:''This article describes a 1985 album in the UK "Now!" series. It should not be confused with other similarly titled "Now!" Christmas albums. For more information, see

Now That's What I Call Music! ''Now That's What I Call Music!'' (often shortened to ''Now!'') is a series of various artists compilation albums released in the United Kingdom and Ireland by Sony Music and Universal Music (Universal/Sony Music) which began in 1983. Spinoff ...

and

Now That's What I Call Music! discography This is a list of available actual and physical albums belonging to the UK ''Now That's What I Call Music!'' series, comprising: compact discs (CD), audio cassettes (AC), vinyl ( LP), VHS tape, DVD, and on other short-lived formats. They are ...

.'' ''Now – The Christmas Album'' is a compilation album released in 1985. The album is part of the '' Now!'' series in the United Kingdom, and collects popular

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

songs of the last few decades. It reached number 1 on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

for two weeks, in between two runs of '' Now That's What I Call Music 6''. The album has since been superseded by subsequent two-disc and later three-disc releases in the 2000s.

Track listing

# Band Aid : "

Do They Know It's Christmas? "Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a charity song written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. It was first recorded by Band Aid, a supergroup assembled by Geldof and Ure consisting of pop ...

" – 3:41 #

Roy Wood Roy Wood (born 8 November 1946) is an English musician and singer-songwriter. He was particularly successful in the 1960s and 1970s as member and co-founder of the Move, Electric Light Orchestra and Wizzard. As a songwriter, he contributed a ...

with

Wizzard Wizzard were an English rock band formed by Roy Wood, former member of the Move and co-founder of the Electric Light Orchestra. ''The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits'' states, "Wizzard was Roy Wood just as much as Wings was Paul McCartne ...

: "

I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" is a Christmas song recorded by British glam rock band Wizzard. It was first released in December 1973 and, as with most Wizzard songs, was written and produced by the band's frontman Roy Wood—formerly ...

" – 4:42 #

Slade Slade are an English rock band formed in Wolverhampton in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The ''British Hit Singles ...

: "

Merry Xmas Everybody "Merry Xmas Everybody" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released as a non-album single in 1973. The song was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and it was produced by Chas Chandler. It was the band's sixth an ...

" – 3:44 #

Wham! Wham! (briefly known in the US as Wham! U.K.) were an English pop duo formed in Bushey in 1981. The duo consisted of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They became one of the most commercially successful pop acts of the 1980s, selling mor ...

: "

Last Christmas "Last Christmas" is a song by British pop duo Wham!, originally released in December 1984 on CBS Records International, CBS Records internationally and as a double A-side and B-side, A-side on Epic Records with "Everything She Wants" in the UK ...

"' – 4:28 # Elton John : "

Step Into Christmas "Step into Christmas" is a Christmas song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was released as a stand-alone single in November 1973 with the song "Ho, Ho, Ho (Who'd Be a Turkey at Christm ...

" – 4:33 #

Mike Oldfield Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...

: " In Dulce Jubilo" – 2:51 # Gary Glitter : " Another Rock n' Roll Christmas" – 3:45 #

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

: "

Wonderful Christmastime "Wonderful Christmastime" is a Christmas song by English musician Paul McCartney. Recorded during the sessions for his solo album '' McCartney II'' (1980), it was released in November 1979 following Wings' final album ''Back to the Egg'' earlie ...

" – 3:49 #

Shakin' Stevens Michael Barratt (born 4 March 1948), known professionally as Shakin' Stevens, is a Welsh singer and songwriter. He was the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s. His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, althoug ...

: " Blue Christmas" – 2:48 #

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

The Plastic Ono Band The Plastic Ono Band was a rock band formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1969 for their collaborative and solo projects based on their 1968 Fluxus conceptual art project of the same name. Lennon and Ono began a personal and artistic relati ...

: "

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" is a Christmas song released in 1971 as a single by John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir. It was the seventh single release by John Lennon outside his work with the Beatles. The song reach ...

" – 3.36 # Greg Lake : "

I Believe In Father Christmas "I Believe in Father Christmas" is a song by English musician Greg Lake with lyrics by Peter Sinfield. Although it is often categorised as a Christmas song, this was not Lake's intention. He said that he wrote the song in protest at the commercia ...

" – 3.31 # Chris De Burgh : " A Spaceman Came Travelling" – 5:04 #

Jona Lewie Jona Lewie (born John Lewis, 14 March 1947) is an English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his 1980 UK hits "You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties" and " Stop the Cavalry". Career Lewie was born on 14 March ...

: " Stop The Cavalry" – 2:57 #

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...

: "

Little Saint Nick "Little Saint Nick" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys first released as a single on December 9, 1963. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, the Christmas song applies hot-rod themes to Santa Claus and his sleigh. The single peaked ...

" – 2:01 #

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

: "

Thank God It's Christmas "Thank God It's Christmas" is a Christmas single by the British rock band Queen. It was written by lead guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor. Released on 26 November 1984, the single spent six weeks in the UK charts over Christmas 1984 ...

" – 4:19 # Mud : "

Lonely This Christmas "Lonely This Christmas" is a Christmas song by the English glam rock band Mud, that topped the UK Singles Chart in 1974, selling over 750,000 copies and reaching Christmas number one. Song Written and produced by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, ...

" – 3:34 # Johnny Mathis : "

When a Child Is Born "When A Child Is Born" is a popular Christmas song. The original melody was "Soleado", a tune from 1974 by Ciro Dammicco (alias Zacar), composer for Italy's Daniel Sentacruz Ensemble, and Dario Baldan Bembo. The tune was based on Damicco's earlie ...

( Soleado)" – 3:42 # Bing Crosby : " White Christmas" – 3:06

Track notes

The track listing above is for the original 18 track release of this album. The above running order is for ''The Christmas Album''.

Format and compilation name

The name of the compilation varied depending on what format it was purchased on. The LP was called ''The Christmas Album'', the cassette was named ''The Christmas Tape'' and the CD was known as ''The Christmas Compact Disc''. The CD of this compilation was released a year after the original album in 1986 - it is also very collectable.

2016 vinyl reissue

A new version of the compilation, with a new track list and artwork inspired by the original, was released on 26 November 2016 on vinyl only. Side A #John & Yoko and The Plastic Ono Band with The Harlem Community Choir : "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" #Wham! : "Last Christmas" #The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl : "Fairytale Of New York" #Shakin' Stevens : "Merry Christmas Everyone" #Brenda Lee : "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" #Andy Williams : "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" Side B #Wizzard : "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" #Chris Rea : "Driving Home For Christmas" #Dean Martin : "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" #Slade : "Merry Xmas Everybody" #Band Aid : "Do They Know It's Christmas?" #Bing Crosby : "White Christmas"

External links

A Pop Fan's Dream
1985 Christmas albums Christmas albums by British artists 1985 compilation albums Christmas compilation albums EMI Records compilation albums Virgin Records compilation albums

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