Non-christmassy christmas songs...

[80sChav]

Re: Non-christmassy christmas songs...

"Stay Another Day" by East17 was a huge Christmas hit, but it had nothing to do with Christmas.
They just filmed the video in big fluffy white coats, and tacked some sleighbells on the end.
Errrrgh, horrible memories of that.

Stay Another Day was truly brilliant when East 17 sang it in 1994 as a non Xmas-y song I think

Though of course it being brought out when Brit-Pop had probably got to it's highest Peak also helped massively I think too

2000 Miles by Chrissy Hythe and The pretenders was a great song too that I guess could be argued was not too Xmas-y but Xmas-y in another way ... but not too Xmas-y too though

80sChav

[Trickyvee]

Re: Non-christmassy christmas songs...

I suppose The Flying Pickets version of 'Only You' falls into this category. I remember watching them perform it dressed as snowmen on TOTP, but it has nothing to do with Christmas.

Was anybody else fascinated/creeped out in equal measure by the Flying Pickets? Perhaps it was my age...I was 7 when they had their Christmas no 1 with Only You. I really liked the song and for some reason took a shine to the lead singer with his Teddy Boy look (What was my 7 year old self thinking?!) then there was the weird baldy one and the others in the funny hats and shades. For some reason they had me perplexed. I still really like the song.

[amethyst]

Re: Non-christmassy christmas songs...

My favourite has to be Driving home for christmas-Chris Rea

[mazzer]

Re: Non-christmassy christmas songs...

The Power Of Love by Frankie Goes To Hollywood - has a nativity themed video but isn't about Chrimbo so far as I know. Love it - one of only 5 " Christmas" songs I actually like (the other 4 being Last Christmas by Wham, Fairytale Of New York by Pogues & McColl, Do They Know It's Christmas by Band Aid and I Believe In Father Christmas by Greg Lake)

[Jay Mc]

Re: Non-christmassy christmas songs...

Im not sure why but in my mind I always thought that the number 1 at Xmas when I was a kid was Christmassy song but having looked at them I found that these were all Xmas number 1's

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9r1cFJZW7E (1980)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0gryfllhhI (1982)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h37KQu64RY4 (1993)


makes some of the recent X factor dross seem ok

[agfagaevart]

Re: Non-christmassy christmas songs...

The Human League - Don't You Want Me (it includes the line "You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar").

Around that period (xmas 1981) were a few tracks that still remind me of that time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmezIIrFQmY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sP_I2_E0C0
Oooh that dress!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJJuYpx0w2Q
This shoulda got to #1

[themilkman]

Re: Non-christmassy christmas songs...

Yep, I was born December 25th 1965 and I believe The Beatles were no1 at the time with 'Daytripper'.

[Star Attraction]

Re: Non-christmassy christmas songs...

There have been plenty of Christmas number ones that aren't really Christmassy / don't mention Christmas. Perhaps the best one I can think of is:

The Human League - Don't You Want Me (it includes the line "You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar").

It was the Christmas number one in 1981, I remember it being on the Christmas Day 1981 Top of the Pops.

[agfagaevart]

Re: Non-christmassy christmas songs...

Stop the Cavalry is another although it does mention the C word, and there's that other one that is instrumental and sounds Scandinavian but I don't know what it's called.

I have to say...I really like Stop The Cavalry. Although it's an anti war song, and it does mention crimbo...I'll let this one through for purely nostalgic reasons, as it reminds me of xmas 1980 whenever I hear it.

[DoctorQui]

Re: Non-christmassy christmas songs...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-WP6POdTgY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWh8So5eRkY

and for some reason!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_in_Your_Hand

[Trickyvee]

Re: Non-christmassy christmas songs...

There were lots of non Chrismassy songs that were chart toppers at Christmas thanks to X factor rubbish etc, but thankfully most were so bad or bland that they were forgotten in minutes. For endurance Stay Another Day is one of the few that has transcended onto the hallowed Christmas compilation tapes. Stop the Cavalry is another although it does mention the C word, and there's that other one that is instrumental and sounds Scandinavian but I don't know what it's called.

[branny]

Re: Non-christmassy christmas songs...

Oh yes it was so cheesy a real cheese fest mate.

forgot about it hanks for reminding me of it.heh

never thought bohemian rhapsody was a chrimbo song although its easy to see its got nowt to do with christmas.

Cheesy? It was written by Tony Mortimer about his brother Ollie who committed suicide and the tears that he shed in the video are genuine. He also won an Ivor Novello award for that song. It's probably the least cheesy thing they did.

[darren]

Re: Non-christmassy christmas songs...

Oh yes it was so cheesy a real cheese fest mate.

forgot about it hanks for reminding me of it.heh

never thought bohemian rhapsody was a chrimbo song although its easy to see its got nowt to do with christmas.

"Stay Another Day" by East17 was a huge Christmas hit, but it had nothing to do with Christmas.
They just filmed the video in big fluffy white coats, and tacked some sleighbells on the end.
Errrrgh, horrible memories of that.

[Austin Maxi]

Re: Non-christmassy christmas songs...

I suppose The Flying Pickets version of 'Only You' falls into this category. I remember watching them perform it dressed as snowmen on TOTP, but it has nothing to do with Christmas.

[agfagaevart]

Re: Non-christmassy christmas songs...

"Stay Another Day" by East17 was a huge Christmas hit, but it had nothing to do with Christmas.
They just filmed the video in big fluffy white coats, and tacked some sleighbells on the end.
Errrrgh, horrible memories of that.

Oh god that was sooo cheesey at the time. But now it's become a staple crimbo tune!

I forgot to mention the grand-daddy (IMO) of non-christmas records: