E 17 and stay another day how lovely how lovely it was by the way to spend a bit of time with Tony Mortimer was a real thrill for me fantastic stuff now on to the other contender in the battle for the number one at Christmas in 1973 we've already played you slayed and this is who took them on we're talking about wizards and I wish it could be Christmas every day they were to be victorious but nevertheless have sealed their fate in the great pantheon of Christmas records imagine by the way being a kid at Christmas so exciting it already is but then being a kid on Top Of The Pops singing with a rock star about Christmas being a daily events initially Roy would apparently was going for a stripped back approach but soon decided to go all glam with gusto and it worked a treat with the kids from stop lingering school in Birmingham interesting fact for you Roy you would decided to rerelease the track in 1981 but there was a problem the master tape was missing it still is meaning a new very faithful version was recorded in just a week with a new choir and this is the version that we still hear today here is really wood from was it about mummies like we actually made the record during the summer and we saw the decks or the place out with you know decorations on a tree and in the morning I got the road used to go in and in the studio itself and put 2 enormous fans in there and we had some blue lights as well and the band went in and recorded it with like overcoats and bubble hats so anyway yeah it's got a great on record you can actually tell on the record it was weird around about $530.00 in the afternoon we thought we'd go for a bit of a break for a bite so me and stuff and we're going outside it's like coming out of the cinema you know even on a really sunny day it was absolutely boiling hot very weird that was and the following week we put the Witch of the children's choir down from burning of school in Birmingham. And 2nd down on the bus with lots of pop and crisps in the back you know all this was stuff and. I said I did a great job about this tight they got me in and then we took him to afterwards to the Hard Rock Cafe for the burger and they had that a great song but during that year I mean I was thinking isn't it time that the was a proper Christmas song out again because I haven't been one for a few years apart from like comedy site records you know in a way out and got a clue that Slater doing as well and I didn't know that I was doing lines so it was a you know it was a shock to back 1st. The Was it and I wish it could be Christmas every day now if ever there was a time to try and promote peace Well it's got to be this time of the Hasn't it and this track came about after more than 2 years of peace activism by John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono also was the thing that began with the bedding still remember those created in March in May 1969 at the height of the counterculture movement and protests against America's involvement in the Vietnam War They also rented billboards billboard spaces in 12 major cities around the world for that display of black and white poses that declared that war is over if you want to Happy Christmas from John and Yoko he was the 1st Beatle to release an original Christmas song after the band parted ways recruits and Phil Spector to produce the track and here is a wonderful bit of archival video as he explains here in an interview with Andy Peebles in 1972 he was another who nearly missed the Christmas deadline Oh and have you ever wondered who the Plastic Ono Band was well listen I know we recorded a bit today we almost missed the Christmas market that year that right you go to number 4 in Britain we got it out earlier in Britain than we did in America something held us I can't remember the silly things going on but what we wanted to do was have something besides a white Christmas being played every Christmas you know and there's always a war right. There's always somebody getting shot so every year you can play there's always somebody being taught you those shots on the Limerick stands in that respect there's also some strange reason in Britain an incredible fight to get a number one record to gross most the same here joyous and orientated towards. By whoever it happens to be of his I've always found that very very strange the Yeah Yeah but I was wanted to write something that would be a Christmas record that would last forever and maybe that's not the one maybe. Well I'd hope the reissue of forever but also we did the poster event which is also war is over if you want it you might be interested to know that every Christmas and to release that single I've received a new copy every year wherever I've been broadcasting fantastic they send us wan No I don't even have more support willing to myself without a copy of this Christmas as indeed we did last year on the morrow one of the few on this side you have to now you've got me that would be fascinate me they put it on both sides of the d.j. Copy kind of stuff but it comes around every rate is not great that's a few so little something you didn't know they all have a look I want to say on the one that wanted to my mind can we can talk about this Plastic Ono Band Plastic Ono Band just thinking about passing on a band was a concept of Yoko's which is an imaginary band the 1st advert for the Plastic Ono Band was a photograph of some pieces of plastic with a tape recorder and a t.v. In it because they didn't have this great material that they have now you know