Have you ever heard radio stations play Christmas songs at a ridiculous time of year? - Radio

chemical2009b · 08-11-2009, 20:00

I remember hearing Wham's Last Christmas on Radio 1 one April beacuse someone requested it.

Murray Mint · 08-11-2009, 20:05

I've heard Christmas songs played during the summer months on Heart, though that doesn't really surprise me!

80sfan · 08-11-2009, 20:38

One May I was in Nice and Chérie FM played 'Last Christmas' which felt rather odd seeing as it was sunny and 30 degrees!

I've heard that song in France though at all times of the year

RobinCarmody · 08-11-2009, 21:07

I've heard Band Aid and Shaky's "Merry Christmas Everyone" in the summer - mind you, it was on '30 Years of Number Ones' with Fluff (Radio 1 1990) so they were committed to playing every single number one, however incongruous.

The inverse of this is Danny Baker playing "Summer Holiday" to give fans coming back from FA Cup matches in January 1992 something to cheer them up. So long ago ...

TelevisionUser · 08-11-2009, 21:28

Surprisingly, there doesn't seem to too much early Christmas stuff being played on the radio. However, the most irritating thing with Christmas-style music that's on the radio at the moment is the DFS Sofa ad with some demanding pushy female consumer!

suffolkblue · 08-11-2009, 22:41

well every year the x factor winner gets the official xmas number 1 and they normaly play it on the radio till june silly realy

wavejockglw · 08-11-2009, 22:56

Yep .... the bloody DFS adverts have that Mariah Carey 'All I want for Christmas' backing track from about September every year!!

Arthur Grainger · 08-11-2009, 23:13

Aren't the BBC famed for showing Christmas specials in June?

Arthur Grainger · 08-11-2009, 23:15

Whenever I was doing radio shows and even gigs in December, I made a point of playing Non-Christmas Christmas No.1's. In other words, songs that were No.1 at Christmas in years gone by - but diddly squat was mentioned about Christmas in the songs.

RobinCarmody · 08-11-2009, 23:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by suffolkblue

well every year the x factor winner gets the official xmas number 1 and they normaly play it on the radio till june silly realy

But it isn't a Christmas-themed song, so doesn't count.

The BBC *used* to rerun Christmas specials in the summer, but only back when everything in the summer was a repeat. Not so much these days.

The thing that gets me is how some songs which have nothing lyrically to do with Christmas - Frankie's "The Power of Love" and East 17's "Stay Another Day" - come to be regarded as honorary Christmas songs, so you only ever hear them then. As for "Last Christmas", it's actually a very good song whose Christmas reference has nothing to do with the rest of the lyrics - it could as easily have been called "Last Summer", as TV Cream once said.

Robbie01 · 09-11-2009, 01:54

I've heard Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney played a handful of times on my local Magic station throughout this year. I'm guessing that the song has been programmed incorrectly into the computer and in reality another song should really be playing. The DJ never mentions the fact the song was played so I'm assuming it's a voicetracked show or something.

The first time I can recall hearing it was just before Easter and I heard it at least twice in the summer! I think it was last played a few weeks ago but I don't listen to the station that often so it could have had more plays than those.

That's Magic 1152 from Newcastle if anyone from that station is reading and wants to correct the error!

chemical2009b · 09-11-2009, 14:02

Tay AM once played Wizzard's I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day in May beacuse they were documenting the career of Roy Wood.

James Martin 2 · 09-11-2009, 14:58

Heard one in March on Oak FM. FAIL.

dpb · 09-11-2009, 15:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobinCarmody

<snip>
The inverse of this is Danny Baker playing "Summer Holiday" to give fans coming back from FA Cup matches in January 1992 something to cheer them up. So long ago ...

I remember the old Hot FM network doing something similar - they devoted one of days of the Christmas/New Year period (I think New Year's Day) to Summer songs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobinCarmody

But it isn't a Christmas-themed song, so doesn't count.

The BBC *used* to rerun Christmas specials in the summer, but only back when everything in the summer was a repeat. Not so much these days.

The thing that gets me is how some songs which have nothing lyrically to do with Christmas - Frankie's "The Power of Love" and East 17's "Stay Another Day" - come to be regarded as honorary Christmas songs, so you only ever hear them then. <snip>

I think Stay Another Day sounds Christmasy but Frankie's Power of Love could easily be played anytime of the year on the radio - the video being shown on TV probably not though. In fact I remember it being regularly played at one point on Graham Torrington's Late Night Love.

