O.K. O.K. I know its WAYY to early but I have to post about this now because I am posting loads of stuff all the time from now on until Christmas and hope a few of you here will be 'Christmas people' and will take an interest.

As someone dotty about Christmas I have recently launched 'Tony May's All Things Christmas Blog'. From about the middle of OCT until the end of the year ( and the same in subsequent years I hope) I will be posting a series of Christmas related articles, poems, songs, discussion pieces, youtube links, reviews, opinions etc, etc, on ANYTHING to do with Christmas. I particularly wish to record for posterity the type of traditional British Christmas that I remember from childhood as I feel a lot of British culture is fading fast these days into the chasm of time.

As ever, I don't claim to be right about that nor justified in how I feel about the world these days but how I feel is how I feel and I reserve my right to say so. Anyway, if anyone is remotely interested in any of this you can check out my blog at www.tmchristmas.blogspot.co.uk

Building up slowly on my blog some interesting and discussion worthy bits and bobs if you haven't checked it out yet.

The latest of which is a genuine review of the Mixpixie website. I'm not normally one for personalised stuff because it is often cheesy and naff quality but this new operation is very different. A bit like 'Moonpig.com' but with CD's, Mixpixie is going to be huge I reckon once it catches on. I think you should think about getting a lot of U.K. Records back catalogue on the site JK. It appears as well as being able to compile CD's with EXACTLY you want on them they also provide a service where musicians can upload their own music and make up customised CD's of their own. This is a big advantage over having to get a minimum of 500 copies made up as is usually the case.

As far as I can tell all of the tracks (14 million of them) are official/original versions and thus your favourite artists don't lose to 'home taping' (or CD burning as it is these days) out either.

Check it out for yourself!

www.mixpixie.com/

not a bad idea for those who like Xmas...but I say fuck Xmas and everything about it but take no notice of me....no-one usually does.

I can't remember the last good one.

I'm also a Christmas fan but this seems exactly the same as iTunes except there you burn your own CDs and thus don't get the package; but, at 79p for most tracks, iTunes seems cheaper.

I think the thing for me JK is that I love packaging! (lol) For me an albums not really an album unless it has a booklet, some artwork and sleeve notes! I'm the kind of guy you and your music business buddies used to dream of - the type that would buy a 'remix' 12" or buy all three formats of your new single because it had different artwork and an exclusive b side! For me, the idea of putting together compilations of exactly the tracks I want in the order I want them but also being able to create the packaging I want is heaven! (lol)

Seeing as the quality of the products is also very good I think a tastefully done Mixpixie CD is a nice, thoughtful present...

Sorry to hear of your Christmas woes Hedda - I'd soon show you a good Christmas! It would be madcap but GOOD

I'm not entirely a Scrooge...there was a great song I heard once and do you think I can find it again?

It was a kid singing with Bing Crosby ( I like Bing)...'I wanna take a ride with Santa Claus"...Even my friend who lives in Ohio and was Bing's cousin cannot recall the song.

perhaps it's awful as I only heard it once but now it's an obsession

Funnily enough one of the Xmas songs I really like is by an artiste I normally cannot stand (a session singer - all technique and no soul) Mariah Carey.

hedda wrote:
I'm not entirely a Scrooge...there was a great song I heard once and do you think I can find it again?

It was a kid singing with Bing Crosby ( I like Bing)...'I wanna take a ride with Santa Claus"...Even my friend who lives in Ohio and was Bing's cousin cannot recall the song.

perhaps it's awful as I only heard it once but now it's an obsession


Is this it?.....

oh honey aren't you wonderful!

that must be it..isn't Bing so wonderfully smooth?. Although it sounds like a 30 year old woman singing with him.

actually I do like an American / Norman Rockwell Christmas.

JK2006 wrote:
Funnily enough one of the Xmas songs I really like is by an artiste I normally cannot stand (a session singer - all technique and no soul) Mariah Carey.

So you are a 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' fan, eh JK? I can't say I blame you as its a classic Christmas record and one of Mariah's finest. I also agree with you about her vocal style. The woman can obviously sing and has a good range but very often she puts nothing of herself into her performance. Most of her records sound like 'production line' hits and that's such a shame because she can sing - unlike a lot of top stars who have to be multi-tracked goodness knows how many times.

Good to hear that you are not all 'humbug' as well Hedda! Christmas is how we make it ourselves and the trick to having a great one is to think of how you can make someone else's Christmas special. I am ALWAYS being told that I am self-absorbed and I can't deny the charge but everyone knows that I am Mr. Christmas and can be relied upon to think of THEM at that time of year at least! (lol)

You should read a few more entries on my Blog. Nostalgic it is, head in the clouds - definitely but I always end up with a silly smile all over my face at Christmas so I must be doing something right!