Wednesday 6 December 2023

December 6th - Driving Home for Christmas

 One of my favourite modern Christmas songs is Driving Home For Christmas by Chris Rea. 



This is the story of how he came to write it (info from the Guardian website)




Chris Rea, singer-songwriter

The story of Driving Home for Christmas is like a classic festive story. It was 1978, coming up to Christmas. It was all over for me: I was just about out of my record contract, and my manager had just told me he was leaving me. I just needed to get home to Middlesbrough from London, but the record company wouldn’t pay for a rail ticket, and I was banned from driving.

You do some crazy things when you’re young. My wife got in our old Austin Mini, drove all the way down from Middlesbrough to Abbey Road studios to pick me up, and we set off back straight away. Then it started snowing. We had £220 and I was fiddling with it all the way home. We kept getting stuck in traffic and I’d look across at the other drivers, who all looked so miserable. Jokingly, I started singing: “We’re driving home for Christmas … ” Then, whenever the street lights shone inside the car, I started writing down lyrics.

We eventually got home at 3am. It was so cold inside the house that the snow tumbled on to the doormat and didn’t melt. There was one letter – from PRS America. My song Fool (If You Think It’s Over) had been a hit in the US, so there was a cheque for £15,000. We went from being down to our last £220 to being able to buy a house. The song went in my old tin full of unfinished stuff.

Some years later, my career had turned around and [keyboard player] Max Middleton and I were testing two new pianos. We started joking around, playing this Count Basie-type thing. I pretended I was Nat King Cole. Someone said: “That’s a great tune, that. You should get it down.” I went back to my tin, and the words to Driving Home for Christmas fitted perfectly.

I’d never intended to write a Christmas hit – I was a serious musician! So initially, the song came out on a B-side. Then a DJ flipped it over and started playing it, so Max suggested we re-record it and add some strings. Max played the distinctive jazzy intro, we did a classic 1950s Christmas carol-type arrangement, and loved it. At first, it was another radio hit – but then it started re-entering the Top 40 every year.

*****************************************************************************

I love the idea of a musician having a tin of un-finished work - like  a crafter with unfinished objects and works-in-progress  and I reckon he's done quite well out of this piece since 1988! 


Back Tomorrow
Sue

35 comments:

  1. What a great story for a lovely song 🎶🎶 I love your little angel header picture too. 👼

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I might have different headers with the tree decorations all through December - just for fun!

      Delete
  2. On the flap of a wing, their fortunes turned, a great story. Some songs just blend into the culture. 'In the Bleak Midwinter' carol came on this morning, written by Christina Rossetti, sort of sums up the weather at the moment,
    'Snow on snow'

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No snow down here, icy this morning - nasty on roads still wet from the flooding

      Delete
  3. A lovely story, thank you.
    This was one of the songs on Lindsey's christmas playlist for Groove class yesterday and we were all singing along.
    xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It describes a horrible journey really well I think

      Delete
  4. Now I'll keep hearing Nat King Cole and Count Basie when I hear that song.

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's certainly one of the more palatable modern Christmas songs. Lovely story behind it too. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought it such a good story of how he came to write it

      Delete
  6. That's a great story for a song I love. I managed to get to hear Chris Rea in Albert Hall some years ago and loved ever minute of it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I like hearing the stories behind the songs. It makes them so much more meaningful.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I like to know how songs come about. Thanks for sharing and I’ll enjoy the earworm for the rest of the day! Catriona

    ReplyDelete
  9. I never heard this song before, but I love the story behind it. A Christmas that he obviously remembered fondly long before it became a song.

    One thing that I noticed though: that video does not accurately reflect driving in the UK!

    My favorite song is (and you will find it ridiculous) "Milk and Cookies" by Clint Black. It so perfectly describes small children and their Christmas excitement. It makes me smile every time I hear it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The video must be from Canada or somewhere - they are driving on the wrong side of the road for here!

      Delete
  10. Loved it Sue - never heard it before

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks Sue - a great background to this song and Chris Rea's life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was interesting to find this history of the song

      Delete
  12. Love the song and love the story , thank you x
    Alison in Wales x

    ReplyDelete
  13. I loved reading this, such a human story behind the hit. Loved the tin too, there were always tins at home from biscuits etc all full of unexpected things. Jean in Winnipeg

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I loved the idea of unfinished music or lyrics - just waiting for the right moment

      Delete
  14. Rea's mention of my home town made me look him up and find, yes, he's from the Rea family I knew, long ago, from going to their ice cream shop! Who knew!

    ReplyDelete
  15. CR is a great talent. Love the lyrics and tune. Unfinished business sits with us all hopefully just waiting for the right opportunity for a big success just like CR. We had our first dusting of snow this morning. It is melting fast in the sunshine.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I really like this song! I'd never heard it before, but it will be a regular on my Christmas playlist from now on. Thanks so much for posting this!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm pleased I've shared it with people over the pond!

      Delete
  17. Lovely story for a lovely song.

    God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi, I love this song. In the 1980’s I worked in a bank in Middlesbrough & Chris Rea’s dad was a customer. We always asked how he was doing & he was always so proud telling us all. We left the area in 1989 but play it every Christmas when we drive back to visit relatives. Glenda

    ReplyDelete