An example I can think of a Christmas/New Year song being played at another time of year is Wire FM who used to play Dina Carroll's The Perfect Year on its love songs show on a regular basis which includes the line "It's New Year's Eve".

One common example is "Angels" by Robbie Williams which does not mention Christmas but includes sleigh bells throughout!

chemical2009b · 09-11-2009, 15:52

Gary Jules' rendition of Mad World sounds Christmassy to me.

Tom Joad · 09-11-2009, 23:57

Atlantic 252 - Christmas in July with Charlie Wolf. They even had Old Spice gift sets as competition prizes.

Andy Carlton · 10-11-2009, 00:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by wavejockglw

Yep .... the bloody DFS adverts have that Mariah Carey 'All I want for Christmas' backing track from about September every year!!

I did like that track at one time until Galaxy radio played it to death...and now DFS adverts on Tv and radio.

Spot · 10-11-2009, 07:34

If we're documenting every instance... Paul Gambaccini presented 'Songs of the Century' around Easter time in 1999 on Radio 2, and the songs played included White Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Little Drummer Boy.

martino2539 · 10-11-2009, 09:24

off topic a bit.............

Bliss music channel on sky has gone 24 hour xmas hits since a couple of days now

thats way to early

Roy H · 10-11-2009, 09:35

Scott Mills R1 started playing Christmas songs last week............

PhilH · 10-11-2009, 09:47

Many US stations will shortly go all-Christmas. Usually happens around Thanksgiving.

mojo loop · 10-11-2009, 10:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Joad

Atlantic 252 - Christmas in July with Charlie Wolf. They even had Old Spice gift sets as competition prizes.

On the same kind of subject,

I've heard Elton John's "Cold as Christmas" in the summer, it includes the line "in the middle of the year"

Ollie_h19 · 10-11-2009, 10:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Joad

Atlantic 252 - Christmas in July with Charlie Wolf. They even had Old Spice gift sets as competition prizes.

So I presume he'd take the opportunity to play Elmo & Patsy? A252 used to play that loads!

chazanddave · 11-11-2009, 03:55

Whilst in Taiwan I heard a Mandarin pop tune that used the tune of Chris De Burgh's "A Spaceman came a Travelling ' It was in the middle of summer, probably June or July. Heard it on the radio whilst on a bus.

The song probably had nothing to do with christmas, some Chinese music producer obviously thought it was a catchy tune.

I did also however see chirstamas decorations at various times of the year in Taiwan. A hospital I saw still had their christmas tree up in February.

Breizh · 11-11-2009, 07:43

Sticking with the foreign theme and mixing it in with misunderstood lyrics... I was once asked by a Frenchman why I was playing Sail Away by Enya in the summer. Why not you may ask. His explanation, well she's singing "c'est Noël c'est Noël" (It's Christmas...)

08-11-2009, 20:00	#1
chemical2009b Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 591	Have you ever heard radio stations play Christmas songs at a ridiculous time of year? I remember hearing Wham's Last Christmas on Radio 1 one April beacuse someone requested it.

08-11-2009, 20:05	#2
Murray Mint Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,717	I've heard Christmas songs played during the summer months on Heart, though that doesn't really surprise me!

08-11-2009, 20:38	#3
80sfan Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: North West London Posts: 4,162	One May I was in Nice and Chérie FM played 'Last Christmas' which felt rather odd seeing as it was sunny and 30 degrees! I've heard that song in France though at all times of the year

08-11-2009, 21:07	#4
RobinCarmody Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 1,153	I've heard Band Aid and Shaky's "Merry Christmas Everyone" in the summer - mind you, it was on '30 Years of Number Ones' with Fluff (Radio 1 1990) so they were committed to playing every single number one, however incongruous. The inverse of this is Danny Baker playing "Summer Holiday" to give fans coming back from FA Cup matches in January 1992 something to cheer them up. So long ago ...

08-11-2009, 21:28	#5
TelevisionUser Forum Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Storbritannia Services: DAB digital radio, Freeview, Firefox, OpenOffice, MSN. Posts: 1,928	Surprisingly, there doesn't seem to too much early Christmas stuff being played on the radio. However, the most irritating thing with Christmas-style music that's on the radio at the moment is the DFS Sofa ad with some demanding pushy female consumer!

