"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" is a pop song originally performed by Darlene Love, featured on the 1963 Christmas compilation album, “A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector”. The song, composed by Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, and Phil Spector, marked a departure from Spector's usual focus on singles, reflecting a more concerted effort in crafting each track for the holiday album. Unfortunately, its release as a single coincided with the tragic assassination of US President John F. Kennedy, leading to a subdued reception. Both the single and the album were withdrawn amid the somber atmosphere. In a savvy move, Phil Spector, the astute businessman, had Darlene Love re-record the song as "Johnny Please Come Home" shortly after Christmas in 1963. While maintaining the same music and theme, this version featured lyrics with the Christmas references removed.
Phil Spector had previously enlisted Darlene Love as the voice of The Crystals for hits like "He's A Rebel" and "He's Sure The Boy I Love." In a 2008 interview with Record Collector, Love shared insights into working with Spector on "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)": "Phil pushed everyone hard during the album, and the days blended together in retrospect. Despite it being the height of summer, there was a genuine Christmas party atmosphere in the studio. Many exceptional musicians were part of it, some of whom weren't widely known then but later achieved individual fame, like Leon Russell. Sonny Bono, Cher, and Glen Campbell were also part of the collaboration. The work was intense; on some days, we spent eight or nine hours in the studio perfecting just one verse of a song."
Darlene Love caught the attention of talk show host David Letterman during her performance in the Broadway musical "Leader of the Pack." In 1986, Letterman invited her to perform "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on his show, initiating an annual tradition. Despite Letterman's general aversion to Christmas songs, he appreciated soul music and welcomed Love to bring holiday joy each year. Love, accompanied by Letterman's house band led by Paul Shaffer, started with a basic setup, evolving into more elaborate productions with added elements like string sections and set decorations. These annual appearances significantly boosted the song's popularity and maintained Love's visibility. In a poignant moment, Love, after 28 performances, sang the song for the final time on Letterman's last show, skillfully avoiding an emotional farewell by climbing onto Shaffer's piano to prevent an embrace that would lead to tears.
Cher, a favorite backup vocalist of Phil Spector, lent her vocals to the original version of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)". In a delightful turn of events, Cher released her own rendition in a duet with Darlene Love, which became part of Cher's inaugural Christmas album aptly titled "Christmas".
BOBBY HELMS - JINGLE BELL ROCK
Released : November 28, 1957
Charted: UK: #7 US: #3
"Jingle Bell Rock" is an iconic American Christmas song initially released by Bobby Helms in 1957. Widely recognized as Helms' signature song, it has become a staple during the Christmas season, receiving frequent airplay in the United States. The song is officially credited to Joe Beal and Jim Boothe. Hank "Sugarfoot" Garland, the guitarist on this track and Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree," filed a lawsuit against the record label before his death. Garland claimed that he and Helms, not Beal and Boothe, were the actual writers of the song. The legal dispute adds an intriguing layer to the song's history and authorship. Despite initial disputes over its composers the song's catchy blend of rock 'n' roll and holiday cheer has solidified its place as the first mainstream rock 'n' roll Christmas hit. At the time of its release, Helms was a rising country artist with notable crossover success on the pop charts.
"Jingle Bell Rock" has been embraced by numerous artists, with covers by Hall & Oates, The Platters, 38 Special, and The Beach Boys. The rendition by Chubby Checker and Bobby Rydell reached #21 in 1962, making it the only other version to chart. Hall & Oates released their version in 1983, accompanied by a campy video that gained substantial airplay on MTV. Daryl Hall, in a rockabilly phase at the time, expressed the desire to infuse a rockabilly flavor into a Christmas song, leading to their cover of this festive classic.
