The official Christmas FM thread

A cup of te · 30-11-2022 10:14pm

I Believe in Father Christmas is great. I only came to know that through a live cover Pulp did back in the 1990s. Great song and one you don't hear very often.

Declan A Walsh · 30-11-2022 11:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119941927#Comment_119941927

I have known that song much longer! It used to get a bit more play on Christmas FM in the earlier years of the station. It has tended to turn up on Christmas song countdowns (often repeats it should be said) on tv music channels.

Smell the glove · 01-12-2022 1:41am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119941927#Comment_119941927

I'll have to check that out . Never knew pulp did a cover

A cup of te · 01-12-2022 9:24am

I got that cover off a Pulp message board called Bar Italia years ago. I am sure I have it on CD somewhere. It's a bootleg and not good quality but I loved the melody and would've loved a higher quality version because it sounded great. You also hear a tiny snippet of it on the Hits DVD in one of the compilation segments. I'll have a look and see can I find it later.

A cup of te · 01-12-2022 11:49am

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=y5BRs_w-fFQ

this is the one I have somewhere on a CD. Very low sound quality but loved the melody and I love the guitar and the keyboards here. I know Jarvis goes off tune sometimes but I love Pulp. Maybe like Christmas they are bound up with nostalgia for me. I seem to love everything from childhood!

pigtail33 · 01-12-2022 5:17pm

I just got Dolly'd so Christmas FM got turned off! I think I heard it around this time one evening during the week too. Thankfully I haven't heard it nearly as much as last year.

DvB · 01-12-2022 6:30pm

Well I can confirm that the signal was lost about 40km outside of Westport, tbh after over 2 hours straight I was glad of the break.

Will pick it up tomorrow on the drive home.

A cup of te · 02-12-2022 10:36pm

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wrNc6bFEJCE

My band's Christmas song. Sorry for plugging it but ye might like it! We have a few Christmas songs but only got around to recording this one. It is lighthearted and about longing for a normal Christmas in the dark days of covid when it felt like it'd never happen again.

odyssey06 · 03-12-2022 10:19pm

Journal article posted...

https://www.thejournal.ie/christmas-fm-6-5933686-Dec2022/

Declan A Walsh · 04-12-2022 8:21pm

I heard My Grown-Up Christmas List by Natalie Cole and David Foster twice today. I love that song. I also heard a version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Natalie Cole that I don't remember hearing before. It's an interesting swing/jazz arrangement.

Incidentally, as often happens this time of the year, when I was driving cross country, the frequencies changed. I know it has been mentioned before, here or elsewhere, about the curious RDS message for 99.4, the Cavan frequency. It displays "Nova Nova Nova Nova Nova"! I am pretty sure it was like that last year.

SCOOP 64 · 04-12-2022 8:34pm

Finding the reception not great this year for some reason.

Jude13 · 05-12-2022 4:50am

Listened in a good bit over the weekend whilst cooking and generally hanging around.

TRS30 · 05-12-2022 10:32am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119957836#Comment_119957836

Same, have it on Alexa in the kitchen as background music most of the time now. Is good cause I just ask her to turn it up when a song I really like comes on.

marno21 · 05-12-2022 10:58am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119956719#Comment_119956719

Whereabouts?

radiotrickster · 05-12-2022 11:38am

With Bauer having their own Christmas offering, are they allowing their presenters to take part this year? 98FM’s Karl Dawson and Spin’s Jessica Spencer are both on the website as part of the on-air team but neither appear on the schedule and I haven’t heard either of them yet either

Loughc · 05-12-2022 11:47am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119958447#Comment_119958447

Christmas Hits on the go Loud app doesnt have any presenters so I can't imagine they can stop the presenters from showing up in their free time to volunteer especially if they go by a Christmas pseudo name

ClaudeVercetti · 05-12-2022 5:00pm

After a hectic morning with work, I went on a walk through the woods and listened in to try and forget it - Had Driving Home for Christmas and Mistletoe and Holly by Frank Sinatra and they instantly lifted the mood!

