Slade was a 70s/80s band, and they had a few number ones and a few chart hits. They consisted of Noddy Holder, Dave Hill, Jim Lea and Don Powell. They are extremely well known, and forever will be, are they going to get back together? Highly unlikely, especially since they have already made a fortune. However never say never right? Their number ones were "Coz I Luv You", "Take Me Bak 'Ome", "Mama Weer All Crazee Now", "Cum On Feel The Noize", "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" and "Merry Xmas Everybody". I have heard a few but not many other songs. They stopped releasing before I was even born, and I rarely knew of them.
"Merry Xmas Everybody" was written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea. The song is about having fun and having British Family Christmas. The lyrics are very good to look at and some of them, I can't help but laugh as it's true in a lot of families, and I can imagine that happening. It was written when a lot of workers were on strike and this song was created to pick them all up and cheer them up, and that's exactly what it does, even now. No wonder it got to number one. It has re-entered the UK chart in 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1998, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 at chart numbers 70, 32, 67, 20, 47, 48, 71, 99, 93, 30, 21, 20, 32, 41, 50 and 33 respectively. It is again, expected to chart in 2012.
The music video is a performance piece, that is rarely shown on TV Channels. Instead they usually take a Top Of The Pops performance or something else. This is just a recorded performance piece, but it also shows how much things have changed.
Back then a performance piece was in front of a small crowd of fans. If you compare that to a few most recent performance based videos such as Swedish House Mafia's "Don't You Worry Child" or Rita Ora's "Shine Ya Light", it shows how much things have changed, and if there were no performance-based videos back then, the youth of today (including me) would not realise how much things have changed.
There are performance videos that get 5 stars from me, and although this isn't one of them, they have a few good things. This video shows that the band produces a lot of energy when they perform. They're all smiling and having fun. There's shots of the crowd which shows how much people liked Slade back then. And of course there's snow on the ground, since it is a Christmas song.
Overall, a great song, that doesn't fit the title because I can never identify the song until someone sings it. It's accompanying music video is just as forgettable, however it has all the attributes I expect from a performance-based video. So I'm split between ratings for this video, but deciding to go through the middle, as it is kind of average, which is incredibly unlike the song, which is amazing.
Mariah Carey is another well known singer who has yet to make my blog. It just shows how many great singers there are out there. She recently appeared in the spotlight again as a new judge for American Idol. However she's fading in the UK, with her most recent singles charting lower than expected. She definitely won't disappear, but I reckon it will take a lot to try and get on top once again in the UK. She has only ever had one number one in the UK, back in 1994 (when I was 1 year old) with "Without You". She also topped as featured artist on Westlife's "Against All Odds" in 2000.
"All I Want For Christmas Is You" was written by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff. It has to be one of my favourite Christmas songs, it's up there next to Wizzard's "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday", The Pogues Featuring Kirsty MacColl "Fairytale Of New York" and Wham!'s "Last Christmas". This song has never been a UK number one. Back in 1994, it got to number two, and since then it has failed to reach the top. Since downloads has contributed to the chart, this song has climbed extremely high. In 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 it charted at 4, 12, 19, 22 and 11 respectively. This year it is set to chart within the top 20! I hope one day it'll make it to the top. Justin Bieber recently covered this song, featuring Mariah Carey and called it "All I Want For Christmas (Superfestive!)".
This music video is probably one of the most up-to-date of the old Christmas songs, as it was filmed in 1994. However I question whether the intention of this video was to try and make it fit in with the old music videos, because it really is difficult to tell them apart, and I was really surprised to find out what year it was made.
I have to admit this video is quite good. There's Santa Claus, there's snow, there's a Christmas Tree, and all sorts. Everything I want in a Christmas music video and more. There is a bit of a narration but it's hardly noticeable, and that is all that is missing as the song is an emotional piece.
But Mariah Carey loves Christmas, and shows that perfectly in this video by having lots and lots of fun, she's definitely enjoying being in the snow and meeting Santa Claus, and this really makes us enjoy the video more.
On that note. The song is one of my favourites and really needs to get to number one in the future. The music video fits great, and it's definitely a fun-loved video, just wish a bit more narration was added. This video definitely deserves this rating.
You could have probably guessed this one was going to pop up, since I am a big fan of Cascada, and they have appeared on my blog a number of times. The band consists of Natalie Horler, Manian (Manuel Reuter) and Yanou (Yann Peifer). They have had various hits worldwide, including a number one here in the UK with "Evacuate The Dancefloor". Recently they haven't quite been getting enough popularity to chart, and their recent singles haven't been doing as well as they should be. They need promotion, and I have just found out they are attempting a shot at Eurovision 2013 for German's entry, this could be the promotion they need.
