You could see this as typical of late period Clash or solo Joe Strummer. It's got a vaguely world music type vibe with Far Eastern sounding keyboards and interesting drumming.

It was a double A-side with 'Should I Stay or Should I Go', (which was later re-released (without Straight to Hell) and was a big hit in the UK, following a Levis advert.) Straight to Hell is a lot less 'rock-y' than Should I stay.

If you were going to buy a Clash compilation then I would check whether this is included if you like there more mellow stuff - its on some of the compilations but not others.

I'm lucky enough to have seen this done by both the Clash and Joe Strummer when he was in the Pogues. Both very memorable.

This is partly a recommendation, partly a request for information if anybody has it. (hope thats not an abuse of the website)

I recorded this by accident off of a John Peel show in the late 70s/early 80s. Its a dance-y dub-by version of a old American square dance song I believe. Its not unlike Malcolm Maclarens stuff of the same time in concept, but its al lot more taste.

So does anybody else know it?

I love the Clash. I love the way they were four disparate individuals each bringing their own stuff to the mix. Topper's excellent drumming, Simonon's cool, Mick Jones musicality and street smarts, and Joe Strummer's....umm...Strummer-ness.

I love the fact they didn't play Top of the Pops. I love the fact that Strummer admitted that this was mainly 'cos he was crap at miming rather than out of any significant political stance or anything.

I love how gooood they were live. And I love the fact that I was lucky enough to see them.

I love the fact that Strummer picked 'Crawfish' as his favourite Elvis song. I also love the fact that sometimes, to my mind, they got things badly wrong, sounded a bit gauche or wrongheaded or worse. I'm thinking of Red Brigade t-shirts, using Belfast as a photo opportunity, and maybe singing about ghettos and Brixton, for the 'romance' of it when they weren't necessarily the closest to either. I dunno. That side makes me feel uneasy at times, but that's fine - makes me think.

This song is great. Reggae influenced rock, Strummer belting out 'one more time in the ghetto...'.

Its been so sad losing Joe, Johnny (Cash) and John (Peel) over the last couple of years. Good men, you feel.

This is 'Kiss in A Dreamhouse'-era Banshees - the B-side of 'Melt'. Its suitably gothic, but a fairly straight reading of the original carol, which is quite gothic sounding in the first place I guess. Sung in French with, I think, Siouxsie's voice multi-tracked. And its got bells on it.

Other Christmas songs:
Fairy Tale of New York - Christy Moore
Cajun Christmas
Il est Ne le Devine Enfant - Siouxsie and the Banshees
All I really want for Christmas - Ini Kamoze (maybe?)
Christmas Lullaby - Shane MacGowan
White Christmas - The Drifters