The Struts frontman Luke Spiller has shared a canopy of Slade’s festive traditional ‘Merry Xmas Everyone’ – test it out right here.
Spiller’s model is just a little totally different from the unique, which grew to become Christmas Quantity One in 1973 and was licensed double platinum in 2021 after repeatedly returning to the charts in the course of the vacation season.
It’s extra stripped-back and mournful, and it’s joined by a video which options Spiller sporting a Santa hat and using by means of the concrete channel of the Los Angeles River.
“Like so many people, I’ve at all times liked Christmas,” he mentioned concerning the observe. “For me personally, it’s a time the place I typically journey again to the UK and spend high quality time with my household after a protracted 12 months of touring and seeing the world.
“I grew up listening to this track and have such nice reminiscences being surrounded by the individuals I like celebrating the 12 months coming to a detailed. I wished to place my very own spin on this traditional and determined to strip again the music so individuals can actually concentrate on the lyrics.”
He additionally paid tribute to Slade, describing them as an “unbelievable band” and a “large affect” on him, “so I actually wished to do it justice”.
Spiller isn’t the one artist to cowl ‘Merry Xmas Everyone’. Final month, Anne-Marie launched her personal model, whereas Oasis, Suzanne Vega and Steps have additionally shared their very own renditions through the years.
Robbie Williams coated it in a duet with Jamie Cullum for his album ‘The Christmas Current’ in 2019, whereas it’s additionally on Women Aloud’s ‘Christmas ‘Spherical At Ours’ album, which first got here out in 2005 as a bonus disc with their album ‘Chemistry’ however was rereleased on CD and vinyl final month.
An entire host of artists have launched Christmas songs this 12 months, too – each originals and covers. Kylie Minogue is set to launch a brand new model of her 2015 album Kylie Christmas tomorrow (December 5). Entitled ‘Kylie Christmas (Absolutely Unwrapped)’, it options 4 new tracks together with the already-released single ‘XMAS’.
Olly Murs has teamed up with The Peculiar Boys for ‘Christmas Begins Tonight’, whereas The Coral launched the “cursed carol” ‘She Died On Christmas Day’ earlier this week. Leon Bridges has shared two Christmas songs this 12 months, together with one with Norah Jones, and Laufey lately shared her cowl of ‘Santa Claus Is Coming To City’ – a part of her ongoing ‘A Very Laufey Vacation’ venture.
Residence Counties shared the festive single ‘Higher Final Yr (Residence Counties For Christmas)’, whereas Kings Of Leon mentioned final month that they’d written a Christmas track however that it is likely to be “too Christmassy” to share.
Rivalling these Christmas songs within the race for Christmas Quantity One are tracks together with Collectively For Palestine with the charity single ‘Lullaby’, McFly’s Tom Fletcher and Paddington with ‘One Of Us’, and perennial Christmas favourites by the likes of Wham! – final 12 months’s Christmas Quantity One – and Mariah Carey.
As for Spiller, he launched his debut solo album, ‘Love Will Most likely Kill Me Earlier than Cigarettes And Wine’, in April this 12 months. The Struts final launched an album, ‘Fairly Vicious’, in 2023.