Bobby Helms' version of "Jingle Bell Rock" experienced a resurgence on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, entering on the week ending January 9, 2016. After reaching #29 on the week ending January 7, 2017, the song continued to climb. In January 2019, it entered the top 10, reaching #8. This achievement marked the longest wait for an artist to reach the Hot 100's top 10, taking 60 years, four months, and two weeks since the song's first entry in 1958. Bobby Helms' recording reached a new peak of #3 on the chart dated January 4, 2020, maintaining this position for five consecutive years, following Mariah Carey and Brenda Lee.
WIZZARD - I WISH IT COULD BE CHRISTMAS EVERYDAY
Released: December 1973
Charted:UK: #4
"I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" by Wizzard is a Christmas song written and produced by Roy Wood, the band's frontman. Despite its enduring popularity, the song reached no higher than number four on the UK Singles Chart. Released in December 1973, it competed with Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody" for the Christmas Number 1 spot, with Slade ultimately securing the top position for five weeks. The song has become a festive classic, capturing the joyful and celebratory spirit of Christmas.
Roy Wood takes on lead vocals in "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday," accompanied by backing vocals from the Suedettes and the choir of Stockland Green School First Year. The additional noises on the track are credited to "Miss Snob and Class 3C." Recorded in August 1973, the studio was transformed into a wintry scene with Christmas decorations, and the air conditioning was set to its coldest setting to enhance the festive atmosphere. To add to the seasonal touch, Wood wore a woolen hat found in lost property. Schoolchildren from the Midlands, brought down by bus during the autumn half-term, contributed to the song.
Wizzard's contract intricacies led to a unique situation with the release of "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday". As the band's contract with EMI was nearing expiration, Warner Bros. pressed promotional copies since Wizzard had recently signed with them for future releases. However, it was later determined that EMI still held legal entitlement to the track. Consequently, the Warner Bros. pressings were halted, and the record ultimately appeared on the Harvest label, maintaining the same picture sleeve.
20.12.23
BRENDA LEE - ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE
Publicació: 24 de novembre de 1958 (EUA) Desembre de 1962 (Regne Unit)
Llistes: Regne Unit: #4 EUA: #1 (3 setmanes)
"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", escrita per Johnny Marks i enregistrada per Brenda Lee el 1958, s'ha convertit en un clàssic de Nadal. Pel seu 50è aniversari el 2008, la versió original de Lee havia venut més de 25 milions de còpies arreu del món, situant-se com el quart single de Nadal més descarregat digitalment. Malgrat la seva lletra antiquada, l'atractiu de la cançó continua sent fort.
Originalment llançada per Decca el 1958 i el 1959 sense massa èxit, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" va guanyar popularitat quan Brenda Lee es va convertir en una estrella el 1960. Va entrar per primera vegada a la llista Billboard Hot 100 durant la temporada de Nadal d'aquell any, arribant al numero 14. La cançó va tenir un bon rendiment de forma constant en les successives temporades de festes, assolint el nº 3 a la llista de singles de Nadal de Billboard el desembre de 1965.
"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" ha assolit un feta notable, arribant al numero 1 a la llista Billboard Hot 100 durant l'actual temporada. Aquest fet ha trencat el rècord de tots els temps als Estats Units d’una cançó per arribar al numero 1, des del seu llençament fins arribar al cim, establint el rècord en 65 anys des de la seva publicació al 1958 fins a l’actualitat. En comparació, Kate Bush ostenta un rècord similar al Regne Unit, amb 37 anys entre el llançament de "Running Up That Hill" i la seva arribada al nº 1 al juny de 2022. L'atractiu del clàssic nadalenc de Brenda Lee és realment excepcional.
Al Regne Unit, la cançó inicialment va assolir el numero 6 el 1962, però va aconseguir una notable posició numero 4 la setmana que va finalitzar el 5 de gener de 2023, superant el seu pic inicial per dues posicions, 61 anys després.
Brenda Lee va commemorar el 65è aniversari del seu clàssic nadalenc amb el llançament d'un nou vídeo de "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" el 3 de novembre de 2023. El vídeo compta amb aparicions especials de les estrelles de música country Tanya Tucker i Trisha Yearwood. En el vídeo, es veu a Lee preparant-se per a les seves festes preferides, decorant l'arbre de Nadal i fent galetes. L'atmosfera festiva s'accentua fins i tot amb una visita especial del Pare Noel.
