It is hard to believe it has been fifteen years since the release of Status Quo’s first (and only) Christmas-themed single. I remember the excitement I felt at the news that the band would be adding their entry into the Christmas music scene. Other 70s acts, such as Slade, Wizzard and Mud, had embraced the festive period in their heyday. Quo could have done something back then, but the various eras Quo experienced in such a short period of time make it impossible to pinpoint when it would have been best.
Background
It is important to establish the significance It’s Christmas Time. Quo had encountered festive UK chart success before 2008, but they weren’t Christmas songs. Down Down, an eventual 1975 number 1, was first released in December of 1974; Living on an Island placed in the top 20 at the end of 1979; Margarita Time hit the top 5 over Christmas of 1983; Burning Bridges reached a peak chart position of #5 in December 1988. The latter is probably the closest to a Christmas single up to that point, owing to the cheerful jig at the centre of the track.
Status Quo in 2008 were experiencing another high point in their career. They were celebrating 40 years since the release of Pictures of Matchstick Men, by releasing the extensive compilation album Pictures – 40 Years of Hits in November 2008. The launch of this album featured an auction of Quo-inspired artwork made by celebrities, musicians and artists, in which money raised went to the Prince’s Trust. The artwork was featured in the earBOOK version of the album.
The Song
It’s Christmas Time was written by Rick Parfitt and Wayne Morris. It was released on the 8th of December 2008. The song was produced by Pip Williams, who had recently been involved with the band again producing In Search of the Fourth Chord the previous year. Upon first hearing it, I fell in love with the track. The underbelly was pure Quo at their most jolly, a catchy melody with Parfitt chugging rhythm and memorable lead guitar lines. Rossi on the verse with Parfitt on the bridge, just like old times. On the outer layer was everything one would expect from a commercial Christmas song. It had the typical lyrics associated with the festive period, along with bells and a children’s choir. To my personal taste, these obvious elements lifted the track and enhanced its potential for nostalgia. It ensured I would associate this song with the festive season. EDIT: It has been confirmed to me that Wayne Morris played the solo on this song, which was directly lifted from the demo.
The Music Video
There was a competition for fans to be featured in the music video. From memory, the intention was to intersperse Christmas-related videos from the public with footage of the band. While there were eventually festive clips included in the video, the entries I saw on YouTube were simply fans miming or rocking out to the tune. Even my brother and I did this, completely misunderstanding the brief! The video felt somewhat underwhelming on the first view. A classmate contemporary of mine commented that it “looked like a student project”, and I couldn’t disagree with them at that moment. It was 2008, and we were viewing it through bad-quality YouTube on a large projection screen. The Wizard of Oz would’ve looked terrible.
I then viewed the video in a much higher quality when it aired on Top of the Pops 2. The elders I watched it with were positive about the song and video, When I could finally appreciate it, I found it was nice to see the band having fun, the timing of the clips and the snow machine at the end. Promotional videos for Christmas songs don’t need to be high art, they have the nostalgia factor. I watched it just now, and I have literal tears in my eyes.
UK Chart Position
The song disappointingly stalled at the number 40 position on the UK charts, It would drop out a couple of weeks later. The failure of this single could be down to many factors.
- It was around this time that Woolworths closed their doors for the final time, a store which had been THE place for buying physical singles.
- The singles chart had changed, with downloads now counting towards positions.
- It’s Christmas Time was included in a Christmas compilation and Pictures: 40 Years of Hits.
It could be fair to say that if Quo had released this track a few years earlier, they would have faired much better. As with a lot of moments in Quo’s history, it is a series of unfortunate circumstances which thwart their chart success.
It’s Christmas Time in 2023
In the years since its release, It’s Christmas Time has become a cult classic. It will never be among the likes of Mariah, Slade and Wham, but it has its place. I was once woken up by Chris Evans playing the song on his breakfast show, it was at this moment I knew it was here to stay. It won’t be to every Quo fan’s taste, but I still feel a festive tingle each December when those guitars kick in.
It’s Christmas Time was recently released on CD and vinyl, with a number of 2022 studio re-recordings included.
