Entertainment For Lively Minds
A small Christmas present to the Massive.
Bit hesitant about posting, as one always is about one's own work, but anyway. The lovely and unfeasibly talented Katy G and I took it into our heads to do a Christmas song, and here it is as an unsolicited Christmas present from us to you lot. We're called The Disappointment Choir, and the song's called "A Pretty Good Christmas".
Hope you like it, or at least, hope you don't actively hate it. We had fun doing it.
And if you don't fancy the video, here's the SoundCloud, which you can download, if you want. Feel free to share it about a bit!
A Pretty Good Christmas by disappointmentchoir
Merry Christmas, Massive.
(Oh, and a HUGE thank you to Katy's lovely friends who came round her house and did the singalong at the end!)
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Ooh thanks very much!
You should both be very proud of that. Pretty good Christmas?
Pretty
Pretty
Pretty Good
Superb!!!
Just think - if you didn't spend so much time "fannying about" on this blog (we're all guilty), you could have presented us with a whole album's worth!
Hey, that's great!
Just watched it on my phone while snuggled up with my two little daughters. My 6 year old agrees that it's going to be a pretty good christmas, even a fantastic christmas. My 3 year old insists it's going to be a Father Christmas Christmas. Xx
Have yourselves a merry little Christmas
for you've just made mine a whole lot better. Put me down for the inevitable deluxe box set.
Just
brilliant! Thanks Katy & Bob xxxxx
Just had a listen and really enjoyed it...
Merry Christmas!
Bob is being modest
But I'm very very chuffed he let me plink about on his fab song. Happy Christmas everyone!
That really is very good indeed.
I'm speechless with admiration.
Varma julhälsningar från Sverige!
Brilliant
It's a great song, and video. You've made my day. Thanks.
In the interests
of the OP and to create a semblance of balanced opinion I've grabbed a pitchfork, some burning torches, a picture of Fred Goodwin and a copy of the Daily Mail to help me try and actively hate that track.
Not working so far.
Bah humbug.
Blinkin' talented people ... pah!
Seriously though, that's just put a spring in my step. Thank you.
I'm hating
the fact that I'm stuck at work, with internet filters that leave me with two big white gaps where the video and the Soundcloud should be.
By the time I get home and hear this, I'll be the last to do so and that's just not fair.
Don't worry, Paul...
...I'm in the same boat.
See you at 6pm-ish, then...
Gents, you are in for a treat............
That's a bloody good song and will be played a lot, and not just at Christmas.
Thanks for sharing
It's worth the wait
Quite brilliant. Love the video too.
Just got home.
Bloody hell.
I'm filling up here.
That is seriously good.
How proud am I to know you two?
Just great. Really, bloody, excellently, great.
Guys, seriously,
that was great!
*wipes tear*
You are what this blog is all about.
You owned that OP
and you really nailed that video - you've been on a real journey.
.
.
.
But enough of that - I'm truly impressed and more than a little jealous of your skills.
Thank you and merry chrimbo to you both.
Haha!
Bob and Katy, you gave it 110%!
This just in from Len Goodman...
..."I tell you what, Bob, what I like about you - you come out here, full on, no messin' about - okay [gurns a bit] that thing with the Christmas tree over there, I didn't know if that was gonna be for me [feigns bafflement at audience booing], but i tell you what, you nailed it [revels in manipulating sponrtaneous hurrah from crowd] and GOOD ON YOU and, okay [points to ill determined spot on floor] there was a bit of issue over there with a fleckerl of snowflakes and a dodgy bit of vocal arrangement but... I LOVED IT! Bob & Kate? Yer Christmas is great!" [Roar of crowd, smell of greasepaint, self satisfied big grin from Len, faffing about from Brucie etc etc]
....and this from the rest of the panel...
Alesha: 'Bob. Kate. [taps perma-held pen on table] You come out, [taps pen] you always give it your best [points] and I commend you for it. [huge roar of approval from crowd]
Brucie: 'Yes, yes, vuh-vuh-vuh-vuh-vuh, it was commendable, commendale, good game, good game... er, Broooooono, whaddayou have to say about it? [looks nervously at eyebrow-twitching, worryingly-squirming, camp Italian]
Bruno: 'Bob. [pout, twitch, eye-roll, roar of crowd] Bobbbbbbbb. [increased roar of crowd] MMMMMMMM-BOBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB!!!!!! [decibel-shattering explosion of nervous energy, leaps from seat, flails around, gives Alesha black eye] It wazzza SENSATIONAL... MINDA-BLOWING... CHESTNUT-A-ROASTING-ON-AN-OPEN-FIRE-A-MERISING!!!!!! HIP-SHAKING-CHRISTMASSSA-CAKE-A-MAKING, er, er... [calms down] It wazza quite good, you know? [turns all sultry all of a sudden, sits down, eyes Kate's legs and Bob's cleavage, twitches eyebrows, pouts, buys time to think of something else ludicrous to say] Kate-a, Bob... [pauses for effect] it wazza good job! [roar of relief from traumatised crowd]
Brucie: vuh-vuh-vuh-vuh-vuh, er, Craig - let's not spoil it!
