Si's Sounds

17/12/2024

Si's Sounds Countdown to Christmas:
Sorry, sorry , sorry, I have been well slacking, not put up a tune since the 12th, please don't put me on Santa's naughty list, I am not going to spam you with the days I missed though, I will just kick things off again from today, the 17th of December, Christmas day is now only 8 days away, can you believe that!! Well todays Christmas banger is....... Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby helms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_OG8CyKXO0

Some fun facts about this one:

song called “Jingle Bell Rock,” he was initially skeptical about the idea of mixing rock’n’roll and Christmas. But he was quickly won over, and his single, issued by Decca Records in October 1957, soon became a holiday classic. “‘Jingle Bell Rock’ has made itself a part of Christmas,” Helms said. “It lifts people up.” Today, you can find it on playlists alongside staples like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song,” and more.

he song’s legacy
The popularity of Helms’ festive hit has prompted numerous cover versions down the years, including one on Decca, released in 1959, by Max Bygraves, that went to No. 7 in the UK. Kylie Minogue, The Beach Boys, Hall & Oates, Chubby Checker, and The Platters have also recorded “Jingle Bell Rock.” More recently, the song has been covered by artists like Ariana Grande, Brenda Lee, and Mariah Carey. (Mariah’s version can be heard on her Christmas album that features “All I Want For Christmas.”)

But Helms’ version is the go-to song for soundtracks. His take on “Jingle Bell Rock” has been used in The Simpsons, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, South Park and Family Guy, and in numerous movies, including Lethal Weapon and Home Alone 2: Lost In New York. It even makes an appearance in the Mean Girls Jingle Bell Rock choreography at the talent show.

15/12/2024

Top night helping the Bishops Stortford Vetinary Hospital have fun at their Christmas party, with Karaoke and fun party songs, got some great feedback at the end, just brilliant.

13/12/2024

A great night last night, some footage captured by the Misya Meze and Grill Welwyn Garden City, I was to busy selecting and mixing in tracks to grab any video, it was just tune after tune last night, we all had a fab night.

13/12/2024

An absolute top night down the Misya Meze and Grill Welwyn Garden City dancefloor was pretty much full from 21.00 til the last tune at 23.30, we do enjoy a good Christmas Party, and even better when it's at our residency.

Tonight, not 1 but 2 DJs will be in there providing the tunes from 20.00 till late. I won't be there though as it's my works Christmas party so will be letting my hair down instead!! 😉

12/12/2024

Providing the tunes down the Misya Meze and Grill Welwyn Garden City for this evenings festivities.

12/12/2024

Si's Sounds Countdown to Christmas:
December the 12th, the brilliant Jackson 5 with I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPNu0H6jNJc

Some fun facts about this song:
"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" is a Christmas song with words and music by British songwriter Tommie Connor. The original recording by 13-year-old Jimmy Boyd rose to #1 on the Billboard charts in December 1952. The words tell of a child who sees Mommy kissing Santa Claus underneath the mistletoe.

The Roman Catholic Church in Boston hated the song because it is a Christmas song that also mentions s*x. Radio stations in several markets banned it. Boyd went to church leaders to talk about the words. The ban on the song was lifted.

The song has been performed by various musicians, including but not limited to the Ronettes, Jackson 5, Jessica Simpson, John Mellencamp, Amy Winehouse and other singers throughout the years.

Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.

11/12/2024

Si's Sounds Countdown to Christmas - December the 11th, for todays Christmas tune I have selected John Lennon's Merry Xmas (war is Over) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMH_wMvMy_8

Fun facts about this one:

John Lennon and Yoko Ono wrote this in their New York City hotel room and recorded it during the evening of October 28 and into the morning of the 29th, 1971, at the Record Plant in New York. It was released in the US for Christmas, but didn't chart. The next year, it was released in the UK, where it did much better, charting at #4. Eventually, the song became a Christmas classic in America, but it took a while.

The children's voices are the Harlem Community Choir, who were brought in to sing on this track. They are credited on the single along with Yoko and The Plastic Ono Band.

At the beginning of the song, two whispers can be heard. Yoko whispers: "Happy Christmas, Kyoko" (Kyoko Chan Cox is Yoko's daughter with Anthony Cox) and John whispers: "Happy Christmas, Julian" (John's son with Cynthia).

