Retro Crimbo 2013/ Playlist: Listen, my yule dudes!

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In the words of Moby Grape… listen, my friends! Yes, it’s the (hopefully) monthly playlist presented by George’s Journal just for you good people.

There may be one or two classics to be found here dotted in among different tunes you’re unfamiliar with or never heard before – or, of course, you may’ve heard them all before. All the same, why not sit back, sip a glass of mulled wine, munch on a mince pie and listen away; for in the words of Noddy Holder, ittttttt’s… well, I’m sure you know what comes next…

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CLICK on the track titles to hear them

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Elmer Bernstein ~ Main Title from The Great Escape (1960)

Morecambe and Wise ~ A-Wassailing/ The Happiest Christmas Of All (1964)

The Supremes ~ My Favorite Things (1964)

Andy Williams ~ Medley: Sleigh Ride/ The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (1965)¹

The Beatles ~ The Beatles’ 1968 Christmas Record (1968)²

The Who ~ Christmas (1969)³

Elvis Presley ~ Merry Christmas Baby (1971)

Greg Lake ~ Humbug (1975)⁴

Paul Williams and the Cast of Bugsy Malone ~ You Give A Little Love (1976)⁵

The Universal Robot Band ~ Disco Christmas (1977)

John Denver and The Muppets ~ The Twelve Days Of Christmas (1979)

Rita Coolidge ~ Lake Freeze (1980)⁶

The Two Ronnies ~ Two Santas (1984)⁷

The Cast and Crew of Moonlighting (1985-89) ~ The First Nowell (1985)8

Slade ~ Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (1985)

Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan ~ Especially For You (1988)9

Bing Crosby ~ White Christmas (as performed on his US TV Christmas specials 1962-77)

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¹ From the 1965 edition of Andy Williams’ series of timeless and unforgettable Christmas TV specials

² This particularly psychedelic and Goon-esque festive offering from The Fabs to their fan club members was cut together by then Radio 1 DJ Kenny Everett

³ From the rock opera Tommy (1969), featuring corresponding visuals from Ken Russell’s cinematic adaptation (1975) of the concept album

⁴ The b-side to Lake’s terrific festive hit I Believe In Father Christmas (1975); clearly really an Emerson, Lake And Palmer composition, it’s credited only to Lake as its a-side was too

⁵ The theme from this tune can currently be heard in BBC1’s Christmas season trails; writer of all classic kids’ musical Bugsy Malone’s (1976) songs, Paul Williams delivers this one’s lead lyric – as he did with most of the movie’s others

⁶ The charming and memorable tune that appeared on the soundtrack to the yuletide TV animated special The Christmas Raccoons (1980), in which the cartoon favourites debuted

⁷ A word-play-tastic North Pole-set song-and-dance sequence from the redoubtable double-act’s 1984 BBC Christmas special

⁸ An unsurprisingly – given it featured in Moonlighting – fourth-wall-shattering but delightful end coda from the show’s Season Two seasonal-set T’was The Episode Before Christmas (1985)

⁹ The ionic Stock, Aitken and Waterman ballad performed by the late ’80s Antipodean sweethearts that was unexpectedly – and inexplicably – beaten by Cliff Richard’s Mistletoe And Wine (1988) to that year’s coveted UK Christmas #1

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