We’re now into the final week of Advent, and it has struck me that there are quite a few of my favourites that I haven’t played yet this year. I’m intending to make up for that, so today you’ll be getting two of them, plus I’m rounding things off with a little bit of fun that I thought I had played before, but apparently not, according to my records.

I played this one last year. It has long been a favourite of mine, from a great band, and they very obligingly released this sweet little animation just in time for last Christmas:

As someone says in the comments on YouTube, you can tell that was done by a fan of the band as there are so many little touches that give it away. This was the opening track on The Beach Boys Christmas Album, which was released in November 1964 and peaked at #6 in the US albums chart. It’s a fun song, and the video is fabulous.

My second returning favourite is this one:

That was released by The Pretenders in November 1983, and I’ve always liked it. In the UK it reached #15, while in the US it was the B-side to the band’s single of Middle Of The Road, which peaked at #19. It also appeared on their 1984 album Learning To Crawl, which was #11 in the UK and #5 in the US. Cover versions include Coldplay and Kylie Minogue – I much prefer the original, and I’ve never seen a Salvation Army uniform look that good on anyone else. I’ve pinched a bit of background to the song from Wonkipedia for your edification and erudition:

“While many people believe the song’s title and lyrics refer to two long-distance lovers who miss each other over the holidays, it was actually written for James Honeyman-Scott, the group’s original guitarist, who died the year before the song was released.

The song frequently reappears in the UK Charts around Christmas time staying in the charts for a few weeks over the Christmas period. Similarly, in Poland the song plays everyday in December as part of the Christmas rotation on RMF_FM’s RMF Classic.”

To prove that point, it is #76 in this week’s chart.

I promised you a little bit of fun with today’s last one. How about this?

I’m showing my soppier side here, but I absolutely love the movie Love Actually. No doubt it will be shown on one of our tv channels this Christmas, but if not I’ll be seeking it out on the streaming services! As you will have spotted from the video, the movie features an all-star cast from this side of the Atlantic, not least Bill Nighy, who plays the pop singer Billy Mack. I never pass up the chance to watch anything he is in – he is always excellent, especially in roles which require him to be the louche, naughty but nice boy. I don’t know him in real life but I think it a pretty safe bet that he really is like that, as he does it so well! This version was released as a promotional tie-in to the movie, and peaked at #28 in the Christmas 2003 singles chart.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these: I always do! Time to whisk myself away, leaving you with today’s image:

See you again tomorrow. Only five more days to go – time to get the sprouts on… 🎁