Advent Calendar Day 14

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Today the Advent Calendar window opens on a couple of songs which are fun, with no pretensions to being anything more than that: sometimes we need a little fun in our lives, don’t we? I’ve shared both of these in previous years but they cheer me up, so I hope they do the same for you.

Having originally been released in 1967, today’s first choice took a while to reach my selections, but it is worth bringing back again! It was a novelty #1 hit in Australia and New Zealand, but not in the US or the UK, though it did reach #1 on Billboard’s Best Bets For Christmas chart, whatever that was. I chose it because it carries a good message about the spirit of friendship to all, which I think is especially appropriate for Christmas. The video is fun, too:

Today’s second choice also is an oldie, dating from 1979. I’m dipping into the hit parade again – I don’t do it often! – as this one actually spent five weeks in the UK charts, peaking at #28. I don’t imagine that many at the time would have foreseen a collaboration between Thin Lizzy and two of the Sex Pistols, but they got together and played a number of gigs under the name of The Greedies, although that wasn’t their first choice of name – it was cleaned up for the record-buying public.  This is their take on a couple of well known Christmas songs. They seem to be having fun with them, too:

Speaking of the pop charts, in the spirit of careful research I have taken a look at this week’s UK Top 100, to save you from the torture of doing it yourself. It must be nearly Christmas: 7 of the top 10, 19 of the top 30  and 45 of the top 100 are Christmas songs. Rest assured, I won’t be sharing any of them here apart from the two I already gave you on Day 12, which are both in the lower reaches. And I definitely won’t be playing the #1 – go on, take a guess. A clue: I can’t stand female singers who shriek rather than sing…

Enjoy your Monday: I hope I’ve brightened it up a bit. And in the same vein:

See you again tomorrow 🎅

26 thoughts on “Advent Calendar Day 14”

  3. I remember a song from the 1960s (I think) called Snoopy vs. The Red Baron by The Royal Guardsmen that sounds like this group, but it wasn’t a Christmas song. I definitely had not heard Thin Lizzy and The Sex Pistols pair up on anything before. What an unlikely combination. If I remember correctly, Phi Lynott passed in the mid-1980s due to some kind of drug overdose. (Heroin?)

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    • That was their first Snoopy song, Pete, this was the follow up, a year or so later.

      The Lizzy/Pistols pairing was really just a group of friends getting together. They played some gigs but as far as I know this was their only record. Yes, Phil Lynette did pass, January 1986. Official reason was pneumonia and heart failure but his heroin addiction was probably a major contributing factor.

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  5. the Snoopy song is one of my favorite Christmas songs;
    not that familiar with Thin Lizzy or the Sex Pistols, but they seemed to be having fun; more bands should collaborate this way…
    and I’m guessing Harvey didn’t miss his job too much… 🙂

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  6. Thank you, thank you for featuring my very most favourite Christmas song ever!! It isn´t Christmas for me until I hear Snoopy vs The Red Baron!! And you were the one to provide it. It is very popular in Canada too. A catchy tune and I love the message as well. So now I can say Christmas is here!! xo

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