It's that time of the year again

Christmas comes but once a year

And when it comes, it brings good cheer

So, it's time for one of my longstanding Christmas traditions: listening to the Beatles' Christmas album. This collection of seven Beatles singles was recorded and sent out to members of their fan club each year from 1963 through 1970. The Beatles were famous for their wit and repartee: these quips and skits and ad-libed bits of songs (many never made available elsewhere) give a good sense of what it was must have been like to be in the room.

After the group broke up, John recorded a final song on his own that ends it all on a pognant note: his "Give Peace a Chance"  beginning with 

 "And so this is Christmas . . ."  

In this time of great stress and strife, it helps once in a while to indulge in a little sillyness.

Unfortunately, my original tape, which dates back to 1980/81, has long since worn out. Now the replacement cd I made of it is barely audible as well.  Luckily there is YouTube. For a sample ofwhat one year's installment (in this case, 1965, the third) might sound like,  give this a listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZWBtMF2DTE

For a more involved compilation which draws together the Xmas material with other Beatles material given the fan club / Beatles treatment, see 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUvCPkp0H0U

--John R.

--current reading: Sarbon.