Borrowing rhythm and structure from their 1963 song: 'Little Deuce Coop,' this Christmas rock song has been covered by other artists: John Denver & the Muppets, Hanson, and Sugar Ray.
This song was featured on the forth addition to 'A Very Special Christmas Live,' that also includes Run-DMC, Tracy Chapman, Eric Clapton, Mary J. Blige and others. The first 'Very Special Christmas' recording (released in 1987) was a benefit album for the Special Olympics to provide year-round competitions in over 140 countries.
Originally recorded by Wham! (and written by George Michael) the song bore similarities to Barry Manilow's 'Can't Smile Without You,' which resulted in an out of court settlement.
On their 1965, 'The Ventures' Christmas Album,' the song has since received significant airplay during the Christmas season, fusing Christmas classics with mid '60s guitar riffs and licks.
The lyrics to this song are based off a Ukrainian folk chant, which tells the tale of a swallow who flies to a family's household to bring fortuitous news of a plentiful new year. In Ukraine, the tune is sung on the eve of the Julian New Year, which is January 13.
The song was originally recorded in 1934 by Harry Reser and vocalist Tom Stacks; Springsteen's 1985 version charted in the UK, Ireland and Australia. Other notable rock covers are by Aerosmith, Alice Cooper and The Beach Boys.
During the 2005 Christmas season, electrical engineer Carson Williams set up lights on his house in sync with this Christmas rock song, so people driving by could listen to the song on low-power FM frequency while watching the light show. A video of the show became an Internet fad, which was later featured in a Miller Lite Christmas commercial that same year.
The lyrics of the song are based on the Vietnam anti-war campaign driven by Lennon and wife Yoko Ono, who rented billboards that read, "WAR IS OVER! (If You Want It) Happy Christmas from John and Yoko." The song is often regarded as a "secret No. 1" because it reached No.1 on the UK Top Singles chart (the week ending on Jan. 3) -- a week that the charts were (at the time) notably unpublished due to Christmas.
Released as a single in 1978, the song peaked at No. 18 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
This Christmas rock song is an an instrumental version of both 'Carol of the Bells' and 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,' featured on TSO's 1996 debut 'Christmas Eve and Other Stories.' The song was inspired by Vedran Smailović, a cellist playing a forgotten Christmas tune in a war-destroyed Sarajevo.
1. Amen to #8 & #5. The Christmas spirit hasn't arrived until I hear Jimmy Eat World: 'Last Christmas' (far better that Wham's original), and Bruce Springsteen: 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town'.
I never heard about the out of court settlement over Barry Manilow's Can't Smile..., but comparing the two songs in my head, I don't think it was warranted. They have a similar chord structure, but not close enough in my view.
Posted at 4:26PM on Nov 2nd 2009 by SingingChristmasCard.com