BRENDA LEE - ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE
Released: November 24, 1958 (US) December 1962 (UK)
Charted: UK: #4 US: #1 (3 weeks)
"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," written by Johnny Marks and recorded by Brenda Lee in 1958, has become a Christmas classic. By its 50th anniversary in 2008, Lee's original version had sold over 25 million copies globally, ranking as the 4th most digitally downloaded Christmas single. Despite its dated lyrics, the song's enduring appeal remains strong.
Originally released by Decca in 1958 and 1959 without much success, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" gained popularity when Brenda Lee became a star in 1960. It first entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the Christmas season of that year, reaching #14. The song consistently performed well in subsequent holiday seasons, hitting #3 on Billboard's Christmas Singles chart in December 1965.
"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" has achieved a remarkable milestone, climbing to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the current season. This achievement shatters the US all-time record for the longest climb to Number 1, taking 65 years from its release in 1958 to now. In comparison, Kate Bush holds a similar record in the UK, with 37 years between the release of "Running Up That Hill" and its attainment of Number 1 in June 2022. The enduring appeal of Brenda Lee's holiday classic is truly exceptional.
In the UK, the song initially peaked at #6 in 1962 but achieved a remarkable #4 position on the week ending January 5, 2023, surpassing its original release peak by two places, 61 years later.
Brenda Lee marked the 65th Anniversary of her holiday classic by releasing a new video for "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" on November 3, 2023. The video features cameo appearances by country music stars Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood. In the clip, Lee is seen preparing for her favorite holiday, decorating the Christmas tree, and baking cookies. The festive atmosphere is heightened as even Santa Claus makes a special visit.
SLADE - MERRY XMAS EVERYBODY
Publicació: 7 de novembre de 1973
Llistes: Regne Unit: #1 (5 setmanes)
"Merry Xmas Everybody" de la banda britànica de glam rock Slade, llançada com a senzill independent el 1973, va ser un èxit monumental. Escrita pel vocalista principal Noddy Holder i el baixista Jim Lea, produïda per Chas Chandler, va ser el sisè i últim single número u de Slade. L'èxit instantani de la cançó la va fer debutar al nº 1 al Regne Unit, amb més de 300.000 còpies venudes el dia del llançament, establint un rècord com el disc que es va vendre més ràpidament a Gran Bretanya en aquell moment. Assegurant-se la primera posició a les llistes britàniques per Nadal el 1973, va superar "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" de Wizzard, que es va quedar al quart lloc.
L'origen de "Merry Xmas Everybody" es remunta a una cançó psicodèlica, "My Rocking Chair", inspirada en "Sgt Pepper's" dels Beatles, escrita per Noddy Holder el 1967. El 1973, després d'una nit de copes en un pub local, Holder, el vocalista de Slade, va decidir transformar-la en una cançó de Nadal. Holder i Jim Lea, el baixista de la banda i coautor, van acampar a casa de la mare de Holder. Van modificar la lletra per donar-hi un toc nadalenc, amb Lea incorporant parts d'una altra cançó en la què estava treballant els versos. Holder, a la seva vegada, va reescriure les paraules, entrelligant diversos aspectes de la temporada nadalenca que li venien al cap.
Quan Noddy Holder va escriure la línia "Look to the future now, it's only just begun" (mira el futur, tot just està començant) per "Merry Xmas Everybody", tenia en ment les vagues que afectaven Gran Bretanya. En una entrevista amb el Daily Mail el diumenge 10 de novembre de 2007, Holder va explicar el context: "Havíem decidit escriure una cançó de Nadal, i volia que s’hi reflectís una celebració nadalenca d'una família britànica. Econòmicament, el país estava molt malament. Els miners estaven en vaga, juntament amb els enterradors, els forners i gairebé tothom. Crec que la gent volia alguna cosa per animar-se, i jo també. Per això vaig idear la frase."
