Father Christmas (song): Difference between revisions

"Father Christmas"
"Father Christmas"
Single by the Kinks
B-side	"Prince of the Punks"
Released	25 November 1977
Recorded	Begun 1976, completed October 1977 at Konk Studios, Hornsey, London
Genre	Punk rock; Christmas;
Length	3:45
Label	Arista 153 (UK); Arista AS 0296 (US)
Songwriter(s)	Ray Davies
Producer(s)	Ray Davies
The Kinks singles chronology
Music video
	"Father Christmas" on YouTube

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"Father Christmas" is a song by English rock band the Kinks, released in 1977.^[2]^[3]

It tells of a department store Father Christmas who is beaten up by a gang of poor kids who tell him to give them money instead of toys, as toys are impractical; and asks that the toys be given "to the little rich boys".^[4]

Background and release

"Father Christmas" is sung from the perspective of a Mall Santa who is mugged by working class kids, who tell him to leave his presents for "the little rich boys" and request for money and jobs for their parents instead. Guitarist Dave Davies commented on the song, "I love the humor of it, and the aggression and bitterness. I could see the faces of my parents when Christmas came around. They had to struggle to make ends meet. We kind of got what we needed, but there was something fake about the holiday."^[5] In live performances, singer Ray Davies would dress up in full Father Christmas attire.

The song features a punk rock arrangement with prominent distorted guitar riffs. Dave Davies commented, "'Father Christmas' is very special to me, 'cause [it was] an opportunity to put interesting guitar parts in there…guitar riffs that [I think] sound great."^[1] The track also features Christmas bells to add to the holiday theme.

The single was released in November 1977. It was accompanied by a music video featuring Ray Davies dressed as the titular character.^[6]

"Prince of the Punks"

The B-side to the single was another Ray Davies composition, "Prince of the Punks". It was written in the bitter aftermath of Davies' troubled stint as the co-producer for Café Society's debut album,^[3] which was issued in 1975.^[7] Davies wrote as part of the lyrics, "Tried to be gay/But it didn’t pay/So he bought a motorbike instead", in direct reference to Tom Robinson, one of the band members of the short-lived Cafe Society.^[3]

Legacy

The song has been covered a number of times by bands including the Gigolo Aunts, Dispatch, Green Day, Man Overboard, Bad Religion, Warrant, Lit, Bowling For Soup, Save Ferris, Letters to Cleo, Smash Mouth, Cary Brothers, Action Action, Everything, Deer Tick, OK Go, The Unlikely Candidates,^[8] Cheap Trick, Matt Nathanson, Chris Jericho, The Riverboat Gamblers, and Lauran Hibberd. Jazz vocalist Jacqui Naylor included the song on her 2007 album Smashed For The Holiday.^[9]

The track appeared in a TV spot for Unaccompanied Minors and in episodes of the TV series That '70s Show and Bob's Burgers.^[10] The song also appeared in the 2008 comedy film Step Brothers.

The track was included on the Arista compilation Come Dancing with The Kinks and is also available as a bonus track on the CD reissue of the Kinks' 1978 album Misfits. Warrant's cover was featured on a hair metal Christmas tribute record called We Wish You a Hairy Christmas, where it was the opening track.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Hockstein, Steve (24 December 2018). "The Kinks' Dave Davies says band's classic holiday song "Father Christmas" is "very special to me" - Music News". ABC News Radio. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
^ "The Kinks - Father Christmas (Vinyl)". Discogs. December 1977. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Café Society | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
^ Ellis, Iain (30 June 2012). Brit Wits: A History of British Rock Humor. Intellect Books. ISBN 978-1-84150-671-5.
^ Hasted, N. (2011). You Really Got Me: The Story of The Kinks. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9781849386609.
^ Rogan, Johnny (5 March 2015). Ray Davies: A Complicated Life. Random House. ISBN 978-1-84792-331-8.
^ "Cafe Society (4) - Cafe Society (Vinyl, LP)". Discogs. October 1975. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
^ "The Unlikely Candidates - Father Christmas". YouTube. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
^ Henderson, Alex. "Smashed For The Holidays". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
^ Leifsson, Dyanamaria (17 December 2012). "Bob's Burgers Season 3 Review "God Rest Ye Merry Gentle-Mannequins"". TV Equals. Archived from the original on 14 September 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.

