'Jingle Bells!'

It has been a VERY odd year for me has 2015. I've seen a lot of changes, lost a few people from my life and have essentially 'ploughed my own furrow' as far as the world is concerned. The planet today is nothing like the world I used to know and while things were far from perfect before those who say we have 'come a long way' should ponder on just why it is then that the world is a FAR more violent, dangerous and unstable place now than it was in the 1970's ands 80's - with all its 'Cold Wars' and alleged 'ism's'...

It is precisely why I have felt 2015 to be a strange and 'raw' year that I decided to record something a bit out of the ordinary as my Christmas Youtube Video Single for this year. What about a PUNK version of 'Jingle Bells', I thought? I know! I could include a Dick Emery Vicar who gets his choirboys to shout 'OI! OI! OI! in the choruses and get the guitarist to suddenly burst into a drunken version of 'Rule Britannia' half way through...YES! What a good idea!!!

Well, in spite of having to talk my friend and LONG suffering Producer, Harvey Summers down from the top of high buildings TWICE that is EXACTLY what he and I recorded having enlisted the vocal help of another friend of mine (and unsung Punk Rock pioneer) Sue Butchers. Sue was in the band, 'Siren' in Sheffield back in the late 70's and they were one of the earliest all-girl punk groups. she then went on to front the popular gigging band, 'Debar' before appearing in Tenpole Tudor's video for 'The Hayrick Song' and getting arrested for wearing a Maggie Thatcher mask while filming a video for 'the Angelic Upstarts' in Brighton!

Now, Punk Rock is not very 'Christmassy' but I think a good old raucous knees up is just what the doctor ordered to see out a year which has LONG needed a good kick in the pants out the door!

So, without further ado, sit back and enjoy this festive fun-fest and let's all hope that 2016 is a hell of a lot kinder, nicer and more fun for all!!

P.S)

I would like to dedicate this video to the memory of DICK EMERY, whose fabulous Vicar character was the inspiration behind this idea...

'You HAVE To See This!

One of the best tracks on 'A 50's Christmas' that I had never heard before is 'Christmas Chopsticks' by Mel Blanc. Mel was of course the man responsible for so many of the classic Disney character voices we all know and love but I had not heard of him making any records before?

Well, if I enjoyed 'Christmas Chopsticks', searching for more Mel Blanc on Youtube I came across 'The Christmas Tree!!' - a tribute to Mel and it really put a smile on my face!

Whatever you do, watch this right through to the end. Don't worry about the pesky advert at the start nor Larry's long introduction. If you think he is 'dragging it out a bit' at first you will think he's a HERO at the end, trust me! I don't think I have seen anything so well performed and funny as this since good old Norman Wisdom died. Norman would be proud of Larry Rapchak and I think he also looks a bit like Will Hay as well in his teachers get-up...

Video's like this are what Youtube was invented for and Mel Blanc would be chuffed to bits that somebody like Larry went to all this trouble to film such a great tribute. How brilliantly has Larry remembered all the words and there is never a moment when you think he is going to get confused and point at the wrong thing or make a mess of it!

Larry, MERRY CHRISTMAS my friend. I don't know you but I already KNOW you and I would get on. You are a star - thanks so much for sharing this with us.