Christmas Time (Is Here Again)

"Christmas Time (Is Here Again)" (Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starkey) is a Christmas song recorded by the Beatles for their 1967 fan club Christmas record.[1] After being slated for inclusion in the planned (but ultimately scrapped) Sessions compilation album in 1985, the song finally saw official re-release in 1995 on the "Free as a Bird" single (issued in conjunction with the Anthology series), for which it was edited from its original 6:17 to a shortened version of 3:03. The song opens with a light-hearted tune from all four of the Beatles and occasionally cuts to a tale of the Beatles arriving at the fictional BBC house. This part of the song was cut from the 1995 single version.[2] The song then closes with a Christmas greeting from all four of the Beatles. At the end, "Auld Lang Syne" is played on the organ as Lennon reads one of his original nonsense free verse poems.

"Christmas Time (Is Here Again)"
Single by the Beatles
A-side"Free as a Bird"
Released4 December 1995 (UK)
12 December 1995 (US)
Recorded28 November 1967
StudioEMI, London
GenrePop rock
Length6:07
3:03 (Single edit)
LabelApple 58497
Songwriter(s)John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Richard Starkey
Producer(s)George Martin
The Beatles singles chronology
"Baby It's You"
(1995)		 "Free as a Bird"
(1995)		 "Real Love"
(1996)
Audio sample
"Christmas Time (Is Here Again)"
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Personnel
Personnel per The Beatles Bible[3]

Covers

Ringo Starr recorded his own cover of "Christmas Time (Is Here Again)" on his 1999 Christmas album, I Wanna Be Santa Claus. In 2000, R.E.M. released a cover version on a Christmas single for their fan club. The Smithereens also covered the song for their 2007 album Christmas with the Smithereens. It was also covered by Terry Draper (formerly of Klaatu) on the 2002 compilation Takin' Care of Christmas. In 2013, Elephant Stone covered it for the Cleopatra Records release Psych-Out Christmas.

Notes
  1. Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 54 – Hail, Hail, Rock 'n' Roll: Getting back to rock's funky, essential essence. [Part 3]" (audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. MacDonald 2005, p. 273.
  3. "Christmas Time (Is Here Again)". The Beatles Bible. 2008-08-19. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
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References
  • MacDonald, Ian (2005). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties (2nd revised ed.). London: Pimlico. ISBN 1-84413-828-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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