With the festive season upon us, Michael Alexander dons his proverbial Santa hat and sleigh bells to find out from a selection of Tayside and Fife musicians what Christmas music means to them.
Whether it’s walking the aisles of the supermarket or listening to the radio while driving, it’s impossible to separate Christmas from Christmas music.
But what are your favourite Chrismas tunes, and why is music such an important part of the festive season?
The Courier spoke to various people connected to the Tayside and Fife music scene, as well as a local minister, to find out what Christmas music means to them.
Ged Grimes – Simple Minds
Dundee born and bred musician Ged Grimes has had a busy year touring with Simple Minds and helping promote the release of the band’s 18th studio album.
When it comes to Christmas, however, the 60-year-old former St Saviour’s High School pupil finds that Christmas songs are “part and parcel” of getting into the festive spirit.
His favourite Christmas song is Happy Xmas (War is Over) by John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
Describing it as “one of those songs that encapsulates all the elements of Christmas”, he loves how the song with “soaring strings and a delicious key change” manages to be both “celebratory and reflective in equal measure” making it as relevant today as when it was written.
Meanwhile, the song that always gets him in the festive spirit is I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day by Wizzard.
From the first “kerching” intro – the song immediately puts him in a good mood.
Catchy and full of hooks, he describes it as “really just a great, fun filled pop song that propels the listener along” – adding that the schmaltzy ending leaves him “feeling all warm and fuzzy”.
What all Christmas music has in common, however, is universal appeal while allowing the listener to reflect and be uplifted.
“From hymns like Silent Night to the pop Christmas songs from our childhoods, these melodies are firmly embedded in our memories of Christmases past,” says the former Danny Wilson man.
“The perfect tune can take you right back to your front room on Christmas morning when you were a kid opening your presents.
“The classic songs featured regularly at our Grimes family parties where everyone was expected to “do a turn”.
“I think every generation has Christmas songs to call their own from Bing Crosby right up to Coldplay but what these songs all have in common is a universal appeal and an ability to make you reflect on the year that has passed and look with positivity to the year ahead.”
Richard Smernicki – Perth music lecturer
Another man with an insight into the music industry at Christmas is Richard Smernicki, programme leader for the BA (Hons) music business course at Perth College University of Highlands and Islands.
The 49-year-old former Tayport Primary and Madras College pupil, who grew up in Tayport and studied geography and economics at Dundee University, comes from a musical family and has played drums in bands for years.
A former Scottish A&R scout at Polydor Records, his biggest achievement of that era was the “team effort” with his brother Paul in bringing Dundee University formed Northern Irish-Scottish rock band Snow Patrol to Fiction Records – an imprint label of Polydor.
When it comes to Christmas songs, however, it’s their ability to “transport” the listener back to a moment in time that strikes him most.
In his case, it’s mainly back to the 1980s when he “didn’t have a care in the world”.
His favourites range from “novelty cheesy tracks” to “incredibly well crafted” songs.
The first one that comes to mind is Bing Crosby and David Bowie’s Little Drummer Boy.
Recorded in 1977 and released in 1982 reaching number three, Richard loves the “collaboration” between these two iconic and very different songwriters.
Other tracks on Richard’s top Christmas tunes list include Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl.
It’s a song that takes him back to happy times “hanging out with good friends down at the local”.
Band Aid’s 1984 classic Do they know it’s Christmas? is another stand-out. Who hasn’t sung along to Bono’s line” Well, tonight thank God it’s them instead of you”.
Meanwhile, Shakin’ Stevens’ Merry Christmas Everyone might be a “bit cheesy”.
But the 1985 classic will forever be associated with Richard’s Tayport Primary School discos.
“It takes me back again to my childhood,” he says, “and hanging out with your old pals and wondering if you’d be lucky enough to get that BMX that every kid wanted or the new Atari console that were the big hits back in the ‘80s!
“Brilliant memories, even if that song is a bit naff!” he laughs, adding that he also has a soft spot for Run DMC’s old school hip hop classic Christmas in Hollis, which was released in 1987.
Susan McCathie – The Vintage Girls
Dundee singers The Vintage Girls recently released their own Christmas single for the second year running.
The trio comprising Susan McCathie, Rebecca Gibbon and Mary McDougall, released This Christmas (the love lives in you) on December 1 following the success of their 2021 single Christmas is Here.
The Christmas track is the follow up single to The Vintage Girls’ recent cover of River by Joni Mitchell. It came before the release of their Christmas EP on December 5.
What’s clear from the twinkly piano on the latest track is the influence of festive classics from days gone by.
“Music is always such an important part of Christmas ,” says band founder, manager and performer Susan, a former pupil of Lawside Academy in Dundee who forged a career in musical theatre.
“Everybody sitting having a little sing song. Just gigging as well at this time of year – everyone is always so appreciative.”
It’s a reflective time of year for recalling memories and making new ones.
Often it’s music that helps transport the mind to happy times, even if times are tough.
If Susan is in the car, however, the Christmas track she loves most to get her in the mood is Chris Rea’s Driving Home for Christmas.
“It’s probably the same for a lot of people!” she says.
“If that comes on that’s me – I’m gone!
“But I do love Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (by Frank Sinatra).
