We actually like...Christmas!

Music

Either endured novelty or the same tragic death-knells of supermarket sentiment that start prematurely wailing in late November: Christmas songs. At least the majority of them are. Here’s some salvation. Merry Christmas! Yayyyyyy!

Sun Ra presents The Qualities – It’s Christmas Time

Doo Wop Christmas > Bizarre Spaced Bebop Christmas(Tim)

Charles Brown – Please Come Home For Christmas

Drunk on port, stripped to the waste and weepy, maudlin xmas R&B. Air guitar the solo while the tears pour down your lonely face. Happy christmas!!! (Joe)

AUGIE RIOS – Donde Esta Santa Claus? (1958)

I hope he won't forget to clack his castinet,

And to his reindeer, say,

"Oh Pancho, Oh! Vixen, Oh! Pedro, Oh! Blitzen,"

Ole! Ole! Ole! cha cha cha.

Mamacita, donde esta Santa Claus?

Oh! Where is Santa Claus?

It's Christmas Eve.

Amazing… actually love this! 1958 n all! (Wil)

To me, Christmas is quite simply not about music.

It is about watching Only Fools And Horses. The 1991 Christmas Special where they're in Miami blew my 8-year-old mind… you know, the one where Del gets mistaken for some kind of Drug Lord and they try and spare said-Drug Lord from certain jail by faking his death; thus they repeatedly attempt to bump off Del, with, err, hilarious consequences.

But there is a musical point to this. In amongst the lightweight comedy caper, there are two absolute fucking anthems from the early 90s Rave era, and not mere clips either – they get a full airing. While Del and Rodney are sitting in a night club, these two tracks come on:

The Shamen – Hyperreal

Adamski – Killer

The very thought that Mr C and his gang managed to penetrate the innocent world of pre-watershed Christmas comedy makes me extremely happy… and it wasn't even with something that was commercially successful. Ebeneezer Goode I could understand – I wouldn't have passed comment – but Hyperreal?!? (Mike)

Ismael Rivera – Mi Tia Maria

Perhaps the most un-Christmassy Christmas song I've ever heard, this is a naughty little salsa number from Puerto Rica's Ismael Rivera. More likely to leave you hankering a pina colada on the beach than than a full Turkey roast, who says that Christmas can't be drenched in sunshine? I don't profess to know a lot about the genre, but this sure sounds good to me. (Patrick)