas Santa Claus (You're A Lovely Guy)
Billed as the World's first computer generated TV host, Max Headroom was actually actor Matt Frewer behind complex prosthetic make-up and digitally-manipulated speech patterns.  Debuting in 1985 in TV movie Max Headroom: 20 Minutes Into The Future, the character went to host a Channel 4 music programme, and later featured in his own US TV drama series.  The character's popularity led to him featuring on a hit single with The Art of Noise, Paranoimia, in 1986, which no doubt led Chrysalis Records to release this solo Christmas single, in which Max urges the listener to send some Christmas love back to the selfless St Nick.  Written by the writers behind the Channel 4 show, it's quite a straight Christmas song lyrically, albeit with an irreverent edge.  In contrast with the technical wizardry behind the vocal locs from Max is a very seasonal arrangement courtesy of producer Keith Strachan, who would later play a prominent part in the 1988 Christmas number one.  Strachan throws the Christmas kitchen sink into the electric piano-led production, which features horns, bells and a choir, but manages to give the track room to breathe.  One of the better Christmas novelty tracks, and much more listenable than you might expect.

Written by: Paul Owen & David Hansen
Produced by: Keith Strachan
Chrysalis Records CLAUS 1 / Chart position unknown

From my Kindle book "80s UK Christmas Singles" --  a bargain at 99p!

80s UK Christmas Singles #5: Queen - Thank God It's Christmas

Thank God it's extract number 5 from 80s UK Christmas Singles, and today it's Queen!

Queen - Thank God It's Christmas
Rock band Queen are acknowledged as one of the world's biggest music acts, with the golden era of their career spanning over two decades.  Best known for their 1975 classic Bohemian Rhapsody, the band would actually gain a whole new lease of life thanks to their blistering performance at 1985's Live Aid concert, so this Christmas single catches them in the calm before the storm.  Written by drummer Roger Taylor and guitarist Brian May, Thank God It's Christmas combines the band's anthemic abilities with a tender seasonal element.  With an arrangement mainly reliant on echoing staccato percussion and synth pads, the song is brought to life by Freddie Mercury's soaring vocals—with a little help from sleigh bells!  The sparse arrangement is bolstered by the backing harmonies from the other band members, though John Deacon's bass and Brian May's guitar make their presence known as the track continues.  It does not contain much in the way of the usual Christmas single adornments, but its starkness holds a certain appeal for the wintry climes of the season.  There were actually two tracks in contention for the band's 1984 Christmas single; this single, which was of course the victor, and a Brian May composition, I Dream of Christmas—though May later reused the track as a 1987 single for his partner Anita Dobson.

Written by: Roger Taylor & Brian May
Produced by: Queen & Reinhold Mack
EMI Records QUEEN 5 / #21

From my Kindle book "80s UK Christmas Singles" --  a bargain at 99p!

80s UK Christmas Singles #4: The Pretenders - 2000 Miles

Today's 80s UK Christmas Single extract is a beautiful piece of melancholy from 1983...

The Pretenders - 2000 Miles
Led by charismatic frontwoman Chrissie Hynde, rock band The Pretenders have enjoyed critical and commercial success through their career, most notably with singles such as Brass In Pocket and Don't Get Me Wrong.  1983 saw the release of this Christmas song, although to call it such almost devalues its status, as this is actually a thoughtful, melancholic track. Ostensibly about a lover (and parent) pining for their lost love during Yuletide, it is believed that the song is actually about Pretenders guitarist James Honeyman-Scott who had passed away in 1982.  Carried along by a circling guitar riff, Hynde's husky vocals are plaintive here—the lament is obvious.  Common consensus has it that the 2000 miles mentioned in the title is a Biblical Nativity reference, but Hynde states that the title was inspired by Otis Redding's Thousand Miles Away.  Now firmly accepted as a Christmas standard, it is yet a further example of the variety of theme and narrative of the Christmas single, and most of all, a moving contemplation on love and loss.

Written by: Chrissie Hynde
Produced by: Chris Thomas
Real Records ARE 20 / #15

From my Kindle book "80s UK Christmas Singles" --  a bargain at 99p!

80s UK Christmas Singles #3: Dizzy Heights - Christmas Rapping

Today we cover the UK's first hip-hop record -- which, amazingly, was a Christmas song...

Dizzy Heights - Christmas Rapping
Former member of hip-hop act The Krew, Dizzy Heights combined the Yuletide season and rap to break new ground with Christmas Rapping, which is widely acknowledged as the first UK hip-hop single.  Initially credited to to Dizzy H, this is a very accessible rap track—interpolating elements of Jingle Bells—with Dizzy’s words underpinned with a robust electro backing.  The chorus refrain of “Christmas Rapping” is performed by female vocalists, followed by an unintentionally sinister-sounding Santa laugh from Dizzy.  The middle eight breakdown features a group chant of lines from Good King Wenceslas, Silent Night and Jingle Bells.  It’s an odd combination of elements which shouldn’t really work, but the end result is surprisingly credible.  Whilst the title is clearly an obvious pun, it is also notably a respectful nod to the 1979 Kurtis Blow US rap track Christmas Rappin’.  The track is held in high regard by the UK hip-hop fraternity, but is perhaps somewhat neglected when it comes to seasonal playlists and compilations.  A shame, as it’s a great Christmas track and a truly innovative record.

Written by: B. Beaton, T. Morris, L. Phillips & F. Morris
Produced by: T Morris, L Phillips & F Morris
Polydor Records  WRAP 1 / #49

From the Kindle book "80s UK Christmas Singles" --  a bargain at 99p!

