The Wedding Present Xmas

During 1992 The Wedding Present released a single a month with the aim of duplicating Elvis Presley's feat of 12 charting singles in one year...and they pulled it off. On the surface this took a lot of chutzpa until you consider that each single was released in a "limited edition" run of 10,000 copies, which was apparently all the sales necessary to place a song in the British top 30 by the year 1992. All the songs were later compliled on two CDs, Hit Parade vol. 1 & 2.

This was the final single, released in December, and of course it is holiday themed. In keeping with previous practice the A-side was an original ("No Christmas") while the B-side was a cover (Elton John's "Step Into Christmas").

"No Christmas" was the second lowest charting of these singles, making it only to #25. Promotional gimmick or not, 12 top-30 singles is a good year for any band. I have to say, I prefer the Elton John cover to the original on this one, although my favorite cover from the project was either "Go Wild In the Country" (Bow, Wow, Wow) or "Let's Make Some Plans" (Close Lobsters). (I plan to post the Close Lobsters version of that song one of these days).

The Wedding Present

I'm not sure if I'm a fan of the Wedding Present or not. I know I bought a lot of their albums. I know I listened to them a lot. I know I enjoyed them. Still, to call yourself a fan of The Wedding Present it seems like you have to be willing to call them "The Weddoes," and I'm just not sure I want to go there.

I've always liked this cut, a cover of Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel's "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)." This was one of the highlights of the 1990 Alvin Lives (In Leeds): Anti Poll Tax Trax compilation that featured covers of hits from the 1970s by UK indie favorites.

With its ambivalent expression of sexual frustration and dramatic stop/start arrangement, this certainly sounds like it could have been a Wedding Present original. The lyrics, ("Come up and see me, make me smile / Or do what you want, running wild") sound like they could have come straight from the pen of Dave Gedge. This track would have easily fit in on Seamonsters, and it would have been one of the better tracks on that terrific album. This cover is good enough to (at least temporarily) erase any memory of the "ooh laa laas," strings, and flamenco guitars of the original (whether you loved it or hated it). Gedge absolutely owns this song.