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Is downloading sheep this years Christmas must-do?

Christmas Story Number One

Tuesday, 11 December 2007

Not that we’d ever encourage betting here at RCN towers, but we reckon the Christmas number one is all wrapped up, complete with Welsh flag and dodgy roots. The bookies believe it’ll be an X-Factor release topping the yuletide countdown in 2007, and with Rhydian at 1/3 odds on, the chances of the jingle of tills heading Cowell's way are a dead cert.

Or maybe not? There are plenty out there bemoaning the presence of a proper Christmas single this year – did we ever think we’d miss Slade this much? – but thankfully some artists are being sent to save us. They come in the form of many, including Andy Williams M&S spruced up, a charitable duet from Eva Cassidy and Katie Melua for the Red Cross, a cynically reassuring if none too festive ‘We’re All Gonna Die’ from Malcolm Middleton and HMV’s Christmas saviour Shaun The Sheep and his ‘Life’s A Treat’.

With Leona Williams ‘I’m Still Bleeding’ at the top of the charts, Girls Aloud’s ‘Call The Shots’ at large and the ever-worrying presence of six-year-old Connie Talbot and her ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’, the competition may be there but the seasonal feel certainly isn’t. But why? Alongside the X Factor dominance of our Christmas airwaves many are blaming the download for the lack of Christmas tinged singles. But take a look at the iTunes download chart and chasing Girls Aloud and Miss Williams is Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Xmas Is You’. Finally a tune sprinkled with snow.

Icy puns aside, is this the year the Christmas single went over the cliff? Are we destined to dig out the old ‘Now That’s What I Call Christmas’ and pine for that days of George’s ‘Last Christmas’, Boney M’s cross dressing boy child or the Pogues seminal ‘Fairytale Of New York. Or could we be in a world where the Christmas number one is as much a festive after thought as a pack of Eat Me Dates. An essential purchase on the 24th, instantly disposable on the 26th. Still if it’ll keep Same Difference off the top maybe downloading sheep is our only option. Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah Humbug and all that.