This 1970s song-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[hockstein-1] Hockstein, Steve (24 December 2018). "The Kinks' Dave Davies says band's classic holiday song "Father Christmas" is "very special to me" - Music News". ABC News Radio. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.

[2] "The Kinks - Father Christmas (Vinyl)". Discogs. December 1977. Retrieved 12 February 2016.

[AMG-3] "Café Society | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 February 2016.

[4] Ellis, Iain (30 June 2012). Brit Wits: A History of British Rock Humor. Intellect Books. ISBN 978-1-84150-671-5.

[5] Hasted, N. (2011). You Really Got Me: The Story of The Kinks. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9781849386609.

[6] Rogan, Johnny (5 March 2015). Ray Davies: A Complicated Life. Random House. ISBN 978-1-84792-331-8.

[7] "Cafe Society (4) - Cafe Society (Vinyl, LP)". Discogs. October 1975. Retrieved 12 February 2016.

[8] "The Unlikely Candidates - Father Christmas". YouTube. Retrieved 1 December 2021.

[9] Henderson, Alex. "Smashed For The Holidays". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 May 2021.

[10] Leifsson, Dyanamaria (17 December 2012). "Bob's Burgers Season 3 Review "God Rest Ye Merry Gentle-Mannequins"". TV Equals. Archived from the original on 14 September 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.