I used to live abroad and I'd play Driving Home for Christmas whenever I was booking the December flights back, such a belter!

DvB · 05-12-2022 5:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119956637#Comment_119956637

When i have 105.2 on in the car I get a _ in the information bar & nothing else. It did briefly this morning have 'XMAS - bringing you the magic of Christmas' & the artist & song title below, but it disappeared after a couple of songs.

Saw the NOVA, NOVA on 99.4 when travelling west last week, but lost all signal after Strokestown unfortunately. I'm back out that way on Wednesday so will see if anything has changed, though I suspect not as the same thing happened me last year when driving out that neck of the woods.

marno21 · 06-12-2022 1:29pm

87.7 has dynamic RDS RadioText today showing the song and artist currently playing. A fantastic addition especially for the more obscure songs.

105.0 in Kerry still has static “Ireland’s Christmas Station”.

DvB · 06-12-2022 1:37pm

105.2 has the Artist & song title appearing this morning anyway. Noticed it when dropping the kids to school earlier. As mentioned above, a nice addiiton for any songs I'm either not familiar with or unsure of the artist for covers.

Declan A Walsh · 06-12-2022 1:39pm

I heard a new song this morning (to me anyway): Warm this Winter by Gabriella Cilmi. I liked it on first hearing anyway.

SarahLil · 06-12-2022 2:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119963232#Comment_119963232

It’s actually a favourite of mine not sure from what year but was only introduced to it by Christmas fm I just heard it awhile ago too

DvB · 08-12-2022 12:46pm

Travelled to Westport again yesterday, signal was solid as far as Tulsk, but lost it completely after that, coming back it was the Strokestown again before I could pick up the signal again... had to do with Newstalk for that stretch there was no signal as I'd forgotten my iPod to connect to the car. Wont make that mistake again!

Decent mix of songs across the 4 odd hours of listening. Heard dollys jolly christmas just the one time and no Christmas shoes or Elmo & Patsy being run over by reindeer... I do seem to be hearing the same dozen or so songs a lot more this year and whilst that's totally fine I do enjoy hearing the lesser known songs as well, havent heard any of The Darkness, Sia, Ava Max, Robbie Williams, Goo Goo Dolls, Barry Manilow etc this year.

Still, thoroughly enjoyable listening when travelling, the presenters make it though.

TRS30 · 08-12-2022 1:28pm

I've been hearing Feliz Navidad a lot this year. Don't mind it and one of the songs that I most associate with Christmas FM.

marno21 · 08-12-2022 1:31pm

Hopefully they will continue to expand next year, Mayo is surely top of the list for a new FM relay. A relay cosited with RTE’s Castlebar transmitter or Mid West’s 96.1 in Kiltimagh would be great for covering a wide area especially the major roads.

Loughc · 08-12-2022 2:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119970591#Comment_119970591

I heard Goo Goo Dolls last night on the Drive home show, great song.

The Early Breakfast slot 6am was playing some serious bangers this morning.

DvB · 08-12-2022 3:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119971053#Comment_119971053

Was in the car @ 6.20am and had it on for the 40 minutes it took to drive to the office & yep, heard a good few of my festive faves in that time.

pigtail33 · 08-12-2022 3:24pm

I've had it on for three short, 20 min or so, stints today and I've heard All Alone for Christmas each time! Thankfully it's a song I like singing along to.

sunbabe08 · 08-12-2022 5:16pm

i don't know about any one else, but i've noticed that Ed Sheeran and Elton John song is being played a lot.

DvB · 08-12-2022 5:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119971678#Comment_119971678

Yeah have heard that one a few times myself.

The official Christmas FM thread

Comments

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" - Charles Dickens

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" - Charles Dickens

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" - Charles Dickens

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" - Charles Dickens

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" - Charles Dickens

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" - Charles Dickens