Top seven alternative picks for an unconventional Yuletide playlist
At this time of year it’s nigh on impossible to avoid those Christmas staples so beloved of shopping malls and supermarkets. No, not mince pies or in-store Santas, but the ubiquitous Christmas songs — and you know the ones I mean. So, for those who stay at home or just don’t turn the radio on at this time of year for fear of catching Slade or Wham or dare I say it, The Pogues for the millionth time, here is an alternative list of Christmas songs which for various reasons do not make it on to the radio. 7. Big Star: Jesus Christ (1978) Begins in classic Big Star power pop territory, all jangly guitars and stentorian drums, but then the lyrics kick in like a hymn from Sunday School days; “Angels from the realms of glory/ Stars shone bright above/ Royal David’s City/ Was bathed in the light of love”, as Alex Chilton chronicles the birth of Christ in a tone that suggests he’s a bit cynical about the whole story. However, it’s a song that can be enjoyed any time of the year regardless of your beliefs. 6. Star of Wonder: The Roches (1990) One minute and 50 seconds of aural beauty from the sainted trio of sisters. This a cappella wonder sits so seamlessly among traditional carols such as “Away in a Manger” and “The First Noel” on the sisters’ Christmas album that it sounds and feels like a traditional Christmas carol itself. It was in fact written by Terre Roche and deserves to be so much better known, much like The Roches themselves. 5. A Snowflake Fell (And it Felt Like a Kiss): Glasvegas (2008) A Spectorish wall of sound production and a beguiling, melancholy vocal from James Allan help make this icily beautiful song a huge emotional experience, and it’s a record that deserves to be a Christmas standard for years to come. 4. That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!: Sufjan Stevens (2006) The prolific tunesmith released a five-disc box set of traditional and original Christmas songs in 2006, containing many gems including this ethereal beauty, all meandering banjo and breathy, hushed vocals, and it’s the saddest song on this list. (A brother and sis- ter have their Christmas gifts thrown in the fire by their father and the girl runs away.) 3. Remember Bethlehem: Jake Thackray ( 1967) A rare and wonderful single dating from 1967 from the lugubrious bard of English chanson, detailing Mary’s journey to Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus. For those of a certain vintage, impossible to listen to without thinking of the great man’s many television appearances that lit up a boring Saturday night. 2. I’ll Be Killing You This Christmas: Loudon Wainwright lll ( 2014) “Santa’s packing heat this Christmas” warns Wainwright in this antiNRA song inspired by the Newtown school massacre in 2012. Be- hind the sleigh bells and a disarmingly quaint soft- shoe- shuffle beat lies Wainwright’s trademark black humor, as his stark message brilliantly highlights the madness of America’s arms laws in a song guaranteed to upset the pro-gun lobby. 1. Back Door Santa: Clarence Carter (1968) A naughty title, some salacious ho,ho, hos, and near the knuckle lyrics (“I ain’t like old Saint Nick/ He don’t come but once a year”) make for an X-rated “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”. This funky Southern Soul classic is unlikely to make any family Christmas playlists, but it did feature on the soundtrack of the movie version of Irvine Welsh’s Filth, which says it all really. THE INDEPENDENT