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@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 | studio        =
 | venue         =
-| genre         = [[Punk rock]]<ref name="hockstein"/>
+| genre         = * [[Punk rock]]<ref name="hockstein"/>
-[[Christmas music|Christmas]]<ref name="hockstein"/>
+* [[Christmas music|Christmas]]<ref name="hockstein"/>
 | length        = 3:45
 | label         = [[Arista Records|Arista]] 153 (UK)<br>[[Arista Records|Arista]] AS 0296 (US)
@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 }}
-"'''Father Christmas'''" is a song by English rock band [[the Kinks]], released in 1977.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/Kinks-Father-Christmas/release/2161002 |title=The Kinks - Father Christmas (Vinyl) |website=[[Discogs]] |access-date=12 February 2016}}</ref><ref name="AMG">{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/caf%C3%A9-society-mn0000646709 |title=Café Society &#124; Biography & History |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=12 February 2016}}</ref>
+"'''Father Christmas'''" is a song by English rock band [[the Kinks]], released in 1977.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/Kinks-Father-Christmas/release/2161002 |title=The Kinks - Father Christmas (Vinyl) |website=[[Discogs]] |date=December 1977 |access-date=12 February 2016}}</ref><ref name="AMG">{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/caf%C3%A9-society-mn0000646709 |title=Café Society &#124; Biography & History |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=12 February 2016}}</ref>
-It tells of a department store [[Father Christmas]] who is beaten up by a gang of poor kids who tell him to give them money instead of toys, as toys are impractical; and asks that the toys be given "to the little rich boys."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ellis|first=Iain|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CbqrDwAAQBAJ&q=%22Prince+of+the+Punks%22&pg=PA41|title=Brit Wits: A History of British Rock Humor|date=30 June 2012|publisher=Intellect Books|isbn=978-1-84150-671-5|language=en}}</ref>
+It tells of a department store [[Father Christmas]] who is beaten up by a gang of poor kids who tell him to give them money instead of toys, as toys are impractical; and asks that the toys be given "to the little rich boys".<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ellis|first=Iain|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CbqrDwAAQBAJ&q=%22Prince+of+the+Punks%22&pg=PA41|title=Brit Wits: A History of British Rock Humor|date=30 June 2012|publisher=Intellect Books|isbn=978-1-84150-671-5|language=en}}</ref>
 == Background and release ==
-"Father Christmas" is sung from the perspective of a [[Mall Santa]] who is mugged by working class kids, who tell him to leave his presents for "the little rich boys" and request for money and jobs for their parents instead. Guitarist [[Dave Davies]] commented on the song, "I love the humor of it, and the aggression and bitterness. I could see the faces of my parents when Christmas came around. They had to struggle to make ends meet. We kind of got what we needed, but there was something fake about the holiday."<ref>{{cite book|title=You Really Got Me: The Story of The Kinks|last=Hasted|first=N.|year=2011|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=9781849386609|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/storyofkinksyour0000hast}}</ref> In live performances, singer [[Ray Davies]] would dress up in full Father Christmas attire.
+"Father Christmas" is sung from the perspective of a [[Mall Santa]] who is mugged by [[working class]] kids, who tell him to leave his presents for "the little rich boys" and request for money and jobs for their parents instead. Guitarist [[Dave Davies]] commented on the song, "I love the humor of it, and the aggression and bitterness. I could see the faces of my parents when Christmas came around. They had to struggle to make ends meet. We kind of got what we needed, but there was something fake about the holiday."<ref>{{cite book|title=You Really Got Me: The Story of The Kinks|last=Hasted|first=N.|year=2011|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=9781849386609|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/storyofkinksyour0000hast}}</ref> In live performances, singer [[Ray Davies]] would dress up in full Father Christmas attire.
-The song features a [[punk rock]] arrangement with prominent distorted guitar riffs. Dave Davies commented, {{"'}}Father Christmas' is very special to me, 'cause [it was] an opportunity to put interesting guitar parts in there…guitar riffs that [I think] sound great."<ref name="hockstein">{{cite news |first=Steve |last=Hockstein |title=The Kinks' Dave Davies says band's classic holiday song "Father Christmas" is "very special to me" - Music News |work=[[ABC News Radio]] |url=http://abcnewsradioonline.com/music-news/2018/12/24/the-kinks-dave-davies-says-bands-classic-holiday-song-father.html |access-date=18 April 2021 |date=24 December 2018 |language=en}}</ref> The track also features Christmas bells to add to the holiday theme.
+The song features a [[punk rock]] arrangement with prominent distorted guitar riffs. Dave Davies commented, {{"'}}Father Christmas' is very special to me, 'cause [it was] an opportunity to put interesting guitar parts in there…guitar riffs that [I think] sound great."<ref name="hockstein">{{cite news |first=Steve |last=Hockstein |title=The Kinks' Dave Davies says band's classic holiday song "Father Christmas" is "very special to me" - Music News |work=[[ABC News Radio]] |url=http://abcnewsradioonline.com/music-news/2018/12/24/the-kinks-dave-davies-says-bands-classic-holiday-song-father.html |access-date=18 April 2021 |date=24 December 2018 |language=en |archive-date=18 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418021129/http://abcnewsradioonline.com/music-news/2018/12/24/the-kinks-dave-davies-says-bands-classic-holiday-song-father.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The track also features Christmas bells to add to the holiday theme.
