Continuing a previous thread, and before my feelings of despair overtake me regarding the growing inevitability of this year's Christmas No. 1, I seek solace in the warm familiarity of my all time favourite Christmas album.
Yes I know I previously said that my all time favourite Christmas song is Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song", but for the complete package I very much recommend to you the 1963 album (and so from an era when Christmas was, well, Christmasy) "Christmas Wonderland" by Bert Kaempfert.
This album, originally my Grandad's, has been the soundtrack to literally every Christmas that I can remember. And although only 2 people have reviewed it on Amazon.co.uk, all 27 people on Amazon.com give it 5 stars. And when I read the reviews there, so many of which could have been written by me ("It isn't Christmas without this music"; "I overflow with nostalgia when I hear this CD"), the feeling of not being completely out on my own on this was very reassuring.
Of course, in younger years it would never have been cool to reveal my love of this music to anyone under the age of, say, my parents. But I absolutely love listening to this album at this time of year. Entirely instrumental, it's not simply the memories of past Christmases that it generates. It just sounds like Christmas should sound.
Bert Kaempfert, a German band leader and renowned trumpet player who died in 1980, may not be familiar to many, but his music has a very distinctive sound. In much the same way that, say, Glenn Miller (who, I'll go out on a limb, and say I also like a lot) did.
You can hear two tracks from the Christmas Wonderland album here and here.
Enjoy. And spread the word. What with downloads now forming part of the UK charts, I hereby start the campaign for a better Christmas No. 1 next year.
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