Merry Christmas! And if you don't celebrate Christmas, don't take this offensively. But Christmas isn't even about religion these days anyway. And don't take that offensively either. This is turning out to be a rather sketchy start to the post. And to think I was thinking about recording an alternative Christmas message on YouTube. Probably for the best that I pulled out of that one. Instead I come bearing gifts.
Many of my readers will be familiar with the profileration of successful boybands in the UK in the last decade of the twentieth century. One such boyband was East 17, a band as famous for lead singer Brian Harvey's controversial statements involving ecstacy as their music. While much of their music was far edgier than rivals Take That, combining rap and R&B, their 1994 Christmas #1 'Stay Another Day' was a magical ballad. Whether you feel that it's a depressing ode to main songwriter Tony Mortimer's deceased brother or an uplifting tribute, the song is undoubtedly affecting. Which explains why some newer British acts decided to take on the classic and add their twist.
Rolo Tomassi covered 'Stay Another Day' just the other week for BBC Radio 1, making it into minimalist dronepop rather than their typical brutal LOUD-meets-synth-core material. Which quite frankly scares the shit out of me at times. In fact, their cover is more reminiscent of James Chapman's Maps, who himself produced a beautifully epic version, which he gave away as a free download last Christmas. Arguably better than the original itself. But maybe not in terms of a Christmas song.
Anyways, luckily for you, I'm giving you both this time around. Check the embed out for the original too. Have a nice day everyone, whether you celebrate Christmas or you don't.
FADED GLAMOUR
We're a collaborative British music, film and TV blog. "Trying to find the perfect match between pretentious and pop."
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