A cool fusion of classic Christmas songs.
Originally released in 2000 War Child Records partnered with Jeepster to reissue this classic Christmas double album on vinyl and digitally for the first timein 2021.
The intention was to create a quality compilation so artists who understood 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 recorded brand new songs for the album whilst Teenage Fanclub recorded their version of good friends Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci track. Low recorded their own song ‘Just Like Christmas’ shortly before contributing it to this compilation and the track has since become an indie classic. Gorky’s, Belle & Sebastian & The Dandy Warhols all recorded their own version of a well-known festive classics.
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 dear friend, Kevin Junior.
Many consider this collection of songs to be the definitive indie Christmas album and Jeepster have been inundated with requests for its re-release over the years. We are delighted to make this compilation of twenty-one songs available again twenty-one years after its original release with all proceeds raising funds for War Child’s life saving work with children affected by conflict.