24 December 2025
Early December, the soundtrack to Xmas comedy movie OH. WHAT. FUN.
came out with artists covering other artists’ Xmas songs.
Among them, songsmith JEFF TWEEDY with his take on
The Band‘s 1977 carol, called Christmas Must Be Tonight.
Beautiful, just beautiful.
.
Original
23 December 2025
It’s already 52 years ago (17 December 1973) since the Wolverhampton glam
rockers SLADE released sickly sing-along single MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY.
It became a blockbuster hit with more than 1 million copies worldwide. It’s probably
both, the most loved and the most hated Xmas song ever. Every single year you just can’t escape it. It’s on the radio, in stores, in cafés and restaurants, on Christmas markets, it’s everywhere. Even on Turn Up The Volume.
All together now
22 December 2025
WHITE CHRISTMAS was written by American composer Irving Berlin for the 1942
musical film Holiday Inn. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 15th Academy Awards. Bing Crosby made the classic world-famous. The imperishable Xmas carol returns every single year.
The big numbers (so far).
Charts: Bing Crosby‘s version topped the Billboard chart for 11 weeks in 1942 and returned to the number one position again in December 1943 and 1944. His version would return to the top 40 a dozen times in subsequent years.
The big numbers.
Spotify: 661,114,256 streams
Official video: 8,646,185 million views
A new lyrics video was launched only
3 years ago
TV show video: 1.026.621 views
A performance on Crosby‘s own
TV Show in 1950.
Sales: According to the Guinness Book of Records there are two equally best-selling
singles ever. Crosby’s White Christmas with more than 50 million copies since its 1942 release, before any official pop chart, and Elton John’s Candle In The Wind (the 1997 remake for Princess Diana‘s funeral) with 33 million copies sold since the UK and US singles charts started in the 1950s.
To all Turn Up The Volume‘s loyal followers
and all other people of sonic goodwill.
Have A Smashing Xmas.
Maybe this spicy playlist – new and old – will help.
JINGLE YOUR BELLS!
.
17 December 2025
Canadian luminary ALANIS MORISSSETTE (aged 51 now) returned
to the live stage this year and will do so next year (in England).
But first her take on the classic devotional AVE MARIA. The song was
originally composed by Austrian symphonist Franz Schubert in 1825,
titled Ellens Dritter Gesang.
As an ode to the Virgin Mary the song became one of the
holiday’s most storied tunes over the years and still is.
Morissette‘s version is a down-tempo version that stays true
to the classic melody, with added flair from her singular vocals.
AVE MORISSETTE
FRANZ SCHUBERT
UK 2026
14 December 2025
British veteran songsmith and political activist, BILLY BRAGG (aged 67 now) has written
and shared an anti-far right Xmas musing, called PUT CHRIST BACK IN CHRISTMAS.
Bragg: “The far-right attention seeker who calls himself Tommy Robinson is trying to introduce Christian nationalism into the UK under the slogan “Putting Christ Back Into Christmas”. He told his followers that this involves “drawing attention to unchecked immigration and the fading of our cultural heritage.
Here’s a song I’ve just written to remind Tommy and his mates of the true meaning of Christmas, utilising the tune of the Scottish folk song ‘Come All Ye Tramps and Hawkers’.”
Listen
15 December 2025
Artist: SOFIA TALVIK
Who: Swedish songstress who has shared her songs from
the quiet forests of Sweden to the bustling streets and small
town venues across the United States, in 49 of its 50 states.
So far Talvik has released 10 albums,
countless singles and eps. All on Spotify.
Track: LET PEACE BE THE SONG
The single from her new Xmas
album Wrapped In Paper.
Stream/buy it here.
Enchanting.
“Santa if I could ask just one thing
Let peace be the song that we all sing
Let truth be the present that you bring
Let justice spread her mighty wing”
13 December 2025
Artist: THE DIVINE COMEDY
Who: The backing band of Irish
songsmith veteran Neil Hannon.
Track: ALL THE PRETTY LIGHTS
New Xmas tune that follows their praised
new LP Rainy Sunday Afternoon.
“It began with the title and a scrap of melody. That title brought to mind my family’s visit to London in the late ’70s. To be a 7-year-old in London at Christmas was like being in Mary Poppins. Utterly magical! These memories are a bit garbled and possibly enhanced with age, but the song is as much about the fallibility of memory as about nostalgia for Christmas past.”
Santa is on his way.
10 December 2025
Early December, the soundtrack to the Xmas comedy movie
OH. WHAT. FUN. came out with artists covering other artists’
Xmas songs.
Among them, the tremendous SHARON VAN ETTEN.
Listen to her version of The Pretenders 1987 hit 2000 MILES
.
Original
Daily noise that works faster than a stream of caffeine
19 December 2024
Lady Gaga for Xmas on TUTV? Oh, why not? I can’t name 1 of her LPS, but she has an imposing voice, she’s utterly cool, and she was one of the many artists who supported
VP Kamala Harris. So, there you go.
Gaga just shared her cover of classic Xmas
carol Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town
I did some research about the song. It was written in
1934 (I had no clue whatsoever) by Fred Coots and
Haven Gillespie.
It was first recorded/covered by singer/dancer Eddie Cantor. When he played the song
on his radio show 500,000 copies of sheet music and more than 30,000 records were sold. The rest is history. About 1 million artists (well, approximately) covered the hit over the years, many still do it now and many will do so in the future.
Wake up people,
today it’s Lady Gaga‘s
turn to let Santa come
to town to rock.