After previously peaking at #42 in 2018, the song entered the Hot 100 Top 40 for the first time on the chart dated December 31, 2022. This meant Lennon logged his 14th Top 40 title as a soloist and first since "Nobody Told Me" became a posthumous hit in 1984.

Many more amazing facts and interesting bits of info about this song can be found here: https://www.songfacts.com/facts/john-lennon/happy-xmas-war-is-over

"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" is a song written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, released as a single in 1971 by John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and the Plastic Ono Band on ...

11/12/2024

Sorry slacking again, or just busy at work ;-) I missed yesterdays countdown, so representing the 10th of December we have the Mel & Kim's fun version of Rocking Around the Christmas Tree: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdnaPAJgAQI

Fun Facts about this one:
It's a Christmas song written by Johnny Marks and recorded by Brenda Lee in 1958; it has since been recorded by numerous other music artists.

By the song's 50th anniversary in 2008, Lee's original version had sold over 15 million copies around the world with the 4th most digital downloads sold of any Christmas single.[3][4] In 2019, Lee's recording of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

In November 2023, Lee released a music video for the song, and in December 2023 the song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, marking Lee's third number-one single and making Lee the oldest artist ever to top the Hot 100 at age 78, later breaking the record once again one week later at the age of 79.

The song also set the record for the longest period of time between an original release and its topping the Hot 100 (65 years), as well as the longest time between number-one singles by an artist: 63 years, one month and two weeks.

Music video by Mel & Kim performing Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree. (P) 2010 The copyright in this sound recording is owned by Virgin Records Ltd

09/12/2024

Si's Sounds Countdown to Christmas:
December the 9th - A firm Christmas fave, the Brilliant Pogues featuring Kirsty MaColl it is of course Fairytale of New York - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkoYgN3N1KQ

Fun Facts about this iconic tune:
Despite the wintery subject matter, the song was actually recorded in July, in sweltering heat.

The song started life as a bet. Pogues producer Elvis Costello bet Shane MacGowan and co-writer Jem Finer, the band’s banjoist, that they couldn’t come up with a Christmas record that wasn’t slushy.

The song was originally planned as a duet between Shane MacGowan and Pogues bassist Cait O’Riordan. However, O’Riordan married Costello and left the band in 1986, before the song was recorded.

Costello was replaced as producer by Steve Lillywhite, who asked his wife, Kirsty MacColl, to record test vocals to help the band hear how the duet could work. They were so astounded by her performance they had to keep it.

Before hearing MacColl, MacGowan had suggested Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde as a possible partner for the duet.

Although Shane MacGowan appears to play the piano in the video, the instrument was actually played by James Fearnley. Much to his chagrin, Fearnley had to wear Shane’s rings for the close-up shots of his hands.

The lyrics mention: “The boys of the NYPD choir still singing ‘Galway Bay’.” The NYPD doesn’t actually have a choir, but it does have an Irish pipe band who are featured in the music video. They didn’t know ‘Galway Bay’, so they played
the ‘Mickey Mouse Club March’ instead, and the video was later slowed down to fit the beat.

The song’s story begins with an Irish immigrant being tossed into a drunk tank to sleep off a Christmas Eve binge. It’s only when he hears an old man sing Irish ballad ‘The Rare Old Mountain Dew’ that he begins to dream about his memories of the song’s female character. ‘The Rare Old Mountain Dew’ dates from 1882 and is, unsurprisingly, about getting hammered on the wildly alcoholic potato spirit Poitín.

Shane MacGowan was born on Christmas Day.

The Pogues 30:30 The Essential Collection is available for Pre-Order Now!http://amzn.to/ZrGluVContaining the Irish legend's biggest hits spanning 1984 to 199...

09/12/2024

Si's Sounds Countdown to Christmas :
Sorry I am slacking, I failed to do one for yesterday, so I am giving you 2 today, so the 1st one representing the 8th of December is this classic that can you believe it is now 40 years old and raised loads of money for charity, it is of course Do they know it's Christmas by the super band that was Band Aid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjQzJAKxTrE

Before I present you with some fun facts, as much as I enjoy this song, there is one particular line of lyrics that does grate with me and that is the line that goes "Tonight, thank god it's them instead of you" controversial? you tell me - there's actually a fact about this one below.

