VARIOUS ARTISTS for WAR CHILD UK

‘It’s A Cool Cool Christmas’

Limited Edition 2LP vinyl album

Black (JPRLP013): Transparent Red (JPRLP013X); Transparent Blue (JPRLP013RS); Clear (JPRLP013RT)

This popular Christmas double album is released on Jeepster in collaboration with the charity War Child UK and will be available both on vinyl and digitally for the first time ever on 26th November 2021.

The original intention back in 2000, when the album was first released, was to raise money for a worthy charity. Artists who we knew would understand the spirit of the album were approached and were given one of three choices: they could cover a Christmas standard, jingle up one of their existing songs or donate an original song about Christmas. The artists all responded in their own way. Snow Patrol, Calexico and Giant Sand all recorded brand new songs, and Teenage Fanclub recorded their version of a Gorky’s track. Low recorded their own song shortly before contributing it to this compilation and the track has since become an indie classic, and Gorky’s, Belle & Sebastian & The Dandy Warhols all recorded their own version of a well-known classic. Grandaddy stamped their own lyrical bent onto the standard Winter Wonderland, whilst El Vez gave ‘Public Image’ a Christmas makeover, and Departure Lounge made a video of ‘Christmas Downer’ with a happy ending whilst busking outside Poundland.

It was The Flaming Lips who went first however, with their own version of White Christmas. Their announcement of their own Christmas album was the initial inspiration for It’s A Cool, Cool Christmas back in 2000; their version of White Christmas is marked (demo for Tom Waits); they were envisaging guest appearances from other artists. Morgan’s father, Billy Nicholls who has appeared on albums with The Small Faces, The Faces and The Who, plays saxophone on his track. The Webb Brothers had planned to record a song with their father, the legendary Jimmy Webb but opted to cover a song by their friend, Kevin Junior.

Many consider this collection of songs to be the definitive indie Christmas album and we have received regular requests for its re-release over the years, so hear it is: a perfect compilation of twenty-one Christmas songs re-released after twenty-one years.