“I think that’s one of my favourites!”
Darren Forbes – Shambolics
For Kirkcaldy-formed Glasgow band Shambolics, highlights of the year have included signing with Manchester-based record label Scruff of the Neck, performing sold out gigs with Dundee band The View and, last night, playing a charity gig at PJ Molloys in Dunfermline to raise money for Kirkcaldy Foodbank.
Co-lead vocalist and guitarist Darren Forbes, laughs, however, that if he could write a Christmas hit, he’d be “laughing every year”.
“I’m not even going to lie, but when it comes to my favourite Christmas track, my guilty pleasure is Mariah Carey All I Want for Christmas is You,” he says.
“I just think it’s amazing. I was listening to it the other day actually.
“The structure in it and everything. Mariah Carey has always been my guilty pleasure in music in general. I love Slade, Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s Wonderful Christmastime. They are all great as well.
“But my guilty pleasure is All I Want for Christmas is You. It’s quite uplifting for a Christmas song.
“It’s got so much hooks, great chord changes and then the sleigh bells and stuff. The Pogues Fairytale of New York is also bloody amazing!”
James Yorkston
Cellardyke-based singer songwriter James Yorkston runs the eclectic Tae Sup wi’ a Fifer club nights, and releases music under his own name and also as one part of trio Yorkston Thorne Khan.
He’s been going on tour around Christmas for so long now that people have begun bringing him gifts!
He loves returning home to spend time with his family.
However, when it comes to Christmas music, he “cannot stand” commercial tunes.
That’s why he doesn’t want to join the ranks of “unscrupulous people who view Christmas songs as a way to make a fast buck”.
His favourite Christmas tune is a song called In Dessexshire as it Befel.
It’s a Traveller song that he learned from the singer May Bradley.
“It’s a scary old song, alternating between major and minor, telling of Jesus Christ, who appears out of nowhere and strikes a farmer down for working on “The Lord’s birthday”,” he says.
He also loves the Can track ‘Oh Yeah!‘, which has a “lovely celebratory feel to it”.
“I also remember dancing to the Philip Tabane track ‘Sangoma‘ at a Christmas party, maybe 20 years ago, now,” he adds.
“That song reminds me of a fun year, and still delivers the season’s greetings.”
Fraser Bruce – Auchterarder folk singer
While Auchterarder-based folk singer Fraser Bruce would never consider himself to be religious, it is probably hearing “wonderful” Christmas carols that he enjoys most at this time of year.
Up until a few years ago, he would make a point of going to the Watch night service at the Kirk, usually after a meal out and a few sherries with his wife.
Only after belting out ‘Oh Come all ye Faithful’, ‘Silent Night’ and ‘Good King Wenceslas’ at the top of his voice did he feel it “really was Christmas”.
Fraser, 76, “can’t stand” the commercial Christmas tracks heard on a loop in supermarkets either.
That is until Fairy Tale of New York comes on.
He loves that song and also feels connected to it as the late Kirsty MacColl’s grandparents lived in Auchterarder until they were forced to move south because of her grandfather’s extreme left wing politics.
“Strangely, there are very few folk songs that cover the Christmas story yet it must be the most famous folk tale of all time, whether you believe it or not,” says Fraser.
“There are some songs, such as ‘Christmas Truce 1914’ written by folk comedian, Mike Harding that tell of the ceasefire between the British and German troops on Christmas Eve 1914.
“They put down their guns and sang and joked with each other. They even had an ‘international’ football match.
“I have been working on a song for several years but I just can’t get it finished without it sounding like a Country and Western tragedy!”
Very Rev Dr Martin Fair – Arbroath minister
Arbroath minister and former Kirk Moderator the Very Rev. Dr Martin Fair says singing along to the classic Christmas hits is a big part of his season.
Shakin’ Stevens’ ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ makes him want to dance.
David Essex’s ‘Winter’s Tale’ makes him want to sing along.
Chris de Burgh’s ‘A Spaceman Came Travelling’ causes him to think more deeply.
And Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know it’s Christmas?’ serves as a constant reminder to him that Christmas can never be an escape from a world in urgent need.
Like so many others, his favourite of the Christmas songs is Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and the much missed, Kirsty MacColl.
While it’s a great sing-a-long, it’s also a reminder that Christmas can be very different from the “fairytale” sold by the marketing campaigns and “happy-ever-ending” movies.
But the Christmas music that means most to him, is that which he sings with his church family on Christmas Eve.
It’s going to be especially so this year because, after 31-years, it will be his last Christmas as minister of St Andrew’s Church, Arbroath.
In the first part of 2023, he’s going to move on to a new national role within the Church of Scotland and so his emotions will be heightened as he’s caused to think back through all the years.
“We’ll finish our Watchnight Service with an inspiring rendition of ‘O Come, all ye faithful,” he says.
“But in the minutes before midnight, the congregation will do what we always do in those moments and sing together, ‘Still the Night.’
“Those beautiful words are the perfect way to usher in the moment of Christmas, when people the world over rejoice in the Christian message: ‘Christ the Redeemer is here.’
“There will be tears in my eyes as we sing and as, on the stroke of midnight, I light the Christmas candle.
“But they’ll be tears of joy. And that’s Christmas.”