 The single was released in November 1977. It was accompanied by a music video featuring Ray Davies dressed as the titular character.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Rogan|first=Johnny|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RewtBQAAQBAJ&q=%22Father+Christmas%22+%22The+Kinks%22+chart+information&pg=PA478|title=Ray Davies: A Complicated Life|date=5 March 2015|publisher=Random House|isbn=978-1-84792-331-8|language=en}}</ref>
 == "Prince of the Punks" ==
-The [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] to the single was another Ray Davies composition, "Prince of the Punks". It was written in the bitter aftermath of Davies' troubled stint as the co-producer for [[Café Society (British band)|Café Society]]'s debut album,<ref name="AMG" /> which was issued in 1975.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/Cafe-Society-Cafe-Society/release/7660574 |title=Cafe Society (4) - Cafe Society (Vinyl, LP) |website=Discogs |access-date=12 February 2016}}</ref> Davies wrote as part of the lyrics, "Tried to be gay/But it didn’t pay/So he bought a motorbike instead", in direct reference to [[Tom Robinson]], one of the band members of the short-lived Cafe Society.<ref name="AMG" />
+The [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] to the single was another Ray Davies composition, "Prince of the Punks". It was written in the bitter aftermath of Davies' troubled stint as the co-producer for [[Café Society (British band)|Café Society]]'s debut album,<ref name="AMG" /> which was issued in 1975.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/Cafe-Society-Cafe-Society/release/7660574 |title=Cafe Society (4) - Cafe Society (Vinyl, LP) |website=Discogs |date=October 1975 |access-date=12 February 2016}}</ref> Davies wrote as part of the lyrics, "Tried to be gay/But it didn’t pay/So he bought a motorbike instead", in direct reference to [[Tom Robinson]], one of the band members of the short-lived Cafe Society.<ref name="AMG" />
 == Legacy ==
-The song has been covered a number of times by bands including the [[Gigolo Aunts]], [[Dispatch (band)|Dispatch]], [[Green Day]], [[Man Overboard (band)|Man Overboard]], [[Bad Religion]], [[Warrant (American band)|Warrant]], [[Lit (band)|Lit]], [[Bowling For Soup]], [[Save Ferris]], [[Letters to Cleo]], [[Smash Mouth]], [[Cary Brothers]], [[Action Action]], [[Everything (band)|Everything]], [[Deer Tick (band)|Deer Tick]], [[OK Go]], [[The Unlikely Candidates]],<ref>{{cite web |title=The Unlikely Candidates - Father Christmas |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-fzpJ_396E&list=OLAK5uy_nFYEWyV1y2ZU6pBtLOVCjM2xEShUv4hWY |website=YouTube |access-date=1 December 2021 |language=en}}</ref> [[Cheap Trick]], [[Matt Nathanson]], [[Chris Jericho]], and [[The Riverboat Gamblers]]. Jazz vocalist Jacqui Naylor included the song on her 2007 album ''Smashed For The Holiday''.<ref>{{cite web|first=Alex|last=Henderson|title=Smashed For The Holidays|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/smashed-for-the-holidays-mw0000491037/|access-date=21 May 2021|website=AllMusic}}</ref>
+The song has been covered a number of times by bands including the [[Gigolo Aunts]], [[Dispatch (band)|Dispatch]], [[Green Day]], [[Man Overboard (band)|Man Overboard]], [[Bad Religion]], [[Warrant (American band)|Warrant]], [[Lit (band)|Lit]], [[Bowling For Soup]], [[Save Ferris]], [[Letters to Cleo]], [[Smash Mouth]], [[Cary Brothers]], [[Action Action]], [[Everything (band)|Everything]], [[Deer Tick (band)|Deer Tick]], [[OK Go]], [[The Unlikely Candidates]],<ref>{{cite web |title=The Unlikely Candidates - Father Christmas |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-fzpJ_396E&list=OLAK5uy_nFYEWyV1y2ZU6pBtLOVCjM2xEShUv4hWY |website=YouTube |access-date=1 December 2021 |language=en}}</ref> [[Cheap Trick]], [[Matt Nathanson]], [[Chris Jericho]], [[The Riverboat Gamblers]], and [[Lauran Hibberd]]. Jazz vocalist Jacqui Naylor included the song on her 2007 album ''Smashed For The Holiday''.<ref>{{cite web|first=Alex|last=Henderson|title=Smashed For The Holidays|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/smashed-for-the-holidays-mw0000491037/|access-date=21 May 2021|website=AllMusic}}</ref>
-The track appeared in a TV spot for ''[[Unaccompanied Minors]]'' and in episodes of the TV series ''[[That '70s Show]]'' and ''[[Bob's Burgers]]''.<ref>{{cite web|first=Dyanamaria|last=Leifsson|date=17 December 2012|title=Bob's Burgers Season 3 Review "God Rest Ye Merry Gentle-Mannequins"|url=https://www.tvequals.com/2012/12/17/bobs-burgers-season-3-review-god-rest-ye-merry-gentle-mannequins/|access-date=1 September 2016|website=TV Equals}}</ref> The song also appeared in the 2008 comedy film ''[[Step Brothers (film)|Step Brothers]]''.
+The track appeared in a TV spot for ''[[Unaccompanied Minors]]'' and in episodes of the TV series ''[[That '70s Show]]'' and ''[[Bob's Burgers]]''.<ref>{{cite web|first=Dyanamaria|last=Leifsson|date=17 December 2012|title=Bob's Burgers Season 3 Review "God Rest Ye Merry Gentle-Mannequins"|url=https://www.tvequals.com/2012/12/17/bobs-burgers-season-3-review-god-rest-ye-merry-gentle-mannequins/|access-date=1 September 2016|website=TV Equals|archive-date=14 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914054822/http://www.tvequals.com/2012/12/17/bobs-burgers-season-3-review-god-rest-ye-merry-gentle-mannequins/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The song also appeared in the 2008 comedy film ''[[Step Brothers (film)|Step Brothers]]''.
 The track was included on the Arista compilation ''[[Come Dancing with The Kinks]]'' and is also available as a bonus track on the CD reissue of the Kinks' 1978 album ''[[Misfits (The Kinks album)|Misfits]]''. [[Warrant (American band)|Warrant]]'s cover was featured on a hair metal Christmas tribute record called ''We Wish You a Hairy Christmas'', where it was the opening track.
@@ Line 66: / Line 66: @@
 [[Category:Songs about Santa Claus]]
 [[Category:Arista Records singles]]
+[[Category:British punk rock songs]]
+[[Category:Father Christmas]]
+[[Category:Mass media portrayals of the working class]]
 {{1970s-song-stub}}