Now for some fun facts:
n 1984, Bob Geldof and Ure wrote Do They Know It’s Christmas? to raise money for the famine in Ethiopia, and the song was recorded and performed by the supergroup of British and Irish musicians assembled by Geldof himself.

Released on 3rd December of the same year, the song entered the UK singles chart at number one, staying there for five weeks. Within a year, it had raised £8 million, which was way over the target of £70,000 that Geldof had set.

If you get groups of young musicians together in one room, you are bound to get some shenanigans going on.

That’s exactly what happened when cheeky chappies Status Quo spotted Spandau Ballet heading into the studio’s toilets and decided it would be a hilarious idea to lock them inside.

By all accounts, though, Spandau Ballet was not having any of it and managed to kick down the door to make their escape.

That Bono line
Whenever this song comes on, it’s virtually impossible not to scream the line, “Tonight, thank God it’s them instead of you!”.

It’s arguably one of the most memorable moments in the whole track, but it very nearly didn’t happen.

Writer Midge Urie tried to get the famous line changed to “Only fate decides it’s them instead of you.” However, Geldof thought the original line was punchier and more powerful in its philosophical message- so it remained in place.

Not only did it raise an incredible amount of money for charity, but Band Aid broke records in other areas too.

It became the UK’s biggest-ever-selling single for 13 years, only to be knocked off the top spot by Elton John’s re-release of Candle In The Wind as a tribute to the late Princess Diana.

So there we have it! We hope you’ve learned something new about the iconic Christmas tune.

Do they Know it's Christmas ~ Band Aid 1984 Probably the most important music video to be made in the last 40 years. Just as relevant today as it was 27 year...

07/12/2024

All set at the Peartree Inn for Taylor's 21st Birthday Party.

07/12/2024

Si's Sounds Countdown to Christmas: December the 7th, I almost forgot, so today's great Christmas track is by the brilliant Wham with Last Christmas: https://youtu.be/E8gmARGvPlI?si=FZIC4eUo6FnSdL8N

Fun facts about this tune:
George wrote the song in his childhood bedroom during a visit to his parents’ house with his Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley

George wrote, produced and played every single instrument on the track

The song was recorded at the height of summer in August 1984

The video marked the last time in his life that George was filmed…

Upon its original release in 1984 it was kept off the top spot by another song featuring George Michael, Do they know it's Christmas.

The song took 36 years to reach numbr one on the UK singles chart

Wham! - Last Christmas (Official Video)WHAM! The Singles: Echoes From The Edge Of Heaven: https://wham.lnk.to/TheSinglesStream and download here: https://Wha...

07/12/2024

She's well and truly defrosted!!

07/12/2024

Top night last night providing our services for Abbots Care Christmas party.

06/12/2024

All set for tonight's Xmas party for Abbots Care at villa2 in St Alban's

06/12/2024

Si's Sounds: Countdown to Christmas:

December the 6th, todays classic comes from Chris Rea, did you know he was gonna form a group with Dire Straits and call them selves, Dire....... never mind!! 😉🤦‍♂️Any way todays track is, Driving home for Christmas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDt3u2Ev1cI

Fun facts about this one:
Inspiration
Rea was inspired to write the song while driving home from London to Plumstead on Christmas Eve 1978. His wife Joan drove him home in their black Classic Mini, and they got stuck in traffic in the snow. Rea noticed the other drivers looking dejected, and began singing the title of the song aloud. He then wrote down the lyrics whenever he could.

Release
Rea originally intended to give the song to Van Morrison, but ended up recording it himself. It was released in 1988 as a single and on his album NEW LIGHT THROUGH OLD WINDOWS, which went triple platinum in the UK.

Popularity
The song started out as a radio hit, charting at number 53 in 1988. It has since become a staple on holiday playlists across Europe, and Rea earns an estimated £200,000 each December from the song. (He ain't short of a bob or 2 then!!)

This great song by "Chris Rea" was first released in 1986 as a non album single, but it was not until 1988 that it got to number 53 in the UK singles chart, ...

06/12/2024

Super fun night at our 1st official Christmas party of the year last night with a spot of Karaoke and a surprise belly dancer, cos what says merry christmas more than that.😉 2nd one tonight for Abbots Care providing our festive DJ services and our final photobooth of the year. Watch this space for pics and vids later.

05/12/2024

1st official Christmas party for me this year, getting everyone into the Christmas spirit.