80s UK Christmas Singles #2: Holly and the Ivys - Christmas on 45

Today's extract is the strange case of Pink Floyd's Dave Gilmour and his Christmas novelty record...

Holly and the Ivys - Christmas on 45
One would not associate the frontmen of Pink Floyd and The Dream Academy with a Yuletide take on Stars on 45, but that's precisely what David Gilmour and Nick Laird-Clowes did with Christmas on 45, recorded under the moniker of Holly And The Ivys.  Laird-Clowes had gotten to know Gilmour in the 1970s through being an assistant with counter-culture figure Jeff Dexter, and even recruited Gilmour's brother Mark as guitarist for his band The Act.  That friendship led to the creation of this record, a medley comprising O Come, All Ye Faithful, Once In Royal David’s City, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Ding Dong Merrily On High, O Little Town Of Bethlehem, Away In A Manger, and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.  Interestingly, although Laird-Clowes is credited as the writer of the B-side Have Mercy On The Child, Gilmour is not credited at all, and the nearest thing to a production credit was "Arranged by Rock Music Co. Ltd".  That said, those in the know would recognise Gilmour's trademark guitar playing on the A-side.  Whilst the record has a similar syncopated rhythm to the Stars on 45 records popular that same year, the inclusion of an orchestra and a choir gives it a lush, seasonal feel, reinforced all the more by the focus on traditional Christmas carols.  It is probably one of the better examples of the Christmas medley, and certainly one that conveys the spirit of the season.  Even with handclaps.

Written by: Rev GW Woodward / Traditional
Produced by: David Gilmour and Nick Laird-Clowes (uncredited)
Santa Records SANTA 1 / #40

From the Kindle book "80s UK Christmas Singles" --  a bargain at 99p!

80s UK Christmas Singles #1: Jona Lewie - Stop The Cavalry

Here's the first extract from my 80s UK Christmas Singles book -- and I'm starting off with a popular classic:

Jona Lewie - Stop The Cavalry
Offbeat artist Lewie started out in the 1970s as part of Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs, a novelty act best known for their Seaside Shuffle hit. He later ended up at the legendary Stiff Records, which released his best known singles—You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties, and the evergreen Yuletide classic, Stop The Cavalry.  The track sees Lewie take the role of a soldier—actually an eternal soldier representing all those who have fought in conflicts over the years—arguing at the futility of war and pleading for withdrawal; hence the name of the song.  With a melody inspired by Hugo Alfven's Swedish Rhapsody No.1, Lewie's droll, spoken-word rendition is kept in time by a chugging synth line, whilst the track comes to life in the instrumental chorus with a brass band in full pomp.  Lewie maintains that his song is not actually a Christmas song, and is in fact an anti-war protest song.  There may be only a singular reference to the season—contained in the recurring line "Wish I could be home for Christmas"—but the warmth of the arrangement and the sentiment of peace to all men conveyed makes it sit well at Yuletide.  Perhaps not in the latter day, Spector-inspired, style of the Christmas record, but it actually makes a nod back to the Victorian Christmas musical tradition.  Its anti-war message in fact carries even more significance in the current climate of conflict, and as such, is possibly the most resonant Christmas record in this book.

Written by: Jona Lewie
Produced by: Jona Lewie & Bob Andrews
Stiff Records  BUY104 / #3

From the Kindle book "80s UK Christmas Singles" --  a bargain at 99p!

80s UK Christmas Singles -- out now on Kindle!

My new book 80s UK Christmas Singles has just come out on Kindle. Covering 81 pop singles released for the Christmas charts between 1980 and 1989, the book covers big hits, obscure curios and some downright bizarre releases.

Artists covered include: Kate Bush, Jona Lewie, Barron Knights, Darts, Jim Davidson, The Damned, St Winifred's School Choir, Chris Squire and Alan White, Holly & The Ivys, The Snowmen, Flogwell Flax, Hysterics, Johnny Mathis and Gladys Knight, Human League, The Waitresses, David Essex, David Bowie & Bing Crosby, Cliff Richard, Santa Claus & The Christmas Trees, Dizzy Heights, Peter Auty and the Sinfonia of London, Renee & Renato, The Pretenders, The Jingle Belles, Dennis Waterman & George Cole, Elton John, The Jets, Frank Kelly, Flying Pickets, Band Aid, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Gary Glitter, Queen, Wham!, Captain Sensible, Alvin Stardust, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, The Bouncing Czecks, Paul McCartney & The Frog Chorus, Shakin Stevens, Weekend, Bryan Adams, Aled Jones, Keith Harris and Orville, Frank Sidebottom, Boris Gardiner, Spitting Image, Mini-Pops, Max Headroom, Jackie Wilson, Mel and Kim, The Pogues and Kirsty McColl, Run DMC, Chris Rea, Bad News, Anita Dobson, Phil Spector, Rick Astley, Pet Shop Boys, Chris Rea, Alexander O'Neal, Cliff Richard, Bros, Boney M, Star Turn On 45 (Pints), Freheit, Band Aid II, Jason Donovan, Coldcut, Jive Bunny, Ann Charleston & Ian Smith, Kevin Bloody Wilson, Jethro Tull and Max Bygraves.

Best of all, it's only 99p!

And you can get it here!

I'll be posting some extracts from the book (and some standalone 80s Christmas articles) in the run up to Christmas so please do check in!