v t e The Kinks
Ray Davies Dave Davies Mick Avory Pete Quaife John Dalton John Gosling Andy Pyle Jim Rodford Ian Gibbons Bob Henrit Gordon John Edwards Mark Haley
Studio albums	Kinks (1964) Kinks-Size (1965; US-only) Kinda Kinks (1965) Kinkdom (1965; US-only) The Kink Kontroversy (1965) Face to Face (1966) Something Else (1967) Village Green Preservation Society (1968) Arthur (1969) Lola Versus Powerman (1970) Percy (1971) Muswell Hillbillies (1971) Everybody's in Show-Biz (1972) Preservation Act 1 (1973) Preservation Act 2 (1974) Soap Opera (1975) Schoolboys in Disgrace (1975) Sleepwalker (1977) Misfits (1978) Low Budget (1979) Give the People What They Want (1981) State of Confusion (1983) Word of Mouth (1984) Think Visual (1986) UK Jive (1989) Phobia (1993)
Live albums	Live at Kelvin Hall (1968) One for the Road (1980) Live: The Road (1988) To the Bone (1994/1996) BBC Sessions: 1964–1977 (2001)
EPs	Kinksize Session (1964) Kwyet Kinks (1965)
Compilations	The Kinks Greatest Hits! (1966) Well Respected Kinks (1966) Sunny Afternoon (1967) Then Now and Inbetween (1969) The Kink Kronikles (1972) The Great Lost Kinks Album (1973) Come Dancing with The Kinks (1986) The Kinks Are Well Respected Men (1987) The Ultimate Collection (2002) Picture Book (2008) Waterloo Sunset: The Very Best of The Kinks & Ray Davies (2012) The Essential Kinks (2014)
Unreleased projects	Four More Respected Gentlemen A Hole in the Sock of (Dave Davies)
Concert tours	1965 UK tour 1965 US tour
Related articles	Discography Band members Session performers: Clem Cattini, Bobby Graham, Nicky Hopkins Konk The Kast Off Kinks Argent X-Ray Do It Again Give the People What We Want: Songs of The Kinks Sunny Afternoon (musical)
Category

