Fairytale of New York - cancelled

[DistressedArea]

Not sure why a children's radio station would play grown up songs anyway.

[DrGreggles]

I don't mind Mariah's but the best Christmas single is Wizzard's. Not just opinion, an objective fact. Much as I like Slade I'll never forgive them for keeping Roy's boys off the top.

Don't just blame Slade - blame Gary Glitter and the New Seekers too.
Wizzard only reached #4!

[pigamus]

I don't mind Mariah's but the best Christmas single is Wizzard's. Not just opinion, an objective fact. Much as I like Slade I'll never forgive them for keeping Roy's boys off the top.

I do like it but it sounds like a paler version of See My Baby Jive to me.

[buzby]

Not sure why a children's radio station would play grown up songs anyway.

I heard it on there this evening. It's the 1991 'you're cheap and you're haggard' radio edit version but with the 'other offending word dropped out (presumably by stitching in the relevant clip from the instrumental version).

[famethrowa]

So if the original had gone:

You scumbag, you mucker
You cheap lousy fucker

everyone would be cool?

[Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse]

Yes, obviously.

[Jockice]

I do like it but it sounds like a paler version of See My Baby Jive to me.

And See My Baby Jive is the third-greatest number one single of all time, so it's still verging on perfect.

[Jockice]

Don't just blame Slade - blame Gary Glitter and the New Seekers too.
Wizzard only reached #4!

I do. On an hourly basis.

[pigamus]

And See My Baby Jive is the third-greatest number one single of all time, so it's still verging on perfect.

Can't argue with that, it's magnificent

[Captain Z]

I prefer the Kurtis Blow original.

I don't think I've ever heard this before. Which is surprising as I've been downloading loads of Xmas compilations from Soulseek over the last couple of years in search of the less obvious stuff. Not only that but it raises an interesting point regarding the 'Another One Bites The Dust' bassline. This was released after Chic but before Queen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xUFnGWWtoQ

[rue the polywhirl]

All overfamiliar Christmas songs should be banned, or at least put in a vault and not resurface till at least every 7 years. I think this particular song could be freshened if it was turned into a Tom and Jerry animated video and was called 'Tom and Jerry's Fairytail Of New York' or something.

[thecuriousorange]

How long until the next Band Aid? I reckon 2022. Pretty sure the last didn't include the contentious "Tonight thank God it's them instead of you" line. (Obviously, as clumsy as the message is, that was the best bit in the original track.)

[buzby]

How long until the next Band Aid? I reckon 2022. Pretty sure the last didn't include the contentious "Tonight thank God it's them instead of you" line. (Obviously, as clumsy as the message is, that was the best bit in the original track.)

Quite a few of the lyrics were changed in the Band Aid 30 version, including that line. The replacement lyrics were still sung by Bono, though - the only one he missed was Band Aid II, where they were sung by Jason Donovan and Luke Goss. Justin Hawkins recorded the line for Band Aid 20, but they ended up getting Bono to record it in a separate session for the released version (presumably because he kicked up a stink). One thing you notice listening to the 4 verisons consecutively is how it's go progressively worse - Band Aid 20 and 30 are awful, turning the song into a low-energy weak sauce acoustic ballad,

[DrGreggles]

I don't think I've ever heard this before. Which is surprising as I've been downloading loads of Xmas compilations from Soulseek over the last couple of years in search of the less obvious stuff. Not only that but it raises an interesting point regarding the 'Another One Bites The Dust' bassline. This was released after Chic but before Queen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xUFnGWWtoQ

The 'Another One Bites The Dust' bassline is probably the only non-shit thing Queen ever did.
I'm DELIGHTED that your grandfather died they nicked it!

[GoblinAhFuckScary]

I had the idea that Shane MacGowan had died a few years ago, but not only is he alive (somehow!), it turns out he's about as Irish as Rod Stewart is Scottish!

MacGowan was born to Irish parents in Pembury, Kent, on Christmas Day in 1957, and his family returned to Ireland at some point after his birth. MacGowan spent his early childhood in County Tipperary, Ireland, before his family moved back to England when he was six and a half. He lived in the Home Counties and attended an English public school. He has lived in many parts of the south-east, including Brighton and London.

Oo-err. Had a recent gander through that fiery joint Mark E Smith, MacGowan, and Nick Cave interview from 1989 and came across this:

SM: Read a lot of Nietzsche, have you?

MES: All his stuff. I cant quote him. I'm not into him anymore, gave up three years ago. He taught me a lot, though. I didn't go to college. We're not all born public school boys like you.

