Merle Haggard: If We Make It Through December
Matt writes: This bleak yet beautiful song topped the country charts over Christmas 1973.
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Loretta Lynn: Christmas Without Daddy
Matt says: The Blue Kentucky Girl’s as blue as ever on this song from her 1966 holiday album.
The snowflake’s story
WE still haven’t had any frost or snow. In fact we rarely get snow at all – not like in the south London suburbs where we regularly had to dig … Continue readingThe snowflake’s story
Ernest Tubb: I’m Trimming My Christmas Tree With Teardrops
Our friend Matt says: A 1964 tearjerker from the number one Christmas album at our house.
The Shangri Las: Give Him a Great Big Kiss
This was written and produced by Shadow Morton, who was behind most of the Shangri-Las’ hits. It reached No 18 in the US in 1964. This is a fairly poor … Continue readingThe Shangri Las: Give Him a Great Big Kiss
The Band: Christmas Must Be Tonight
From the 1977 album Islands. Tomorrow a series of country Christmas classics chosen by our friend Matt starts with a real humdinger.
Star of the East
THIS was requested by reader ‘TheMidgetHorror’, who wrote: ‘I was in the choir at my primary school in the 70s, and my favourite carol to sing was called Star of the East. It’s such a … Continue readingStar of the East
Big Star: Jesus Christ
A live tribute from 2010 with Mike Mills of REM standing in on vocals for the great Alex Chilton, who had died a couple of months earlier. RIP.
Rolling Stones: Moonlight Mile
We started this lunar mini-series with the Stones, and we’ll end it with them too. Closing track from 1971’s Sticky Fingers.
The Crystals: Uptown
This was written by husband and wife team Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil with Tony Orlando in mind, but producer Phil Spector persuaded them to let him have it for … Continue readingThe Crystals: Uptown