lasers and lights and machines that can do all this stuff and their idea was a completely robot pop group that was what she must have thought of us all when she 1st came to the works here meal is that oh I've got a idea this band and the 1st ad that was a page out of the London telephone book with the Joneses edition in the enemy and all the papers you know yes and pictures of these plastic things and there was a supposed to be a party for the release of the Give Peace a Chance record which was the 1st Plastic Ono Band record but we had a car crash or something in Scotland and we couldn't come. So at the dance hall where they had the party for the opening of the Plastic Ono Band Well the pressure came to meet the band and the band on stage was just a machine with a camera pointed at them showing them on the stage themselves so the Plastic Ono Band is a conceptual band The never have been any members of it on the advert said you all the Plastic Ono Band This is Chris. Desert Island Discs in 1976 let's get back to the situation where we are well. It would occur to me that on a desert island there's certainly not going to be any chance of snow and of course Christmas without snow is not really Christmas at all I live in California but I take the family somewhere where there is snow during the Christmas season but I wouldn't be able to do much about that on a desert island but I might be able to at least recall what Christmas was like by playing 1st a record by a man whom I tremendously admired who was a great friend of mine Nat King Cole and a song that I have to admit I am guilty of writing along with a man named Bob Wills This is called The Christmas Song and I I guess it would do as well as anything to remind me of what Christmas is like in colder climes. Chesnuts roasting on an open font. Jack from snipping back. Tied. Being somebody who was. And folks dressed up live guests schema. Rebind in. The turkey and some this will be a. Help to maintain the. Tiny Tots without I use all of the. Will find it hard to sleep to night in jail they know that such. As on these would be. The easy load it is lots of talk. Plays. And every mother's shot. His gun is. To see and reindeer really know how to fly. And so Ron a lot of. This includes relate. To kids from one to manage to name. Oh it's been said. Many times many ways Merry Christmas. Show wonderful melodic soothing voice I love that not King Cole wonderful stuff Johnny I answered here on Christmas Day Happy Christmas to you and this. Seasonal stories taking a look at some of the stories behind the world's best known Christmas records and if I said to you who released everything she wants in December 1904 you might struggle to remember it if I said Picture a snowy lodge with a couple of dishy fellows in Christmas knitwear sharing longing looks with the ladies that might actually a little bit closer the double a side to everything she wants was a last Christmas by while George Michael both produced and wrote the song and became a massive massive hits Christmas and one will be forever more poignant after losing George Michael on Christmas Day in 2016 and here is a lovely interview with the boys Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael with Simon Bates in 1986 is they prepared for their farewell concert it's funny I had the idea having recorded and knowing that careless was but was going to be released I thought oh my god I thought this is you know this is going to be a big year and I thought it would be great this was in February I was thinking about Christmas and that will be great if we have a huge year this year although I didn't actually expected to be as big as it was I thought would be great to finish it off with Christmas. And I thought about that and about 2 days later we were just sitting watching the football my house and suddenly the melody came to my head no great Christmas so I went up stairs and and to finish watching the football and went home. When I was there I was almost stopped because you're scowling at him now and yeah I was smiling but I was just remembering that he actually came down played me a bit before I went home. And then football are. Just over. So I stayed up most of the night and I just just in the morning my phone to myself and stuff and you got to come around this and. By sickly then then I just just put it why until about 4 months before Christmas and cold but it was to me I think because light it's like the same people that I would hike last Christmas and to me that to the best Why am records I mean I think last Christmas apart making last Christmas actually has to me a much more touching your and even callous was no. But I just love. That I think there are certain types of pop records where they are awful clichés and they are familiar sounding melodies and yet there's something about them if they've done with an off conviction they give you that kind of tingle you know I think that last Christmas has got it's an original idea I mean the actual word some of the Wasn't sounds maybe cliches and I don't really think that's the case but the idea is a rigid sound is going to give him a chance and I think this is a novel idea is novel and is it would be above its original would you mean it which which I did you mean the idea of that as giving a light on the idea of present carving which is the idea of love the idea of just the Christmas in the box and I think. I like it because he got that in the end in the yeah. Distance themselves. From. The be. Displayed. From. The club. On. And