"Last Christmas" was first released back in 2007 as a cover version of the much loved song "Last Christmas" originally sung by Wham!. The song was released as a b-side to "What Hurts The Most", however it still managed to chart on downloads only at number 111. Recently it has been included in Cascada's most recent album, which is a collection of Christmas songs, called "It's Christmas Time", which nearly charted, but failed to do so in the UK because it was released on a Friday, meaning Cascada had to get enough sales in 2 days to chart in time. It just didn't happen.
This music video is interesting to watch, but I also feel there is a lot going on at the same time that we cannot quite keep up. I have to admit, I am overjoyed by the inclusion of Manian and Yanou, you rarely, if ever, get to see them in Cascada's music videos, yet here they are.
There's both a narrative and a performance side to things. The narrative clearly shows Natalie is troubled by something, clearly giving a guy her heart but he doesn't like her back, but then again it's happened to her, a guy gave her his heart and she is the middle person. I like the ending where he turns up on her doorstep. However this narrative seems confusing.
The performance side of things is weird also. There are two shots, one where the whole of Cascada is in the recording studio, creating the song, which adds something new to this video, but also includes a bit of acting, as at the end Natalie is seen upset to an extent. As for the dancing performance, it just looks out of place, as if Natalie is dancing to a different song, while singing the lyrics to this one.
Overall, a great version of this much loved song. The accompanying music video has good bits and bad bits, I just can't make up my mind if I like it or not, as it seems pretty confusing as a whole. However I think that may be due to the overflow of scenes included in the video. I am unsure on what rating to give the video, and so I'm going in the middle as it's an okay music video.
Shakin' Stevens, real name Michael Barratt, is another singer who has quite not made my blog yet. He has a total of four UK number ones, and is currently still going. He was originally in a band called Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets. I know him for this song alone, and this song has to be one of my favourite Christmas songs ever sung, it's cheerful and I just can't help singing a long to it.
"Merry Christmas Everyone" was written by Bob Heatlie. It was originally meant to be released in 1984, but it was held back a year to prevent it from clashing with Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas Time?", which was a good call, because in 1985 this soared to the top spot. Recently, since downloads has been included in the charts, this song has managed to chart in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 with chart numbers being 22, 36, 49, 73 and 42 respectively. This year (2012), it shall be charting once again, but will it chart higher than last year, or will this slowly dissipate?
This music video is probably one of the oldest I have reviewed, and it slowly doesn't make sense. It's all about fun but a possible narrative that hooks me right from the start, disappears, making the focus on Shakin' Stevens, and even though the video does relate to the song, I just feel that we're given an insight into a narrative that never has an ending.
This leaves me disappointed. We follow this person's journey to Tomteland, and then we never see this person again or we do but only in the background.
Focus shifts on to Shakin' Stevens and attempts to make a direct link with the song, which is done pretty well, and I have fallen in love with the snowman, I want one. But it's missing the narrative it began with, and that is key in this video. Either you put it in and finish it, or you leave it out.
Overall a great song, and I have to admit, it is one of my favourites. The music video is good to an extent, but it misleads the viewer by starting a narrative without finishing it. I like the inclusion of snow, and the snowman, and of course seeing Santa Claus, what Christmas music video would be complete without him? But this is still missing a lot.
Kids In Glass Houses has gone back to what they were and truly are back with a fun little Christmas song, which is perfect to kick off my Christmas 2012 special. As I have mentioned a dozen times before, but I shall again, I met these guys at the 2008 Paramore tour in Birmingham with Tink09 and Hollagram Star, they were a support act, who we had never ever heard of and they came out and greeted the Paramore fans waiting outside. The band consists of Aled Phillips, Iain Mahanty, Philip Jenkins, Joel Fisher and Andrew Shay. They haven't had much of a charting success, and their most recent singles have failed to chart. Their highest charting single charted at number 62 with "Give Me What I Want" and "Undercover Lover (Featuring Frankie Sandford)". But this song is climbing up and up and might be their best charting single! I have to admit, I like the fun side of this song, they clearly did it because they wanted to, and it feels like their previous music that charted, so could this show what we are to expect from them with their new album?
This music video is an insight into the Kids In Glass Houses Christmas party, and I really want to be there. It looks like a lot of fun, and relates to the song perfectly, including an out-of-place flamingo, which somehow fits exactly the way it is supposed to.
I like the presents and the Santa Claus that appears. But my favourite bit has to be when they are holding the signs up that is part of the lyrics of the song, for those who don't catch it, it reads "Who is my secret Santa baby?". Also for those of you who miss the joke from the cracker, it is "Where do snowmen go to dance? To a snowball."
There are a few things that is missing, such as when the bow and arrow is fired, they could at least have made it stick to the camera. And the mistletoe isn't so great either, although I do like that scene. I just feel something more important is missing, that makes this video lacking.
Overall, a great song that keeps climbing up the iTunes chart, and I'm hoping that it doesn't stop climbing, it deserves to chart really high. The accompanying music video is great to watch and makes you want to join in as there is a lot of fun going on. But there's just something that is missing, but what that is I'm not sure. It's not quite worth five stars, but I'll give it what it deserves.
