10 Christmas hits from the UK. Part the second.

Two years ago I wrote a blog about 10 UK Christmas records.   https://kevinspondmusic.blogspot.com/2016/11/10-christmas-hits-from-uk-in-no.html 
At the end of it, I listed a few also-rans. I thought I would cover them in a little more detail and add a few more for a second festive ten. This time I will add the youtube links. 

Showaddywaddy were a big deal in the seventies, in the UK. They were a mainstay of Top of the Pops. Dressed in colourful teddy boy suits, they would become well known for their pop cover versions of old rock 'n' roll stuff. Their chart career started with some original lightweight "Rock 'n'n Roll" titled songs. Their third hit was Hey, Mr. Christmas. It only got to about number 13, but it would have been huge if they'd saved it for release during their run of seven top 5 singles.  However 1974 followed on the heels of Slade and Wizzard having huge success with their Christmas releases. Suddenly, Christmas releases became more commonplace. This track is a lot of fun as was most of their output.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fyy0Leo3Lw4

Elton John was already a star by 1973 when he released Step Into Christmas. It was the year of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and also the year of a couple other Christmas songs, already mentioned. It got to number 10 in the UK, but nowhere in the Hot 100 and has become a standard, played year after year. I always kinda liked the 'b' side, Ho, Ho, Ho, Who'd Be A Turkey At Christmas, but that is less radio friendly. Not a great deal of action in the cover version section, so this is the one that always gets played.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoMHmsL2t3A

Bing Crosby is forever associated with Christmas, but not so David Bowie. Bing has a history of performing with other artists. At the time this was recorded, David Bowie had not. Most of Bing's American chart presence is based on Christmas and duets. This should not work. Two different styles from two different ages. Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth was recorded for a tv special in 1977, but did not get released officially until the 80's and has since become a perennial classic. A hit in the UK, but not even denting the Billboard 100.  Peace On Earth was, apparently, written for this, because David said he didn't like the old song. Apparently, Bing had no idea who David was, but his kids told him he should do it.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADbJLo4x-tk

Steeleye Span are an electric folk band. Not robots, but a folk music band using electric instruments. With the wonderful Maddy Prior on lead vocals, they could do no wrong. Of course, they would do a Latin Christmas record. Gaudete. Why not? I always sing along even with the words I don't recognise. I had done Latin at school, so it was not completely strange to me. Even if you have no idea, it is a wonderful sound.  Maddy's soaring vocals are incredible.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDc2FD-vy8M




Mike Oldfield, he of Tubular Bells fame, did a lot of stuff apart from his original master work. In Dulci Jubilo; there's that language again, is a joyous instrumental version of this well-known song. The video I have chosen, features Pan's People from Top of the Pops in one of their better routines. Very nice. My copy is on a white vinyl 12" single.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8xds3oFwfM










David Essex worked hard to not be a pop idol along the lines of David Cassidy or Donny Osmond, releasing several unusual style records. It only partly worked, because he did become a heartthrob and had a huge female following. Winter's Tale is another example of him trying to avoid the pop star cliche. A gentle ballad, it suited his distinctive voice, very well. Mike Batt and Tim Rice wrote this as requested by David.    
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjVy3iAq-5E

Thin Lizzy, great rock band. Christmas single? Perhaps not. Sex Pistols. Iconic punk band. Christmas single? Definitely not. However, a combination of the two gave a spirited rendition of We Wish You a Merry Christmas and Jingle Bells, calling the single A Merry Jingle, posing as the Greedies. A one-off combination. Great fun. I imagine alcohol and other stuff may have been involved. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN2bcS9shuY














Mud were a pop band with a great track record of hit singles [no puns were intended during the making of this blog] . They released a Christmas single as a Presley pastiche. A bit of a laugh. The video from Top of the Pops, with Les Gray using a ventriloquist's puppet, turned out to be a master stroke. People loved the song as a joke and also as a seriously sad Christmas tune. The dummy does the spoken bit far better than any human could have. This has a bit cut off due to the presence of a DJ who is persona non grata [there's that Latin education again]   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a61sUu5rcu8

Dora Bryan was a comedy actress, well known and loved in the UK. Cashing in on the success of The Beatles, she recorded All I Want For Christmas Is A Beatle. One of my earliest favorite novelty songs. Still get a good deal of fun out of this. My family probably bought this before buying a Beatles track! 
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWC3hvGtBBc









Chris DeBurgh gets a lot of stick for his music. Especially the post Woman In Red stuff. He used to be a credible folky performer but got very sloppy and sentimental in later years. Moving on. A Spaceman Came Travelling is indicative of his less tacky early product. A long saga of the story of Christmas. No jingle bells or huge production, just a simple tale, but highly evocative of Christmas for a lot of Brits. Someone put images to it, not an official video.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmZg7tvGN9o










There are some more. Greg Lake had a minor hit in the USA, so that might not count for this theme. There is a record, not played in some time, by a "glittery" pop star who we don't speak of, anymore. I will have to have some more thoughts and see what else I can find. We may go for weird Christmas songs next time, although there have been some weird ones already. 
Also, last year I wrote about 3 new Christmas albums. I have played them again this year and they are still really good and will become part of my Christmas music routine. 
https://kevinspondmusic.blogspot.com/2018/11/its-beginning-to-look-lot-like-christmas.html