SM: I'm not a born public schoolboy.

https://thequietus.com/articles/09277-mark-e-smith-nick-cave-shane-macgowan-nme-interview MES is a great wind-up here

[DrGreggles]

One thing you notice listening to the 4 verisons consecutively is how it's go progressively worse

The original was pretty bloody ropey to begin with.

"It was written and recorded in a day!"
Yes, we can tell.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

The original was pretty bloody ropey to begin with.

"It was written and recorded in a day!"
Yes, we can tell.

And the instrumental break is a straight-up steal from the Doctor Who theme tune. An absolute bloody disgrace.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

https://thequietus.com/articles/09277-mark-e-smith-nick-cave-shane-macgowan-nme-interview MES is a great wind-up here

I know Thewlis partially based his performance in Naked on MES, but the latter sounds exactly like Johnny in that interview. "D'ye get me? The thing about Nietzsche, pal..."

[Panbaams]

A comment piece in The Sunday Telegraph complained about the censorship, and was itself censored.

... the Christmas classic Fairytale of New York is to be censored – yes, censored – for BBC Radio 1 (though not Radio 2). Kirsty MacColl sings to Shane MacGowan: "You scumbag, you maggot / You cheap lousy f----t / Happy Christmas your a--- / I pray God it's our last."

The Radio 1 version will run: "you're cheap and you're haggard" and silence "slut" from the lyrics entirely. Thank you, morality overlords, for saving us from the corruption of The Pogues' Christmas classic!

These morality overlords – they get everywhere!

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Don't Ban This Sick Filth!

Won't someone please ignore the children!?

[El Unicornio, mang]

It wasn't a hit in America at all and I don't recall hearing it on the radio when I lived there ("arse" alone would probably be enough to have it banned), although apparently it gets played a lot in Irish bars, but I guess is still somewhat known. The Irish sound, NYC video with Matt Dillon seems like something that would have made it quite popular, but possibly too ironic/vulgar to be a Christmas hit there.

Bill Murray, David Johansen and others did a version

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10159897298330604

[Brundle-Fly]

Oo-err. Had a recent gander through that fiery joint Mark E Smith, MacGowan, and Nick Cave interview from 1989 and came across this:

https://thequietus.com/articles/09277-mark-e-smith-nick-cave-shane-macgowan-nme-interview MES is a great wind-up here

That was a great read. Thanks.

[sutin]

Ironically, neither Sarah Cracknell or Tim Burgess celebrate their birthday on December 25th. While Shane MacGowan does. Along with Annie Lennox.

Bob Stanley (who I assume wrote the song?) celebrates his birthday on the 25th of December.

[bgmnts]

"Queer" would actually be fine now, as it takes in and celebrates a broad range of sexual identities in a positive light.

But back then the word was a horrible insult and nothing else.

It would be nice if it was just the Q community then, rather than LGBTQIA+.

That would possibly confuse Star Trek fans though.

[GoblinAhFuckScary]

It would be nice if it was just the Q community then, rather than LGBTQIA+.

QueerAnon

[idunnosomename]

you scumbag you cunt
you fuccking dickhead

fuck off

[Jockice]

That was a great read. Thanks.

I used to love those things in the NME when they got a group of bigmouths to verbally fight it out. I'm sure there was one with Mark E Smith and Paul Heaton as well.

[Jockice]

Anyway, lest we forget, when they showed Jilted John on TOTP2 a couple of years ago they censored it. Which is one of the most ridiculous things I've seen in my life.

[JaDanketies]

Anyway, lest we forget, when they showed Jilted John on TOTP2 a couple of years ago they censored it. Which is one of the most ridiculous things I've seen in my life.

when he calls his love rival a poof? I don't really see why it's more ridiculous than any other censorship of music lyrics, really. They'd ban shit every time, and poof is definitely stronger than shit. They also say bitch and slag and tart.

[Jockice]

when he calls his love rival a poof? I don't really see why it's more ridiculous than any other censorship of music lyrics, really. They'd ban shit every time, and poof is definitely stronger than shit. They also say bitch and slag and tart.

Yeah. But it seemed to be totally arbitrary. The word 'poof' (or to be accurate 'puff') is used earlier in the song too but (I could be wrong here) I don't think that was censored. And if they were going to censor it why just not stop playing it before that bit? Or just don't play it at all. That would be the easiest solution. It was on late at night, I honestly don't think anyone would be fainting at the use of some rude words.

Plus it is a comedy record using exactly the sort of language teenagers used in the late 70s. I know because I became one when it was in the charts. It's funny because it's so accurate. It wouldn't get played (or possibly even made) these days of course but that doesn't stop me thinking it's one of the greatest singles ever.