Week Eighty-Four: Holiday Tunes - Part Deux - The Three Wise Men (aka XTC) - "Thanks for Christmas" - New Wave Xmas: Just Can't Get Enough

I am a huge fan of the Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s compilation series, so when I heard that they were releasing a Christmas edition, I was giddy with anticipation at the thought of being able to add a copy of it to my collection. I will be the first to tell you, however, that it is not the greatest holiday compilation, and there are some seriously questionable choices on the CD. There are also some real treasures, and I'm going to use this week to share those with you:

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You might remember that I highlighted XTC as my Week Forty-Two band, and here I am forty-two weeks later talking about them again in Week Eighty-Four.

Apparently, Virgin Records had a ton of fun with the press releases for this single, as evidenced on the wiki page:

"Three Wise Men turn up on Virgin, not Mary, but Records."

“On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me a partridge in a pear tree... ” --- Obviously, here, the "partridge" reference is toward Andy Partridge, the lead singer of XTC.

"Yes, Virgin enters into the festive spirit with this seasonal offering, ‘Thanks for Christmas’ by The Three Wise Men. The song was penned by well-known writing team Kaspar/Melchior/Balthazar, the Far East's answer to Holland/Dozier/Holland. Production was by The Three Wise Men and the Good Lord himself." 

"Not surprisingly, the release hits the decks shrouded in mystery, intrigue and much speculation. The ‘What's On In Bethlehem’-style sleeve may well proclaim ‘The Three Wise Men’, but this non-de-plume cunningly conceals the identity of one of Virgin's top pop groups! Not that we're telling you which band. Could it be Culture Club, Human League, Heaven 17, China Crisis or even Slapp Happy? Over to you! Just good clean Virgin fun to keep you guessing right into the New Year. It's certainly countdown to Christmas party time. Cheers!"

Andy Partridge had some humorous insight to add, as well:

Andy: “I have a soft spot for Christmas songs. For this I wanted the female staff at the Virgin Records office to sing it and we'd put it out under the name ‘The Virgin Marys’ but they thought it would be sacrilegious, so the band did it under the name ‘The Three Wise Men’.”

And without further adieu, I hope you enjoy this one because it's one of my favorites off the compilation...

Thanks for Christmas

Thank you for the love and happiness that's snowing down, all around

Thanks for Christmas

Thank you for the winter friendliness that's snowing down, all around the world


It's nearer, children's eyes shine clearer now

As they decorate the trees, all across the seven seas

It's nearer, yule log fires burn clearer now

In the winter's frosty air, sing with us and we can share our


Thanks for Christmas

Thank you for the love and happiness that's snowing down, all around

Thanks for Christmas

Thank you for the winter friendliness that's snowing down, all around the world


It's dawning, Santa's reindeer yawning now

All their festive work is done, filling houses up with fun

It's dawning, here is Christmas morning now

Greatest day of all the year, listen out and you will hear our


Thanks for Christmas


It's such a shame it's only one day every year

Three hundred and sixty-four days full of doubts and fear

You've been saving your love up, let it out, 'cos Christmas is here


Thanks for Christmas

Thank you for the love and happiness that's snowing down, all around

Thanks for Christmas

Thank you for the winter friendliness that's snowing down, all around the world



Thanks for Christmas