Many people hate Christmas music but I quite like them. I think it was because I worked in a place that did not pay for a license to play music for the guts of ten years. So Christmas became the sound of kids crying and people panic shopping. So when I finally began to work in a place where there was music I thought I was in a different world.
Now I am still like you and fall in and out of love with some songs. The Mariah Carey "All I want for Christmas" and Shakin Stevens "Merry Christmas everyone" are the two songs that I have found that have waned on me this year. And even Fairytale in New York is waning which is odd for me. I was always a fan of Paul McCartney's "Simply having a wonderful Christmas time" and no even this is getting lost with me. There is one Christmas song that is on the up in the Blanchy's world of popular opinion and this is the Spanish Christmas tune of Feliz Navidad.
Feliz Navidad - Bocelli and family.
I can easily put up the original but I said I would put up the Andre Bocelli with his son and daughter performing it in Ireland last week. Something about this son that is feel good. It's a real simple song with a simple message and I think its excellent.
The Pretenders - 2000 Miles
This one is a sad one but I just love it. Someone said to me it makes them happy and sad at the same time and I tend to agree but any song that gives you these emotions must be good in my opinion. It is probably my favorite Christmas song at the moment. It is definitely under rated. Chrissie Hyndes voice is unbelievable and the instrumental running through the song is great. Disclaimer: Don't listen to it if you had a recent death in the family or you will be bawling your eyes out.
Jona Lewie - Stop The Cavalry
Not sure if it is me but I am listening to all the niche Christmas songs and I am loving them. This one by Jona Lewie probably was not meant to be a top Christmas hit but it turns out it was. Again the percussion behind this one is great and the little bells ringing at the end of the chorus really make this song a Christmas song for the ages.
Source
Some of these Christmas songs are one hit wonders and make thousands in royalties for the song writers every December. I hear for example that Shane McGowan would rake in around €300K every December for Fairytale in New York so he basically never has to work or release anything again. Another interesting fact is that the Killers release a Christmas song on an annual basis. Some of them are excellent by the way. I think whatever they make goes to charity but I never knew this about them.
Imagine being the songwriter for one of these songs and hearing them over and over again at Christmas time. I wonder would they be still proud or would the song wear you down so you would hate this time of year. You are in a shop with your wife and your song comes on and you throw your eyes up to heaven hating every fibre of the song that had propelled you to fame. It's a tough one. Take Mariah Carey for example. Does she really love Christmas or does she hate it with a passion? Maybe she doesn't hate her bank account. She has remade her song with Bieber to bring it into the 20's but its the same as it aways is. Would you have any quirky Christmas tracks that are relatively unknown. It would be good to hear them.
That's it from me for this week. Thanks to 