Uns mesos abans de gravar "Merry Xmas Everybody", Don Powell, el bateria de Slade, va patir un greu accident de cotxe que el va deixar ferit. Tot i que la recuperació física va ser ràpida, les cicatrius mentals van trigar més a guarir. Noddy Holder va revelar al Daily Mail el 18 de desembre de 2009 que els metges van aconsellar que Powell tornés a tocar la bateria ràpidament per augmentar la seva confiança. No obstant, Powell patia pèrdua de memòria a curt termini, recordant les cançons antigues però no les noves. Per adaptar-se a aquesta situació, van construir la cançó capa a capa, resultant en un so més commovedor i retingut. Malgrat els desafiaments, es va convertir en el major èxit de Slade.
"Merry Xmas Everybody" es va gravar als estudis Record Plant de Nova York durant la gira estiuenca de la banda pels Estats Units el 1973. Per aconseguir l'eco desitjat per a les veus, la banda va cantar la tornada al rebedor. Jimmy Lea, el guitarrista, va rememorar a la revista Uncut el 2012: "Tots aquells americans passaven ben vestits pel costat pensant que estàvem bojos cantant sobre el Nadal a l'estiu."
SLADE - MERRY XMAS EVERYBODY
Released: November 7, 1973
Charted: UK: #1 (5 weeks)
"Merry Xmas Everybody" by the British glam rock band Slade, released as a non-album single in 1973, was a monumental success. Penned by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, produced by Chas Chandler, it became Slade's sixth and final number-one single. The song's instant success saw it debut at #1 in the UK, with over 300,000 copies sold on the release day, setting a record as the fastest-selling record in Britain at that time. Securing the UK Christmas number one spot in December 1973, it surpassed Wizzard's "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday," which reached fourth place.
The origin of "Merry Xmas Everybody" traces back to a psychedelic song, "My Rocking Chair," inspired by The Beatles' "Sgt Pepper's," written by Noddy Holder in 1967. In 1973, after a night of drinking at a local pub, Holder, the vocalist of Slade, decided to transform it into a Christmas song. Holder and the band's bass player and co-writer, Jimmy Lea, camped out at Holder's mother's house. They modified the lyrics to infuse a Christmassy feel, with Lea incorporating parts of another song he was working on into the verses. Holder, in turn, rewrote the words, weaving in various aspects of the Christmas holiday season that came to mind.
When Noddy Holder penned the line "Look to the future now, it's only just begun," for "Merry Xmas Everybody," he had the strikes plaguing Britain in mind. In an interview with the Daily Mail on Sunday in November 10, 2007, Holder explained the context: "We'd decided to write a Christmas song, and I wanted to make it reflect a British family Christmas. Economically, the country was up the creek. The miners had been on strike, along with the gravediggers, the bakers, and almost everybody else. I think people wanted something to cheer them up—and so did I. That's why I came up with the line."
A few months before recording "Merry Xmas Everybody," Slade's drummer, Don Powell, endured a severe car crash that left him badly injured. While his physical recovery was swift, the mental scars took longer to heal. Noddy Holder revealed to The Daily Mail on December 18, 2009, that doctors advised getting Powell back to playing drums quickly to boost his confidence. However, Powell suffered from short-term memory loss, remembering old songs but not the new ones. To accommodate this, they built up the song layer by layer, resulting in a more poignant and restrained sound. Despite the challenges, it became Slade's biggest hit.
"Merry Xmas Everybody" was recorded at the Record Plant studios in New York during the band's summer tour of the States in 1973. To achieve the desired echo for the vocals, the band sang the chorus on the stairs. Jimmy Lea, the guitarist, reminisced to Uncut magazine in 2012, saying, "All these Americans were walking past in their suits thinking we were off our rockers singing about Christmas in the summer."
