Tonight was The Sunday Alternative Christmas party, a lavish affair, black tie and everything. Actually it wasn't. I met Erik Petersen for pints of Guinness beforehand in an empty pub in Bulwell. The fact that the barman announced that he would close as soon as we left was incentive enough to order another round.
To say this was my first show with a good drink inside me, (Sunday lunch doesn't count), it was a fantastic two hours of radio that if you missed, Santa will kill a baby rabbit.
The theme of the show was Christmas number ones, which started in 1952 with 'Here In My Heart' by Al Martino. This was the first song in which sales figures came from records, rather than sheet music. I mentioned how I correctly predicted how the download rule would open the chart to subversion, despite being two years early. I managed to get as far as 1974, which was 'Lonely This Christmas'. The Christmas number one run through will continue on New Years Day, no show next week as it is Christmas Day.
We also spoke of Cliff Richard, and a little story that I don't like to talk about, about how I saved Christmas. It was strange to be playing such a musical departure from my usual output, and between this and my January 1st show, the comparisons with John Peel should fade away. I'll be back with cool indie music and unsigned bands on January 8th.
The songs played, were all Christmas number one. In brackets is the year that they topped the festive hit parade.
Al Martino 'Here In My Heart' (1952)
Frankie Laine 'Answer Me' (1953)
Johnnie Ray 'Just Walking In The Rain' (1956)
Harry Belafonte 'Mary's Boy Child' (1957)
Conway Twitty 'It's Only Make Believe' (1958)
Cliff Richard And The Shadows 'I Love You' (1960)
Danny Williams 'Moon River' (1961)
Elvis Presley 'Return To Sender' (1962)
The Beatles 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' (1963)
The Beatles 'I Feel Fine' (1964)
The Beatles 'Day Tripper' (1965)
Tom Jones 'The Green Green Grass Of Home' (1966)
The Beatles 'Hello Goodbye' (1967)
Scaffold 'Lily The Pink' (1968)
Rolf Harris 'Two Little Boys' (1969)
Dave Edmunds 'I Hear You Knocking' (1970)
Benny Hill 'Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West) (1971)
Little Jimmy Osmond 'Long Haired Lover From Liverpool' (1972)
Slade 'Merry Christmas Everybody' (1973)
Mud 'Lonely This Christmas' (1974)
It would have been good to finish the 1970s, so I could do the rundown again. After 1969 I read through the list using 'At The Sign Of The Swinging Cymbals', which isn't as easy as Tony Blackburn makes it appear.
Listen to some waffle in piss poor sound quality on The Sunday Alternative soundcloud.
The show started life on Nottingham radio station Trent Sound before becoming a podcast. Everything you need to know is on the page so follow the links through the show's history and enjoy the music.
