O.T.: Last Christmas - Wham!

peterpyser wrote: It is available on the 2008 release “The Essential NOW That’s What I Call Christmas”: https://www.discogs.com/Various-The-Essential-Now-Thats-What -I-Call-Christmas/release/10067653 It can also be found on the digital-only release “Essential A Very Special Christmas” 2013 compilation: https://open.spotify.com/album/3PFnE9aYFIxWzI1INS7lY6 That leaves 2 other versions of the song still presumably unavailable on cd: the original (1984) UK 7" single and the instrumental version first issued in 2014 as a Record Store Day exclusive. Do anyone know if any of those 2 versions has been released on some obscure cd?

The instrumental was issued recently on the Japanese "Wham! The Japanese Singles" compilation. Haven't found the 1984 UK 7" verison yet.

By the way, I think the first appearance of the 1984 12-inch mix was on the 2000 CD "All-Star Christmas," which is also on Qobuz:

https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/all-star-christmas-various -artists/0884977785487

ChicagoBill wrote: We put them away with all the other Christmas 45's until we brought them out for the next season (1986) and quickly sold out. -Bill.

Bill (or anyone else who remembers), what were some of the popular Christmas songs played on Top 40 radio during the 80s?

I was just a kid, so I can only specifically remember a handful of songs that were played here in the Twin Cities on WLOL:

Bryan Adams - Christmas Time
Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Hall & Oates - Jingle Bell Rock
Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas
Wham - Last Christmas
Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime
Bob & Doug McKenzie - Twelve Days Of Christmas
...plus a bunch of cuts off the "Very Special Christmas" album from '87 including Winter Wonderland, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, and Santa Baby.

I remember hearing Elton John's Step Into Christmas and The Waitresses Christmas Wrapping on our local top 40, alongside Emerson, Lake, & Palmer's I Believe In Father Christmas.

Johnny Mathis's Walkin' In A Winter Wonderland got plenty of airplay, and of course The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late).

Even Frank Sinatra's Christmas Waltz and Bing Crosby's Oh Come All Ye Faithful might show up on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

Seems like tracks from the Phil Spector Christmas album would end up on the air too, but I switched between CHA, AC, and EZ Listening stations so I guarantee what was where.

995wlol wrote: Bill (or anyone else who remembers), what were some of the popular Christmas songs played on Top 40 radio during the 80s? I was just a kid, so I can only specifically remember a handful of songs that were played here in the Twin Cities on WLOL: Bryan Adams - Christmas Time Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town Hall & Oates - Jingle Bell Rock Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas Wham - Last Christmas Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime Bob & Doug McKenzie - Twelve Days Of Christmas ...plus a bunch of cuts off the "Very Special Christmas" album from '87 including Winter Wonderland, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, and Santa Baby.

Besides the ones you mentioned, here are some other
Christmas "hits" from the '80s.

Alabama - Christmas in Dixie
Billy Squier - Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You
Dan Fogelberg - Same Old Lang Syne
Dolly Parton - Hard Candy Christmas
Elmo & Patsy - Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer
Jon Anderson - Easier Said Than Done
Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton - A Christmas To Remember
Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton - With Bells On
Leon Redbone & Dr John - Frosty the Snowman
Neil Diamond - You Make it Feel Like Christmas
New Edition - Christmas All Over the World
Ray Parker Jr - Christmas Time Is Here
Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping

There were also several Mannheim Steamroller tracks which
were popular. Of course these were all played along with
the typical Christmas oldies that you still hear today.

Mike posed the question, "What was played on Top 40 radio in the 80's.....", but this is what my record store SOLD the
most of in the 70's and 80's. This list does not include Christmas/Holiday hits that were released before 1970, like
Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Elvis, etc., that were still selling. Number 1 (don't laugh), Elmo & Patsy -
"Grandma Got Run Over...", 2) Jose Feliciano-'Feliz Navidad', 3) Singing Dogs-"Jingle Bells", 4) John Lennon-"Happy
Xmas", 5) Paul McCartney-"Wonderful Christmastime". Those were the top 5. I think the Singing Dogs actually was
recorded in the 50's but had a huge resurgence when it was re-released in 1974. As was another huge seller, Yogi
Yorgesson-"I Yust Go Nuts At Christmas". Some reflect the ethnicity of my neighborhood. Some would've been better
sellers if they would've been available longer like Cheech & Chong's-"Santa & His Old Lady" which was only available
for 1971-1974. -Bill.