Shakin’ Stevens Reunites with Charity Collaborators for Christmas Hit Documentary

Shakin’ Stevens recently made a surprise visit to individuals instrumental in transforming his iconic holiday song into a charitable anthem. His 1985 release, “Merry Christmas Everyone,” established Stevens as the top-selling singles artist in the UK throughout the 1980s. The Welsh singer-songwriter collaborated with The Salvation Army in 2015 to release a new rendition of the track, named “Echoes of Merry Christmas Everyone.” The artist traveled to Bournemouth to meet some of the participants featured in the music video for this updated version. This gathering was documented as part of a BBC Sounds program titled “Christmas Hits Unwrapped: Stories Behind the Songs.” Stevens praised the Winton Salvation Army band, which performed the song, describing them as “fantastic.” Major James Hill characterized the 76-year-old’s unexpected appearance as “absolute stardom,” further stating, “I’m a bit star struck.” Stevens’ grandmother was a salvationist, which served as his motivation to generate funds for the organization. Tina Shave, the community centre manager in Winton, noted that recording the updated song nine years prior significantly affected the group. She explained: “Because we are a church and a community centre that works with people, we don’t really talk an awful lot about what we’re doing because we’re so busy doing it.” She added that such an event “really raised our profile and we had lots more people coming forward, saying we’d like to donate to you, or we’d like to be part of your story, we’d like to volunteer with you and that impact is invaluable for us.” Graeme Shaw participated in the Salvation Army’s music man project, an initiative that offers music performance opportunities for individuals with learning difficulties. He appeared in the music video for the re-recorded track and described Stevens as “the best ever” and “really nice.” Mary Randall, 81, a resident of Bournemouth, also contributed to the song. She has resided in Winton for six decades and was awarded an MBE in 2007 for her contributions to assisting the homeless. “We can’t really totally change their lives but I think we can show them that someone cares,” she stated. For updates, BBC Dorset can be followed on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for content on external websites. Information regarding their external linking policy is available.