Xmas 93

"Xmas 93"
Single by Saint Etienne
A-side"I Was Born on Christmas Day"
B-side
  • "My Christmas Prayer"
  • "Snowplough"
  • "Peterloo"
Released6 December 1993 (1993-12-06)
StudioCat Music
(Mitcham, London)
GenreHouse
Length14:52
LabelHeavenly
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Saint Etienne
Saint Etienne singles chronology
"Hobart Paving"
(1993) 		"Xmas 93"
(1993) 		"Pale Movie"
(1994)
Music video
"I Was Born on Christmas Day" on YouTube

"Xmas 93" is a Christmas-themed single by English alternative dance band Saint Etienne. It was released in the United Kingdom on 6 December 1993 by Heavenly Recordings. The lead track "I Was Born on Christmas Day" features guest vocals from The Charlatans singer Tim Burgess, and peaked at number 37 on the UK Singles Chart.[1] The song's title is a nod to band member Bob Stanley, who was born on 25 December 1964.[citation needed] The music video for the single was filmed in the vicinity of Kensington and Chelsea Register Office in London.

The main B-side, "My Christmas Prayer", is a cover of the 1959 Billy Fury original. The other two B-sides, "Snowplough" and "Peterloo", are both instrumentals. The B-sides "Snowplough" and "Peterloo" can be found in the So Tough reissue bonus disc, while "My Christmas Prayer" and "I Was Born on Christmas Day" on the Tiger Bay reissue bonus disc.

Critical reception

Tim Sendra from AllMusic described "I Was Born on Christmas Day" as a duet between Sarah Cracknell and Tim Burgess "set to a house beat." He added, "The melody is very sweet and the vocals blend together nicely, Burgess displaying a healthy (and unusual) dose of restraint."[2] In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton stated, "It wouldn't be Christmas without at least one seasonal record in the charts. Saint Etienne have spent the entire year missing out on the success they so richly deserve."[3] Everett True from Melody Maker named it Single of the Week.[4]

Martin Aston from Music Week gave it four out of five and named it Pick of the Week in the category of Alternative, calling it a "seasonally-challenged" duet and "a catchy, if lightweight, slice of pop, with daytime radio appeal and press potential galore."[5] Danny Frost from NME said "this is a bit of a swizz", noting "a breathier than ever" Burgess.[6] Another NME editor, Jim Wirth, noted the "join-the-dots ABBA-isms" of the song.[7] Leesa Daniels from Smash Hits wrote, "This starts off like a disco classic in the making. But then the weedy girl vocals of Sarah Cracknell come in followed by the weedy boy vocals of Tim Burgess from the Charlatans. And the whole disco classic is out the window." She concluded, "It's dead catchy and instantly singable".[8]

Music video

A music video was produced to promote the song. It was later made available on YouTube in May 2012.[9] In 2020, Sarah Cracknell talked about making the video, saying "We had such a laugh making the video for ‘I Was Born On Christmas Day’ and Tim was a real star. We shot the whole thing in sequence on a Sunday which ended up in a massive party. I'm sure I accidentally broke the hearts of many Charlatans fans who thought the wedding was real."[10] The video featured actor Richard O'Sullivan, of Man About The House fame, playing the father of the bride.

Track listings

All tracks produced by Saint Etienne.

CD single and 12" single[11][12]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Was Born on Christmas Day" (featuring Tim Burgess)
3:14
2."My Christmas Prayer"Billy Fury3:28
3."Snowplough"
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
3:43
4."Peterloo"
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
4:27
Total length:14:52
7" single and cassette single[13][14]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Was Born on Christmas Day" (featuring Tim Burgess)
  • Catt
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
3:14
2."My Christmas Prayer"Fury3:28
Total length:6:42

Charts

Chart (1993–94) Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[15] 93
UK Singles (OCC) 37
UK Airplay (Music Week)[16] 27

References

  1. ^ "Saint Etienne | Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  2. ^ Sendra, Tim. "Saint Etienne – I Was Born on Christmas Day". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  3. ^ Masterton, James (19 December 1993). "Week Ending December 25th 1993". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  4. ^ True, Everett (11 December 1993). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 27. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  5. ^ Aston, Martin (4 December 1993). "Market Preview: Alternative - Pick of the Week" (PDF). Music Week. p. 13. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  6. ^ Frost, Danny (11 December 1993). "Singles". NME. p. 13. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  7. ^ Wirth, Jim. "St Etienne – London Kentish Town Forum". NME. Archived from the original on 2000-08-17. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  8. ^ Daniels, Leesa (4 December 1993). "New Singles". Smash Hits. p. 57. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  9. ^ "Saint Etienne - I Was Born On Christmas Day". YouTube. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  10. ^ "I Was Born On Christmas Day video shoot with Tim Burgess". Facebook. 13 December 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  11. ^ Xmas 93 (UK CD single). Saint Etienne. Heavenly Recordings. 1993. HVN 36CD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ Xmas 93 (UK 12" single). Saint Etienne. Heavenly Recordings. 1993. HVN 3612.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ Xmas 93 (UK 7" single). Saint Etienne. Heavenly Recordings. 1993. HVN 36.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ^ Xmas 93 (UK cassette single). Saint Etienne. Heavenly Recordings. 1993. HVN 36CS.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 3. 15 January 1994. p. 15. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  16. ^ "The Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. 25 December 1993. p. 28. Retrieved 4 May 2024.