v t e The Kinks singles discography
1960s singles (UK & US)	1964 "Long Tall Sally" "You Still Want Me" "You Really Got Me" "All Day and All of the Night" 1965 "Tired of Waiting for You" "Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy" "Set Me Free" "See My Friends" "Who'll Be the Next in Line" "A Well Respected Man" "Till the End of the Day" 1966 "Dedicated Follower of Fashion" "Sunny Afternoon" "Dead End Street" 1967 "Mister Pleasant" "Waterloo Sunset" "Death of a Clown" (Dave Davies solo) "Autumn Almanac" "Susannah's Still Alive" (Dave Davies solo) 1968 "Wonderboy" "Days" "Lincoln County" (Dave Davies solo) 1969 "Starstruck" "Hold My Hand" (Dave Davies solo) "Plastic Man" "Drivin'" "The Village Green Preservation Society" "Shangri-La" "Victoria"
1970s singles (UK & US)	1970 "Lola" "Apeman" 1971 "God's Children" "20th Century Man" 1972 "Supersonic Rocket Ship" "Celluloid Heroes" 1973 "One of the Survivors" "Sitting in the Midday Sun" "Sweet Lady Genevieve" "Where Have All the Good Times Gone" 1974 "Money Talks" "Mirror of Love" "Mirror of Love" (band version) "Holiday Romance" "Preservation" 1975 "Everybody's a Star (Starmaker)" "Ducks on the Wall" "You Can't Stop the Music" 1976 "I'm in Disgrace" "No More Looking Back" 1977 "Sleepwalker" "Juke Box Music" "Father Christmas" 1978 "A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" "Live Life" "Black Messiah" 1979 "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" "A Gallon of Gas" "Catch Me Now I'm Falling" "Moving Pictures" "Pressure"
1980s singles (UK & US)	1980 "Lola" (live) "You Really Got Me" (live) 1981 "Better Things" "Destroyer" "Predictable" 1982 "Come Dancing" 1983 "Don't Forget to Dance" 1984 "Good Day" "Do It Again" 1985 "Living on a Thin Line" (radio promo only) "Summer's Gone" 1986 "Rock 'n' Roll Cities" "How Are You" 1987 "Lost and Found" 1988 "The Road" 1989 "Down All the Days (Till 1992)"
1990s singles (UK & US)	1990 "How Do I Get Close" 1993 "Only a Dream" "Scattered"
Other singles (non-UK/US)	1966 "Dandy" (Europe) 1969 "Picture Book" (Australia) "Australia" (Australia) 1983 "State of Confusion" (Germany) 1991 "Did Ya" (Europe)
Other songs	"So Mystifying" "Bald Headed Woman" "Stop Your Sobbing" "Dancing in the Street" "I Need You" "I Go to Sleep" "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" "Big Black Smoke" "Party Line" "Rosy Won't You Please Come Home" "Love Me Till the Sun Shines" "David Watts" "Two Sisters" "Polly" "She's Got Everything" "Do You Remember Walter?" "Johnny Thunder" "Last of the Steam-Powered Trains" "Big Sky" "Sitting by the Riverside" "Animal Farm" "Village Green" "Phenomenal Cat" "All of My Friends Were There" "Wicked Annabella" "Monica" "People Take Pictures of Each Other" "Berkeley Mews" "Mr. Churchill Says" "Strangers" "This Time Tomorrow" "Rats" "Got to Be Free" "Have a Cuppa Tea" "Oklahoma U.S.A." "Muswell Hillbilly" "Sitting in My Hotel" "The Hard Way" "Life Goes On" "Misfits" "Attitude" "Low Budget" "Give the People What They Want" "Heart of Gold"