I realized several days ago that I'd left out of the Christmas special one of the songs that had been my inspiration for starting it; at that point, I thought it might be interesting to post it on Christmas day itself, but I've just realized that that would take away from the ability to play it in the lead-up to Christmas, when the vast majority of Christmas music gets played. It's from someone who I've written about countless times, and who has a TV documentary airing December 23 (featuring some of his new music!): Gareth Gates. In addition to releasing two excellent albums, the Pop Idol runnerup also had some great B-sides on his singles; this is one of them. (Incidentally, I just have to say: if we were giving out awards for best popstar hair, I'd have to nominate Gareth--post-2002, that is--and he'd be a top contender for most photogenic popstar, too.)Christmas To Remember--as you all probably know by now (but I really can't say it enough), I love Gareth's music; his second album was full of so many excellent pop songs that he should have been able to release singles off of it for years. His music is really pop, and I love that about it. This song is exactly in that vein--complete pop--and it's pretty adorable. Sweet and mid-tempo, "Christmas To Remember" is, as you might have guessed from the title, a love song (convenient that "December" and "remember" rhyme, right?). This is first album era, so he sounds young and the song itself is more reminiscent of the songs on his first album than, say, "Sunshine."
To buy Gareth Gates's single "What My Heart Wants To Say," which has "Christmas To Remember" as a B-side, go here (physical).
Oh, and as a reminder, "Made Up Stories" by Go:Audio is still amazing (even if the band has rather frustratingly decided to start making news about their album viewable only to MySpace "friends"...). My favorite song of the moment, in fact.
Next up: maybe a Swedish singer.
7 comments:
Ooo i'm scared now - we have both posted on the genius of Gareth on the same day. Spooky! I do love his christmas ditty though. brava young lady! I will check out Go Audio and see what they have to say!
Oh I absolutely love this Gareth song. Such a shame that it was never a single.
Have you also heard 'Christmas and I'm Home' that he performed live at the lights switch on in Bradford a couple of years ago? Its up on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apGDCkv51bk (don't know if the link will work). It's also fab - and he looks damned gorgeous.
Ooo, strange! There must be an aura of Gareth in the air, what with the documentary approaching :)
I love it too! I hadn't heard "Christmas And I'm Home" before, though--thanks for the link to the video; I like it! It's too bad there's no studio recording of it (at least that I've heard of...but then, since I'd never heard of the song before, who knows ;) ).
No there isn't. Sadly. He wrote it with Judie Tzuke specifically for the lights and its the only time he has performed it as far as I know.
Another Gareth post yesterday from me too. Maybe he sent out a subconcious message telling us all to blog.
Two people writing about him on one day is a strange coincidence, but three? Mind control, maybe?
The closer this documentary gets, the more I'm worried about what his new music will sound like. I think I remember hearing that guitars were pretty important in all his new songs, which is starting to worry me more than it did originally. Still, the comparisons to George Michael seem to counterract that...I know music evolution happens (and from first to second Gareth Gates album, it happened and was definitely a good thing), but I'm hoping there's not too radical a change, too!
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