Craig: [poker faced air of disinterest] The hands, Bob, the hands - daaaaaaaaaarling, if ONLY you'd listened to me last week. [Booos all round, ostentatious squirming in seat and looking back and forth with stunned expression from Len] And Kate - MUST you play that ukelele? [uproar in crowd, security called, Brucie aghast] Well... apart from that I suppose it was... [crowd on tenterhooks] A-MAY-ZING! [explosion of applause, Kate and Bob raised aloft on shoulders of massive, seats ripped out, champagne corks cracked, trebles all round, Brucie sidelined, no-one-knowing-what-to-do-next....]
You missed the bit
With the stage invasion and a clearly miffed Broooocie shouting GERROFF YOU RAGAMUFFINS! because he failed to identify the famous pop pickers McWord (Hepworth, Ellen, Lewry & Johnson).
I want to know how you managed to get Aled Jones to sing on that. First class darlings.
Wonderful!
Well done all!
Thanks Guys
Good Job!
Thanks Guys
Good Job!
Truly brilliant
Sarcasm and inanity from me deferred for one post at least.
An excellent piece beautifully done
More Sleigh Bell !
Nice one, well done.
Lovely!
Any chance of getting some CDs pressed up and a gang of ninjas to swap your song with Mick Hucknall's Christmas ditty? Actually, don't do that, it would revive his career, and we don't want that...
Terrific!
Have downloaded it and will replay whenever Christmas spirit is flagging... Thanks a lot!
Good work Bob, Katy and Friends...
Happy Bloomin' Christmas!
Derivative comment
My peer group contains a number of internet sceptics who feel that civilisation started to fall apart when people began to buy dial-up modems in the 1990s and plug them into their PCs...
But with our distributed, post-industrial and highly atomised culture, that internet - and associated tech - also allows people to come back together again and do stuff. Together. And that's such a fine thing that I think I have something in my eye.
Thank you...
...very, very much for all lovely comments. Glenbervie's not the only person with summat in the old eye. You're very nice people.
That's pretty great.
Like the singer's voice. As a northerner I'm a bit taken aback at the pronunciation of the word 'dance' but apart from that it's rather spendid.
Very good
The vocals (Bob I assume) put me in mind of Martin Rossiter.
Yes I can hear that.
Also, perhaps a little Cathal Coughlan circa Microdisney.
My worry was it would be a Thom Yorke or Guy Garvey type voice. Thankfully it's a lot more listenable than those two. There you go Bob - better than Elbow or Radiohead in my book!
I loved it too
I read that as 'Leonard Rossiter' and thought M. l'Ambassadeur you spoil us.
Can't have everything :-)
Well done chaps
The gift that has kept giving
I have been blessed with a double earworm of Bob & Katys song and thanks to Mr Mills comment this
Judge for yourself whether Bob did in fact front gene way back in the 90's
Good stuff
Enjoyed your pressie Bob. Interesting lyrics, suitably Christmassy tune and love the way it all builds to a climax - as it should. Well done. Go to the top of the class.
I'm wowed
I really am..... It's going on my Christmas cd to friends n family...
Oh yea, they're called The Disappointment Choir...I know them aksholee.......
Get in there!
Serious well done to Bob and Katy G
Brilliant
Song. Brilliant video. You should both be very proud.
Very nice
Well done both of you.
We will expect an unplugged super-session rendition at the next drink, with Hannah jamming along with you two on the uke.
Brilliant, Bob...
...heard it at last (only had Len & the boys' comments to go on before, and we know how reliable those guys are! :-D ) - fantastic chorus and sentiment and great Elbow-esque mantra/build-up towards the end!
If you put half as much heart & soul and craft into your cafe aspirations they can hardly fail.
All one could ask, for icing on the cake (the song - not the cafe/bakery!), would be an instrumental B-side mix with a fusion guitar solo. I'm sure Twang or Kate would be up for it...
But seriously - one to be proud of, Bob :-)
Bob / Katy
That is going straight on my 'Christmas Crackers' iPod playlist.
Thank you and Merry Christmas to you both.
David
PS Would it be greedy to ask Pencilsqueezer to design a piece of his fabulous artwork to go with the track on the iPod... ;)
Hi Red.
Busy as the proverbial bee at the moment working on a number of small pieces as gifts for various members of the Massive who will be in attendance at the next N.W. Mingle on the 27th January in that Liverpool. However if you click on over to my half-arsed website you will find a selection of my scribblings, please feel free to grab whatever takes your fancy.
