Friday 17 December 2021

Grumpy Old Men At Christmas


Actually, they're not really that old... they just like old sounds and sounding old.

Tom Smith & Andy Burrows have already cropped up on My Top Twenty-One of 2021, but did you know (do you care?) that they first collaborated ten years ago on a Christmas album, of all things?

I've been listening to it a lot in the Yuletide run-up, and I thought I'd recommend it as an alternative to the "same old songs" if you're already sick of them.

My favourite track, it goes without saying, is the one that references a famous Christmas song from New Jersey. Not that Bruce wrote it, or recorded the original version, but it's still hard for me to accept that the opening line on every single recording isn't "It's all cold down along the beach".

Smith & Burrows, being grumpy young men, take umbrage with the fact that we shouldn't really be singing "Santa Claus is coming to town" in the UK, since we're more likely to call the dude in red by another name. Then again guys, if you're avoiding the Americanisms, maybe you should have called your song "This Isn't New Jersey". Just saying.

Either way, it's a belter. And I don't think Bruce would object, since it's obviously done with love and respect. I mean, listen to that piano...

And we argue
As the snow seals us in for the night
You say 'Santa Claus is coming'
But I don't care what the song says
That's never gonna sound quite right

And this ain't New Jersey
Father Christmas is coming to town
You throw your drink in my face
Throw that look in my direction
And the radio plays on and on



2 comments:

  1. Great song. (The blonde guy reminds me of Robin Williamson from the Incredible String Band)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Andy Burrows also did the theme for Channel 4 2012 The Snowman and The Snowdog
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne-01EorQBs&ab_channel=AndyBurrows

    All trhat, and he still found time to drum for David Brent

    ReplyDelete

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