08-11-2009, 22:41	#6
suffolkblue Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Services: sky + multiroom,dab radio,ESPN Posts: 357	well every year the x factor winner gets the official xmas number 1 and they normaly play it on the radio till june silly realy

08-11-2009, 22:56	#7
wavejockglw Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Glasgow/Scotland Services: TalkTalk Broadband, Sky HD, Freeview, DAB, Vodafone Posts: 4,622	Yep .... the bloody DFS adverts have that Mariah Carey 'All I want for Christmas' backing track from about September every year!!

08-11-2009, 23:13	#8
Arthur Grainger Forum Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: LANARKSHIRE Posts: 2,056	Aren't the BBC famed for showing Christmas specials in June?

08-11-2009, 23:15	#9
Arthur Grainger Forum Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: LANARKSHIRE Posts: 2,056	Whenever I was doing radio shows and even gigs in December, I made a point of playing Non-Christmas Christmas No.1's. In other words, songs that were No.1 at Christmas in years gone by - but diddly squat was mentioned about Christmas in the songs.

09-11-2009, 01:54	#11
Robbie01 Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Wearside Services: Sky, BT Broadband, Freeview Posts: 592	I've heard Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney played a handful of times on my local Magic station throughout this year. I'm guessing that the song has been programmed incorrectly into the computer and in reality another song should really be playing. The DJ never mentions the fact the song was played so I'm assuming it's a voicetracked show or something. The first time I can recall hearing it was just before Easter and I heard it at least twice in the summer! I think it was last played a few weeks ago but I don't listen to the station that often so it could have had more plays than those. That's Magic 1152 from Newcastle if anyone from that station is reading and wants to correct the error!

09-11-2009, 14:02	#12
chemical2009b Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 591	Tay AM once played Wizzard's I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day in May beacuse they were documenting the career of Roy Wood.

09-11-2009, 14:58	#13
James Martin 2 Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 891	Heard one in March on Oak FM. FAIL.

09-11-2009, 15:52	#15
chemical2009b Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 591	Gary Jules' rendition of Mad World sounds Christmassy to me.

09-11-2009, 23:57	#16
Tom Joad Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 258	Atlantic 252 - Christmas in July with Charlie Wolf. They even had Old Spice gift sets as competition prizes.

10-11-2009, 07:34	#18
Spot Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Norwich, Tacolneston tx Services: Namesco Broadband, Freeview, FTA DSat, DAB. Posts: 12,355	If we're documenting every instance... Paul Gambaccini presented 'Songs of the Century' around Easter time in 1999 on Radio 2, and the songs played included White Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Little Drummer Boy.

10-11-2009, 09:24	#19
martino2539 Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bangor, North Wales Services: BT Vision, Sky, DAB, Freesat, Freeview Posts: 140	off topic a bit............. Bliss music channel on sky has gone 24 hour xmas hits since a couple of days now thats way to early

10-11-2009, 09:35	#20
Roy H Forum Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Mid Cheshire, near some trees Services: Sky+/Sky 8mb Broadband Posts: 80	Scott Mills R1 started playing Christmas songs last week............

10-11-2009, 09:47	#21
PhilH Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Services: Sky Digital, Freeview, BT Openworld ADSL Posts: 687	Many US stations will shortly go all-Christmas. Usually happens around Thanksgiving.

11-11-2009, 03:55	#24
chazanddave Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: a sewer Posts: 72	Whilst in Taiwan I heard a Mandarin pop tune that used the tune of Chris De Burgh's "A Spaceman came a Travelling ' It was in the middle of summer, probably June or July. Heard it on the radio whilst on a bus. The song probably had nothing to do with christmas, some Chinese music producer obviously thought it was a catchy tune. I did also however see chirstamas decorations at various times of the year in Taiwan. A hospital I saw still had their christmas tree up in February.

11-11-2009, 07:43	#25
Breizh Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 146	Sticking with the foreign theme and mixing it in with misunderstood lyrics... I was once asked by a Frenchman why I was playing Sail Away by Enya in the summer. Why not you may ask. His explanation, well she's singing "c'est Noël c'est Noël" (It's Christmas...)