World of Chig   

11.12.04

"And the Christmas bells that's ringing, are the clanging shouts of doom" (sic)

Shirley Clamp is a well-known name amongst Eurovision fans. She’s a serial tryer. Many people thought she should have won Sweden’s Melodifestivalen earlier this year with ‘Min Ka:rlek’, which would have seen her representing Sweden in Istanbul. It is indeed a fine pop song, with shades of (surprise!) Abba in the ‘aha’ chorus response. Not to be outdone, our Shirl is entering again for 2005.

Despite this, as readers of Popjustice this week (7th Dec) will know, she has found the time to cover the Christmas classic that’s currently topping our UK charts (and seemingly obsessing this here blogger). She brings a whole new, er, interpretation to the famine fave as she turns it into a Eurodisco anthem. Indeed, she brings a whole new lyric to it as well – see above for an example. (“Just sing it as you hear it Shirl - we won’t bother writing the words down for you…”) It has to be heard to be believed. So do it now, before this disappears like seasonal snow (which there won’t be in Africa this Christmas time, don’t forget).

It is unclear whether or not la Clamp or the Band Aid Trust are making any money from this, as it comes from a compilation album called 'Absolute Christmas Hitmania’. Other trashy Christmas compilations are available.

Two friends of mine who have heard this have described it, contrastingly, as “an abomination…one of the most awful records I’ve heard for a long time” and “Fab! The best version I’ve heard of it so far.” Obviously, it would have to go some way to beat blogsisters Anna and Meg’s version , but, if nothing else, Shirley has given us the opportunity to be on the dancefloor with arms aloft, while at the same time feeling good about rescuing the starving millions. You can’t ask for more than that at Christmas, can you?

More Band Aid links:
Mike compares Band Aids 1984 and 2004, ‘with surprising results’.
Destroy your copy of the Band Aid 20 single. (With photos.)

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