And let me just say...
...that if anyone's NOT gone to Peter's website and checked out his work, you're mugging yourself. It's amazing. I have every intention of making a wee purchase one of these days, if I can find a) wall space and b) a few quid. It'll have to wait until after my redundancy!
Glad tidings
Good to hear that you're busy 'Squeezer. I'll go and have a scout around your site as suggested.
Merry Christmas
Red
Truly appreciated that
Somewhat reflective of the last year for me and Mrs. from Ohio. But, I think it's going to be a pretty good Christmas. Well done.
Love it
Really excellent - your vocals go really well together. Three thumbs up (I'm working on it)!
Fantastic
Love this so much I've made my own video in tribute. Hope you like it, x
Wow.
Thank you, Stick. I'm just hugely touched that you would do that. It fair took my breath away, that video. I never imagined a political dimension to the song at all, but that footage goes weirdly well with it.
Thank you. Very much indeed.
Vocally
I'm reminded of Martin Gore on a track like The Mode's Somebody
Still trying to actively hate it though.
I admire
Your persistence :-)
But it IS good anyway
Once again...
...thanks so much, everyone. I know I speak for Katy too (not the Johnny Cash song) when I say we've been kind of bowled over by all the kind words, here and on Twitter.
Like Glenbervie says, it's tempting to blame the internet for people not being as community-minded as they were, but that's not always the case. We couldn't have thought to do this if the internet didn't exist - we wouldn't know each other! And damn sure we couldn't have got anyone to listen!
Thanks.
Lovely
Give yourselves a hearty pat on the back for this. Splendid stuff.
Higher-quality video.
I've re-done the video in higher resolution, and also removed a little musical mistake from the audio that was bugging me.
The SoundCloud in the OP has also been updated to get rid of the mistake too, so if you're one of the lovely folk who downloaded, you might want to re-download to get the non-mistakey version.
(It was a timing issue with the acoustic guitar going into the second chorus, if you're interested, which you're not!)
.be
Thank you all again very much for being nice, and I'll shut up now.
Oh FFS Bob!
That acoustic guitar mistake might have been the excuse I needed to actively hate the song.
It wasn't me, honest
*rummages for lawyer's phone number*
Haha!
It wasn't, actually! One of my acoustic tracks came unsynced when I was farting about with something else.
Bob, truly you are a Zen master...
...you've summed up my entire life in one metaphor! :-D
If Bob & Katy
are not on The Word December CD next year....cancel my subscription.
They will certainly appear on my Facebook Countdown to Christmas daily video tomorrow. Today is already taken up by the Rudolph The Paranoid Reindeer mash-up.
Been a bit slow on the uptake
only just found this. Rather lovely. It's going on the Xmas playlist.
Mr Bob and Ms Katy
that was really good. Hope Santa brings you all you wish for.
All Best
Here, here.
Excellent stuff; slightly mournful & interesting.
Nice & nicely done :)
Excellent work
Don't know how you find the time Bob, given the amount of blathering you do on here.
Hope you both have a good one and fingers crossed to see you at the Jan London mingle.
Wonderful stuff
And there was me thinking that you and Katy didn't have any more room on your respective bows for any more strings. Happy Christmas to you both.
Thanks
I like it a good deal
The Peters & Lee of Massivedom.
Seriously, that was bloody fantastic.
I'll be passing it on to everyone.
Dear Bob and Katy
Neither of you know me however thank you for a wonderful song. It has lifted my spirits and made me happy to be on here !
Thanks and Peace on Earth !
Ivanovitch
Great song
Thanks for sharing
Wow!
that's amazing. Merry Christmas and thanks. (Hope its easy to download)
Yes it was
easy to download.
More thanks!
I didn't want the newer nice comments to go unthanked. The response has been wonderful, so thanks again.
(dc, you should just see a small blue down arrow next to the soundcloud embed in the OP. Clickit. Innit.)
Clicked
on the Ipod, been told to turn it down by the GLW mate (a reflection of volume not quality. Merry Christmas to yourself and the Bob household.
(PS left you a message on the shed thread about your loft incase you didnt see it)
Up, up, up, up, uppity up up up!
Nice one Bob! Missed this until now; superb!
Excellent
Reminded me a little of iliketrains - I like how it builds and builds and builds and the choir comes in.... really well done. *wipes away small seasonal tear*
iliketrains last christmas
http://ilikepress.co.uk/ILT_Last_Christmas.mp3
Very good Bob (and Kate)
Elbowesque, with a June Bridesque vocal.
Late to the party
but very wowed by it. I might get you to autograph my ipod in January.
Lovely Christmas Song
Hi Bob
Finally catching up on Christmas blog. What a lovely song. Really great. I've got it for future plays.
regards
Simon