Eric Clapton has announced his first Christmas album Happy Xmas, a collection of seasonal songs that arrives this October.
“I had in my head that these holiday songs could be done with a slight blues tinge, and I started to figure out how to play the blues lines in between the vocals,” Clapton told Billboard.
“I got it down and one of the most identifiable songs on the album, the one that became the foundational style, is ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.'”
The 14-track album boasts popular seasonal favorites like “White Christmas” and “Silent Night” alongside lesser-known Christmas songs and one Clapton-penned original, “For Love on Christmas Day.” Clapton’s rendition of the standard “Jingle Bells” also carries the parenthetical “In Memory of Avicii.”
Clapton co-produced Happy Xmas alongside Simon Climie, with the guitarist also contributing the hand-drawn album cover featuring Clapton dressed as Santa Claus.
Happy Xmas, due out October 12th, is Clapton’s first official album since 2016’s I Still Do. The guitarist last released his Life in 12 Bars documentary’s soundtrack, featuring his career highlights and unreleased songs, in July.
Happy Xmas Track List
1. White Christmas
2. Away In A Manger (Once In Royal David’s City)
3. For Love On Christmas Day
4. Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday
5. Christmas Tears
6. Home For The Holidays
7. Jingle Bells (In Memory Of Avicii)
8. Christmas In My Hometown
9. It’s Christmas
10. Sentimental Moments
11. Lonesome Christmas
12. Silent Night
13. Merry Christmas Baby
14. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
[Edited on 10/19/2018 by jszfunk]
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Jeez. We lost him.
Jeez. We lost him.
Unless of course he records the whole album with a Les Paul through a Marshall amp!
Jeez. We lost him.
I agree. What would’ve been awesome is if he spent the last 50 years releasing albums of the same kind of music over and over again.
He’s been playing standards for about the last 10 years now. This falls right in line with that. Bought their Christmas songs, they are all basically standards. It’s clear that’s where his musical heart has been for a while.
I’m actually excited. And his voice has become very good. I know he can do a good job with this. A rock album at this point? It’s tough for him to even play anymore.
Have some spirit, it’s Christmas. Elvis smoked on those old tunes.
Didn’t Chuck Leavell do a Christmas album?
I’ll give this a shot. I think EC’s voice has gotten better and better, and he is a tasty player. I prefer him on balladslike “Hard Times” and “Old Love,” and I bet this is in the same vein.
I’ll take it over an attempt to stay up with techno or hip hop etc.
Didn’t Chuck Leavell do a Christmas album?
I’ll give this a shot. I think EC’s voice has gotten better and better, and he is a tasty player. I prefer him on balladslike “Hard Times” and “Old Love,” and I bet this is in the same vein.
I’ll take it over an attempt to stay up with techno or hip hop etc.
Yep - Chuck recorded a Christmas album, & it was pretty cool. Here's a couple of the tunes live. Looks like Randall Bramblett & Davis Causey are part of the band.
[Edited on 10/21/2018 by MartinD28]
12. Silent Night 14. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Oh, how times have changed; not sure about what to think of this.
OK, I've thought about it.
No Thanks
Can it be worse than Dylan's Christmas in the Heart...and I say that as a diehard Dylan fan.
Skynyrd put one out in the 90s. I really like it. I think Charlie Daniels and some of the .38 Special guys are on it.
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
White Room Christmas
For Your Love On Christmas Day
Lay Down Santa
I Shot the Santa
The Little Baker Boy
Sleighla
White Room Christmas
For Your Love On Christmas Day
Lay Down Santa
I Shot the Santa
The Little Baker Boy
Sleighla
Ha! That's priceless! First time I've laughed out loud at something on the internet in a long, long time.
Well done, sir, well done!
I'll be buying it.
Is "Xmas" a holiday?
I don't recognize that one.
Can it be worse than Dylan's Christmas in the Heart...and I say that as a diehard Dylan fan.
