Happy Holidays! Since it’s the first year of my blog, and since it’s the last year for my Annual Holiday Show on my little 20-year-old 80s radio program, STUCK IN THE 80s (on WMPG community radio in Portland, Maine), I wanted to present to you THE 31 DAYS OF 80s XMAS SONGS, or, 31 of my favorite 80s holiday musical treats.
For Day 16 of the 31 DAYS OF 80s XMAS SONGS, it’s a 1983 favorite from the wonderful 1996 Rhino 80s holiday song compilation, JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH: NEW WAVE XMAS – “Thanks For Christmas” by The Three Wise Men.
In November 1983, a few months after XTC released their sixth studio album, MUMMER, they released “Thanks For Christmas,” a non-album holiday single under the pseudonym, The Three Wise Men. The B-side was also a holiday song, called “Countdown To Christmas Party Time.” Both songs later appeared on the 1990 XTC compilation, RAG AND BONE BUFFET.
XTC founding member, guitarist, singer and principle songwriter Andy Partridge originally had the Virgin Records secretaries in mind to sing “Thanks For Christmas” under the name of “The Virgin Marys.” Virgin wasn’t too keen on the idea, citing poor taste in the reference, so the band decided to record the song themselves under the moniker of The Three Wise Men.
FUN SIDE NOTE: The producer for the session for “Thanks For Christmas” was named David Lord, and on the single, Andy Partridge and the band took full and fun advantage of that, and the single read, “Produced by The Three Wise Men and the Good Lord.”
I, for one, am thankful for XTC’s sense of humor and thankful they took a few minutes in late 1983 to say “Thanks For Christmas”…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SMgxtwiH44
FOREVER YOUNG 