last Christmas on b.b.c. Radio late so I'll give it some beans and in a while I'm. Johnny with the seasonal stories his special show for Christmas Day taking a look and a listen to the tales behind your favorite Christmas records and the reasons that Christmas records have such an adjourning appeal is that Del wide reminiscing that they demand from me no more so than Chris really is driving home for Christmas instantly it takes me back to the mid ninety's on a cold snowy night driving up to lease to see the family in my dad's Rover Metro and I can still see the Motu embankments bathed in the warm glow of sodium lighting the orange tents that was left on that snow covered grass and he's so well from the care. Yes As we mentioned a couple times here I may have never actually heard that song because it never was intended to be released at least not by Chris Rhea. It's a great story because my wife used to drive down and Marsh 1000 pick me up and drive me all we've got to Middlesbrough on it was snow snow snow all over about one point need not and we had to wear it for a snowplow to come to a complete system and I'm writing this thing about Chair no never mind you know and we had $190.00 quid on the floor she's driving and we're going through the 190 quid do we have one nice wine or lot or not very good wine really I don't deny crit this priest pit of when in some. Other No Moxon I remember doing this record looking at the new rule on piano and were playing and I said to Mach's you know you meant the walk in the Black Forest and he ran Oh yeah yeah cos somebody out of some like just jamming guy charset get to tell you what to do Mark good to that date that that did and off we go you know we put it down to offer listen to it enough to make a record and it just state that somewhere in the vaults. Music is a pretty song and I've never used to have conversations about what was simply shot all the meat on. The Bronze to Wonderful stuff love that record Chris Ray and driving home for Christmas Merry Christmas city's Johnson with you on Christmas Day Thanks for the company now in 2013 the snowman in the snow dog Wallace relates the sequel to the Oscar nominated class. Rick of the Snow Man Walking in the air is absolutely one of the essential Christmas records but this is the follow up to it for the snowman in the snow dog and it's one for me that is one of my favorites and he borrows was given the task of the weighty lofty task of following up the track walking in the air and I think he made a wonderful job of it the cartoon is brilliant and the music like the night hometown I think is equal to it well miscarry from composer Young Victoria Stardust and a like he gave me a call over the summer we've been friends for a while and talked about doing something and he called me up and said look I think there's something that could be you know could sue us and you know don't get too excited just yet but you know you were in with a chance so I was and he told me what it was obviously I sort of dropped the phone and then I heard that it was all the original artists and producers and directors did the original and I don't know it just sounded incredible So this is part of our Christmas you know this is part of the British Christmas the Snowman and you know you don't want to mess with them like that but they that the film is just so beautiful it's the there's no computer trickery it's the same hand drawn that was used in the 1st one and when I 1st went in for a meeting with the line and the rest of the team you know to kind of talk to them to see whether I would even get the job as it were they played us the film and it wasn't fully finished there was a lot of pencil black and white you know arrows and numbers but it's still you know it still bought many a tear to the eye it's a really incredible story that what they've done with it is brilliant it's very true to the original both in its where it looks but also the story it's b.s. So from that moment it was like Here we go then I think I just really wanted to sort of come at it from the point of view of the kid watching it and I hope like I felt about it when I 1st saw this no matter when they go for that 1st flight you know there is no I think I just really I was just really hoping that I'd get that same feeling and inspiration and I guess I guess that's kind of what happened to sort of the one with our instinct and. I just got stuck in you know how. And he borrows and stuff fantastic record there like the knights from the Snowman and snow doc now on this next recall it's a glorious and essential Christmas listening as well 1st performed by Judy Garland in 1944 in the musical Meet Me in St Louis Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas has been a perennial favorite the lyrics which chains are rejects it would be to be too depressing it actually happened again when Frank Sinatra Yes Frank Sinatra asked the writer humanity to modify the lyrics and when Frank asks Well you don't really . He's music journalist Chris Willman. And. It's hard to turn down all blue eyes so he change the line. Until then have to muddle through somehow to. Come. Along suddenly the sad song is cheerful mainly through the changes that live he made a few other small to ration and so you know Sinatra was basically responsible for turning the fate of the song around he had a huge hit with it and immediately from you know the mid fifty's on the song started get all kinds of covers humor and love the fact that there were heavy metal and punk