Football Forum | Ticket Forum | Off-Topic Forum | All

Billy Blagg 12:56 Thu Nov 26
Billy Blagg's 14th Annual Advent Calendar of Christmas Songs - New Year Supplemental

You didn't really think a worldwide pandemic could stop it, did you?

Firstly, there's now a new landing page at
https://www.billyblaggsannualadventcalendarofchristmassongs.co.uk/

For the 2020 page only it's
https://blaggadventcalendarchristmassongs2020.blogspot.com/

As usual, I'll be posting most of the songs - not all - here but I hope you'll visit the website for what seems to be generally known now as 'extras'. I also have to pay for the domain so give me a break, eh?

As ever, thanks for the support, the emails, Whomails, and comments. It really does mean a lot.

Merry Christmas!

Coffee 8:04 Fri Jan 1
Re: New Year's Day - God I Hope This Year Is Better Than The Last - Syml

Can't think of a better song to usher in the new year.

Billy, you forgot to say: West Ham champions of England.

Billy Blagg 2:05 Fri Jan 1
New Year's Day - God I Hope This Year Is Better Than The Last - Syml

Syml is the solo vehicle for former Barcelona - that's the Indie band not the football club - front man Brian Fennell.

This has a gorgeous wintry Yuletide feel and could have found its way onto the 25 days but the title made it such a shoo-in for New Year's Day '21 that I couldn't resist it. I'm hearing a spectral 'With or Without You'. You?

Anyway, I wish you all a very Happy New Year and raise a glass to your good health even though personally, I think 2020 will look like a walk in the park compared to the horrors that await us this year. After the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab is found to turn us all into zombies, those of us left will enter the wasteland of next December as skeletal mutants intent on eradicating the last vestiges of tinsel and Christmas songs. Even if I survive, I will be a marked man and hunted down like a wounded animal, finally cornered and torn limb from limb by slavering peoploids while the echoing strains of 'Fairytale of New York' play in the background.

Still, what a way to go eh?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C52AvhlHNPs

Coffee 2:03 Mon Dec 28
Re: Billy Blagg's 14th Annual Advent Calendar of Christmas Songs

Thanks, Billy, much appreciated as it is every year.

This is not really a Christmas song, but it arguably deserves a place as an annex to this splendid thread. It's a 30-minite reading of Frederick Forsythe's The Shepherd. Will be enjoyed by those with an interest in aviation and anyone who likes a good seasonal yarn. Enjoy.
https://youtu.be/j2_bLEqmBi0

Billy Blagg 1:59 Mon Dec 28
Re: Billy Blagg's 14th Annual Advent Calendar of Christmas Songs

Once again a huge thank you to everyone for the support, emails, WHOmails comments etc. It goes without saying that I really appreciate it. It does make it all worthwhile. As a small gift this year, I'm going to add a New Year entry -Something entirely appropriate - so I'll be back on NYE. In the meantime, enjoy the festivities.

jimmy iron 1:31 Sun Dec 27
Re: Day 24 - This Christmas - Oh Wonder

Oh Wonder - cheers Billy, beautiful tune.. lost my mum last month and my old man in March and the words are spot on.. done me though!

Mex Martillo 1:57 Sat Dec 26
Re: Day 25

Merry Christmas Billy
I added the Christmas day Cliff song to the spotify thing and made it collaborative, which think means you can change it?

These are the songs I could not find:

Day 19 - I Don't Believe In Santa Anymore - Neil Innes
Day 12 - A Cold December Night - Erin Bode
Day 11 - The Most Fattening Time Of The Year - Bob Rivers
ay 8 - Ludacrismas - Ludacris
Day 5 - Walking In The Air - Autoheart

Billy Blagg 3:37 Fri Dec 25
Day 25

For Day 25 it's:
https://blaggadventcalendarchristmassongs2020.blogspot.com/

Billy Blagg 3:00 Fri Dec 25
Re: Day 24 - This Christmas - Oh Wonder

Mex Martillo 4:37 Thu Dec 24

Thanks Mex. It was suggested last year that I should branch into Spotify but my feeling was it was doubtful that all the songs were on there. I'll certainly look yours up though. Perhaps I can do a conglomerate - kinda best of the 14 years so far? I'll think about that. Merry Christmas to you and the family with excellent taste!

Mex Martillo 4:37 Thu Dec 24
Re: Day 24 - This Christmas - Oh Wonder

Nice one Billy
I put your calendar on to a Spotify play list and have it playing, no comment from the family, who seem quite happy with the Christmas mix.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3o1vNnr2SzNsPXWbgML4Ro?si=e_voqN5GSr6J9ksT-ipDdg

However, I just couldn’t find some songs and either put the same song by some else or something else by the artist or both!

