‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’ Joins UMe Holiday 7-Inch Lineup
The label’s collectible series features some of the greatest yuletide songs of all time.
Ever since it first emerged in 1971, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” — released by John Lennon and Yoko Ono under the banner of Plastic Ono Band, with help from the Harlem Community Choir — has been widely heralded as one of the most powerful Christmas songs ever. It will be again recognized as such this season with its inclusion in UMe’s holiday 7-inch series spotlighting the greatest yuletide tracks of all time.
Though it doubled as a protest song speaking out against the Vietnam War, the Phil Spector-produced “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” has endured as a timeless holiday standard. More than half a century after its original release, the song is a fixture of Christmas playlists, making it a perfect fit for the series. The single will be backed by its original B-side “Listen, The Snow Is Falling,” which Ono has called the first pop song she ever wrote.
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““Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” b/w “Listen, The Snow Is Falling” joins an auspicious lineup of Christmas classics to be added to the UMe holiday slate this year. Other tunes getting the collectible 7-inch treatment include Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas,” Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock,” Dean Martin’s “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” b/w “Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” the Jackson 5’s “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town,” and, of course, Lennon’s old Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime.”
Each limited edition record will be pressed on color vinyl and packaged in a collectible sleeve that’s great for displaying throughout the holidays. And for those seeking to infuse their collections with a wealth of vintage Christmas vinyl this season, many of the 7-inches from this year and last will be packaged together as a box set in a commemorative carrying case that resembles a gorgeously wrapped gift.