bands covering the song he'd written for Judy Garland in World War 2 you know it tends to be a pretty middle of the road song but Twisted Sister covered it fear covered it everything you can imagine every style. Lead. Singer. If you say. Your. Merry Little Christmas. That's your. Next Music Hall. Was on the small. Side. We all were. To. Be the face. Of the law. On until. We have 2 models for. Some. Soul. Searching. Little. Sick. And old. Golden Days. Of your mom. A. Dear. We're through. You. Is. Festive special on b.b.c. Radio Leeds face Friday from 1 o'clock I'm Jacob Thompson on taking a look back at what was trending on social media and they see it including this man who got a tattoo he might regret things Demi I'm not confident flings are going to get a bit of this story from to join me Andrew Edwards and Franciscan friar after the Gabriel from Bradford the fry is a crisp Spitz not part of our tradition actually to exchange gifts with each other mostly because we'd all be pulling from a common cause good Christmas c.b.c. Radio only it's. You are listening to Johnny's seasonal selection not long to go now thanks so much for your company this afternoon I'm having a ball and even more so after I play this next record the unyielding Christmas spirit in those diminished infectious c. Minor chords combined for the ultimate experience of festive chief for the next record whatever that means it's a perfect slice of nostalgic pop and something which takes me back to $994.00 Mariah Carey and all I want for christmas is you 25 years ago kept off the number one spot by who we spoke to him earlier Tony Mortimer of a 17 who wrote stay another day this is a wonderful record and something which means loads to me because I bought this for my mom 25 years ago and I think I did my bit for trying to get Mariah to number one but failed Never mind here is Mariah Carey in 1994 talking about just how much she loves the holidays I tried to do it. In a really classic way so that I didn't I didn't jump on really any trends like of the moment. I basically just do a Christmas album that I you know would want to listen to year after year you know because I was looking for a really good Christmas sounds like Christmas time tears or like one song from this album one song from that it's rare to find one that you really like listening to the whole thing so you know I try to do that on this album you know do something that would stand the test of time because I love Christmas time it's my favorite time of year and I'm like the most best of person under the sun I mean the day after Thanksgiving it's like a mad trapping for the tree putting up decorations and Christmas shopping and everything so it was just sort of like for me to have fun and and hopefully you know for my fans that are that are into the same thing to you know have something they can enjoy and it's not just for people necessarily that only celebrate Christmas itself but that you know anybody that's in power. Love. Love love love. Love. Love. Mariah Carey and all I want for christmas is you got it thank you very much does love you. Dreams come true this Christmas of love they seasonal stories a special couple of hour long program taking a listen back to some fantastic. And hearing the. Stories behind some of the greatest tracks ever speaking of which is right up there from possibly one of the greatest albums ever not just Christmas but just one of the greatest albums a Christmas gift for you Phil Spector at the culmination of Darlene love's vocals and Phil Spector's production on this it makes even the biggest Scrooge melt like a snowman under a hairdryer is perfect if you haven't seen 20 Feet From Stardom by the way the documentary they do watch it tells the story of darling love and others and how close they were to global success but were instead backing singers and in the case of Darlene Love with it was the actual singer but had songs attributed to other people such as the crystals because they were a bigger name at the time in fact Phil Spector had the intention of this track being sung by Ronnie Spector of the run it according to Darlene Love she wasn't able to put as much emotion into the song as needed she didn't realized that it was going to be this big and it was and she deserved it what a great way to finish Merry Christmas everybody and have a wonderful love filled rest of the holidays I had no idea I mean that was the last thought in my mind that this song would last even that long and it would be recorded by a lot of famous other artists Unfortunately President Kennedy got sass and made it when that album was supposed to be released so we were really not feeling it it was a great album when we were doing it but it wasn't really feelin it and Phil wasn't either so actually it didn't come out until the following year you know it was really fabulous I thought I'd tell most people when I started out working with the all you had and became this mad record producer you know with his own record company because it was fearless with the l. And Lester Seal who was his partner so it was a we all go into the studio like having fun because they were. The same musicians that he used all the time he was like the guy that runs the circus the stands in the middle of the circus and pops is with we made a lot of the place where we were we made that place famous because all of those great records came out. A cheer the SPOG round hole in Scarborough hosts a festive spectacular.

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