How about this spoof by "Bob and the Dylantones":
Can it be worse than Dylan's Christmas in the Heart...and I say that as a diehard Dylan fan.
I heard a little of Bob's tongue in his cheek, an approach of which Slowhand is not capable!?
It's actually really pretty decent. Lots of soulful singing and playing. Think The Band's Christmas Must Be Tonight. and you get the feel of some of it
White Room Christmas
For Your Love On Christmas Day
Lay Down Santa
I Shot the Santa
The Little Baker Boy
Sleighla
After some intense thinking over the last couple of days, all that I can come up with is:
Hideaway in a Manger
I was going to suggest Wrapping Paper. Seems like an obvious choice, but I figured that non-Cream fans wouldn't appreciate it. Well, let's be honest, Cream fans wouldn't appreciate it either!
White Room Christmas
For Your Love On Christmas Day
Lay Down Santa
I Shot the Santa
The Little Baker Boy
Sleighla
This is good. I read the book that he wrote some time back and came away wondering how in the hell someone with this talent and success cou be so codependent.
Hideaway in a Manger lol good one. Wrapping Paper didn't need any change up.
It Came After a Midnight Clear
Strange Jew
Xroads
Tales of Brave St. Nicholas (tiny strands of tinsel run laughing thru your fingers and you want to take her with you to the heartland of the Christmas...)
ummmm.... Electrician ? ( hey now baby climb up on my icy roof, I wanna show you the Christmas lights go poof? I'm an electrical man, but the eaves are out of reach, winter sucks bigtime wish I was on a Florida beach)
I bought this. I actually really like it. His take on Jingle Bells is the only clunker for me. Though my kids like it, so . . .
But, overall a very nice album with tasty guitar throughout.
Heard it piped in to Barnes and Noble yesterday - nice vibe, Clapton, it is warm, organic, at least it is actual music. nothing incredible, it's a Christmas album what do you expect - for sure a welcome relief from Burl Ives and Mannheim Steamroller and the other sonic torment of Christmas. A lot of it makes me physically ill.
Heard it piped in to Barnes and Noble yesterday - nice vibe, Clapton, it is warm, organic, at least it is actual music. nothing incredible, it's a Christmas album what do you expect - for sure a welcome relief from Burl Ives and Mannheim Steamroller and the other sonic torment of Christmas. A lot of it makes me physically ill.
I agree Claptons voice is soulful and his playing is quite good especially on Christmas Tears
I've heard something where he sings "Feels Like Christmas", and it is just Clapton singing like he always does. He doesn't try to be anybody else. It was nice.
Aaaaaaggghhhh but I'm outraged that he does what he wants to do rather than what I want him to do!!!!! Aaaaggghhhhhhh!!!!
Given that The Yardbirds were part of the Beatles' Christmas Show in 1964, I'm cutting him slack. Once every 50+ years to sell the holidays is fine.
OMG! I'm going to setup in the basement,turn off all the lights,switch on the strobes & blacklight on the posters,dig up the owlesly,turn up the volume,distortion and reverb,pour a rum&coke and switch on Eric Claptons newest album!!! can't wait!! What next...Midnight Rider in the elevators.... 🙁 Hallmark Channel- here we come
OMG! I'm going to setup in the basement,turn off all the lights,switch on the strobes & blacklight on the posters,dig up the owlesly,turn up the volume,distortion and reverb,pour a rum&coke and switch on Eric Claptons newest album!!! can't wait!!
Hahaha!! lol - I would bet anything would sound good under those conditions. Well, interesting anyway. Then again maybe atrocious enough to scar you for life. I could hear the molecules of the spruce top dancing man, far out the guitar strings were vibrating the key to the universal frequency, it was pure string theory man I mean like actual physics. I tried to draw the equation on the wall but then Santa Claus turned into Satan Claws rippin outta my speakers man......
Hallmark Channel- here we come
I like that. Those Christmas movies would be a lot better w/ABB/Clapton/TTB soundtracks.