Have to say, I think my favourite is Carol of the Bells by Last Bison

Coffee 9:19 Thu Dec 24
Re: Day 24 - This Christmas - Oh Wonder

Lovely. And eminently suitable.

ironsofcanada 9:10 Thu Dec 24
Re: Day 24 - This Christmas - Oh Wonder

Cheers Billy

Like the stuff edging on folksy including the last one.

Always appreciated.

Billy Blagg 2:49 Thu Dec 24
Day 24 - This Christmas - Oh Wonder

For anyone who is missing somebody this or any Christmas. Stay safe all!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0TT3GTguB8

easthammer 2:37 Thu Dec 24
Re: Day 23 - Christmas Eve (Soul Purpose) - Blossoms

Had some catching up to do.

Neil Innes may not believe Father Christmas but the video was totally unbelievable - no one has ironed pyjamas like that.

Hated the rocked up carol
Loved Lapwing which earnt a sharing on my Facebook page.

Think the Blossoms might grow on me :)


Thanks Billy Blagg and Happy Christmas stay safe

Billy Blagg 2:09 Wed Dec 23
Day 23 - Christmas Eve (Soul Purpose) - Blossoms

I love Blossoms and, as anyone following this blog through the years knows, I love Christmas Eve; it was the day I found my soul purpose too.

The season of good cheer / Pictures old and new / Collected through the years / That I've spent with you

Three links here: the single, a superb live version where the guitar gives a wonderful wintry feel, and an interesting 16 minute animated story.

One I know I will be returning to for years to come (if I survive).

Single
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKrBHLjPZNE
Live
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7WwygQyni4
16 minute animated
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5smtdZLNXbY&t=9s

sanfrancis-co-uk 3:49 Tue Dec 22
Re: Billy Blagg's 14th Annual Advent Calendar of Christmas Songs

That Lapwing song kinda got to me too.

Billy Blagg 2:09 Tue Dec 22
Day 22 - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - First Aid Kit / The Carpenters

A first on the Calendar - not the song itself, that was Day 24 in 2007 by The Pretenders and Day 25 in 2009 by Judy Garland - rather this is the first time I've really wanted a particular song on the list and looked for a suitable version instead of finding the song first.

Even in happier times this has always made me reach for some water to swallow something hard and jagged and this year the lyrics - new or old - seem hugely prescient. I felt strongly this song needed to feature again this year.

Actually, there's a fascinating story about the lyrics to this as they originally read 'Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas / It may be your last / Next year we will all be living in the past'. Judy Garland who was singing it in the film 'Meet Me in St Louis' objected to the tone of the song - calling it 'too depressing' - and, begrudgingly, songwriter Hugh Martin changed it to the beautiful 'Someday soon we all will be together / If the fates allow / Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow'.

Frank Sinatra later decided to record the song for his first Christmas album and asked Martin to change the lyrics again for a more upbeat outlook. Probably now realising the worth of the composition would certainly mean he and his family would never need to work again, Martin obliged a little more willingly this time and changed them to 'Hang a shining star upon the highest bough'.

Torn on which version to chose, I'm eventually going for 'Two for One' deal. Perhaps more in keeping with the spirit of the Calendar, I'm featuring First Aid Kit's stark, bitter version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuPjEvzBUR0

But I'm also backing it up with the sumptuous, heart-melting tone of Karen Carpenter - my Go To version - for the second.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyNcz7M8Kqc

Ignoring the first draft of Hugh Martin's lyrics, I'm hoping everyone reading this embraces the second, and manages the third.

Stay safe everyone!

Billy Blagg 12:23 Tue Dec 22
Re: Billy Blagg's 14th Annual Advent Calendar of Christmas Songs

whu4eva 6:19 Mon Dec 21

And thanks Coff

Coffee 7:22 Mon Dec 21
Re: Day 21 - Hope Christmas Gets You To Me - Lapwing

Very much like those last two. Good work as always, Billy. And what whu4eva said at 6:19 on Mon Dec 21.

whu4eva 6:19 Mon Dec 21
Re: Day 21 - Hope Christmas Gets You To Me - Lapwing

Billy Blagg 3:06 Mon Dec 21
Day 21 - Hope Christmas Gets You To Me - Lapwing

Just watched this at work in Oz...

I feel like I have just been donkey kicked in the stomach and onions thrown in my face... Sobbing

Fuck I miss my family

Billy Blagg 3:06 Mon Dec 21
Day 21 - Hope Christmas Gets You To Me - Lapwing

Christmas 2020 in a little over three minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5I8jgWXxhI

Billy Blagg 2:35 Sun Dec 20
Day 20 - God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman - The Legendary Shack Shakers

I had a beautiful Carol lined up for the last Sunday of Advent but then we had yesterday evening's news and I thought 'Fuck it', I'm never gonna see anyone ever again, so let's rock it out with just the right amount of menace to see us all in hell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9v9VUPJ7d4

Page 1 - Next