Paul McCartney’s solo single “Wonderful Christmastime” has become something of a modern holiday standard since its 1979 release. A new installment of the “Vevo Footnotes” online feature offers up a profile of the tune that accompanies the song’s official music video.
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The presentation features background information about the song and its promo video, and includes some quotes from McCartney himself.
Speaking about the inspiration behind “Wonderful Christmastime,” McCartney said, “I liked the idea of Christmas songs purely because they only come around at Christmas! They remind us of the fun atmosphere of the whole season, and when I was writing ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ I was trying to capture that party aspect.”
He added, “I’m thinking about Liverpool Christmas parties, that’s all I’m doing with that song. ‘The mood is right, let’s raise a glass, the spirit’s up’—you know, all the stuff you do at Christmas. Particularly with my old Liverpool family parties.”
The feature explains that the music video was shot at two locations: The Fountain Inn, a pub in the U.K. village of Ashurst that dates back to the 16th century; and The Royal Hippodrome Theatre. The venue, located in the seaside town of Eastbourne, was where McCartney and his post-Beatles band Wings rehearsed for their 1979 U.K. tour.
We also learn that the “Wonderful Christmastime” video was directed by Russell Mulcahy. Mulcahy went on to direct many classic 1980s music videos, including clips for Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf” and “Rio.” He also directed the 1985 cult-classic fantasy film Highlander.
McCartney Shoots Down an Odd Online Theory About the Song
The Vevo Footnotes feature goes on to point out that a theory is circulating online about “Wonderful Christmastime” suggesting that the song “is about people [practicing] witchcraft, getting found out, and trying to cover it up.”
With regard to this, McCartney quips, “Thank goodness they found me out. This is completely true and in actual fact, I am the head wizard of a Liverpool coven. Either that… or it’s complete nonsense. And you know it’s the latter!”
More Info About “Wonderful Christmastime” and Its Video
“Wonderful Christmastime” was the first solo single McCartney released since the formation of Wings about eight years earlier. All of Wings’ members appear in the video, although McCartney played all of the instruments and sang all the parts on the track.
When Wings toured in late 1979, the band performed “Wonderful Christmastime” live.
The feature also includes a quote from McCartney addressing the opinion of some music fans that “Wonderful Christmastime” gets overplayed during the holidays.
“Sometimes people will go into a shop and hear the song a little too much, but I don’t care!” Sir Paul said. “I’m happy!”
Additional Details About “Wonderful Christmastime”
McCartney recorded “Wonderful Christmastime” in August 1979, while he was working on his 1980 solo album McCartney II. The tune was released as a single in November 1979.
“Wonderful Christmastime” peaked at No. 6 on the U.K. chart in January 1980, although it didn’t initially make it onto the Billboard Hot 100. The song eventually reached No. 26 on the Hot 100 in early January 2024.
“Wonderful Christmastime” was later included on expanded reissues of Wings’ final album, Back to the Egg, and McCartney II.
(Photo by Pete Still/Redferns)
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