Christmas Wrapping

For the Kurtis Blow single, see Christmas Rappin'. For the wrapping of gifts, see Gift wrapping.

"Christmas Wrapping"
Single by the Waitresses
from the album A Christmas Record
B-side
  • "Hangover 1/1/83"
Released1981
Recorded1981
StudioElectric Lady (New York City)
Genre
Length
  • 5:18 (album version)
  • 4:30 (single version)
  • 4:21 (radio edit)
LabelZE
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Chris Butler
The Waitresses singles chronology
"I Know What Boys Like"
(1980) 		"Christmas Wrapping"
(1981) 		"I Know What Boys Like"
(1982)

"Christmas Wrapping" is a Christmas song by the American new wave band the Waitresses. First released on ZE Records' 1981 compilation album A Christmas Record, it later appeared on the band's 1982 EP I Could Rule the World If I Could Only Get the Parts and numerous other holiday compilation albums.[1] It was written and produced by Chris Butler, with vocals by Patty Donahue.[2]

"Christmas Wrapping" received positive reviews and AllMusic described it as "one of the best holiday pop tunes ever recorded". It has been covered by more than a dozen acts, including the Spice Girls.

Writing

[edit]

In 1981, ZE Records asked each of its artists to record a Christmas song for a compilation album, A Christmas Record. The Waitresses were in the middle of a difficult tour and the Christmas song commission was "the last thing we wanted", Butler said later.[3][4]

Butler wrote the song that August, assembling it from assorted unused riffs.[5] He finished the lyrics in a taxi on the way to the recording studio,[6] Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village.[7] Butler said the lyrics came from his hatred of Christmas: "Everybody I knew in New York was running around like a bunch of fiends. It wasn't about joy. It was something to cope with."[5] The bassist, Tracy Wormworth, was inspired by Bernard Edwards' bassline on the recently released "Good Times" by Chic.[6]

Written while hip hop music was beginning to gain prominence, "Christmas Wrapping" is "almost rapped" by Donahue.[5] Its title, a pun on "rapping",[8] alludes to the 1979 song "Christmas Rappin'" by Kurtis Blow.[9] Butler said he did not really think of Donahue's performance as a rap, as it was a new musical form, but said: "It was OK for a white guy to tell a story but tell it in rhythmic verse. And, it does have a melody, just three notes because Patty was no belter, but she’s a good enough actress that she could act it out."[10] Butler said he also liked the meaning of "wraparound", as the story is circular.[9]

Lyrics

[edit]

"Christmas Wrapping" is told from the perspective of a busy single woman adamant not to participate in the exhausting Christmas season. On Christmas Eve, she runs to a grocery store to buy cranberries, where she meets an attractive man, bringing her Christmas "to a very happy ending". In the final refrain, she admits that she "couldn't miss this one this year".[11]

Release

[edit]

"Christmas Wrapping" was released as a single in the UK in 1981 on Island Records. It did not initially make the charts, but was reissued in 1982 and reached No. 45 on the UK Singles Chart that December.[12] It remains the Waitresses' highest-charting single in the UK,[13] and despite its modest chart placing, the song was certified platinum by the BPI in 2024.

Butler said the reception was a rejuvenating gift for the band: "We do the Christmas song, forget about it and go back on the road. The next thing I know when calling back to New York is that it's all over the radio and much to our surprise it leaps over our heads and hits all the cities where we're heading and all of a sudden we're back on an upswing again."[3]

Legacy

[edit]

In 2005, Guardian journalist Dorian Lynskey called the song "fizzing, funky dance-around-the-Christmas-tree music for Brooklyn hipsters".[14] In 2012, the Daily Telegraph writer Bernadette McNulty called it "one of the most charming, insouciant festive songs ever".[8] The AllMusic reviewer Andy Hinds called it "one of the best holiday pop tunes ever recorded".[1]

During the 2016 Christmas season, it re-entered the UK singles chart at number 96.[13] The song appears in numerous holiday-music compilations, including The Edge of Christmas, Dr. Demento's Holidays in Dementia, and Now That's What I Call Christmas!: The Signature Collection.[15] Each festive season, Butler makes a donation to the Akron-Summit County children's library in the name of the first person to tell him they heard "Christmas Wrapping" on the radio.[6]

Covers

[edit]

"Christmas Wrapping" was covered by the English pop group Spice Girls as a B-side for their 1998 single "Goodbye",[16] with lyrics altered to include a reference to British supermarket chain Tesco instead of the American chain A&P.[6] It has also been covered by Save Ferris (with lyrics altered for a Jewish perspective),[17] Kate Nash,[18] the Front Bottoms,[19] the Donnas,[20] Summer Camp,[20] the cast of the Broadway musical Wicked,[21] comedian Doug Benson,[22] Martha Wainwright,[23] the cast of the TV show Glee (with Heather Morris on lead vocals),[24]and Disney Channel star Bella Thorne.[25] British/Irish girl band the Saturdays covered the song for the film Get Santa.[26] Kylie Minogue recorded the song with Iggy Pop for her 2015 album, Kylie Christmas.[27]

Sinkane, studying a Masters in composition, produced a cover for Christmas 2020. It featured Nancy Whang (LCD Soundsystem) singing lead, Nick Millhiser (Holy Ghost!) on drums, and Money Mark (The Beastie Boys) on Moog.[28] Profits from this release went to The Food Bank for New York City.

Track listings and formats

[edit]
  1. "Christmas Wrapping"  – 3:55
  2. "Hangover 1/1/83"  – 4:30
  1. "Christmas Wrapping" (Long Version) – 5:23
  2. "Hangover 1/1/83"  – 4:30
  1. "Christmas Wrapping" (Single Edit Version) – 4:30
  2. "Christmas Wrapping" (Long Version) – 5:23
  3. "Hangover 1/1/83"  – 4:30

Credits and personnel

[edit]

Credits and personnel are adapted from "Christmas Wrapping" vinyl liner notes.[29]

Charts

[edit]
Chart (1981–2020) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[32] 45
US Billboard Alternative Digital Songs Sales[33] 9
US Billboard Rock Digital Songs[34] 8
US Billboard Rock Streaming Songs[35] 24
US Holiday 100 (Billboard)[36] 67
US Holiday Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[37] 12

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[38] Platinum 600,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "I Could Rule the World If I Could Only Get the Parts". Allmusic. Archived from the original on December 6, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  2. ^ NME TV Song Stories - The Waitresses, 'Christmas Wrapping' on YouTube
  3. ^ a b Pouncey, Edwin (March 6, 1982). "The Waitresses: What The Butler Said". Sounds. Retrieved November 17, 2018 – via Rock's Backpages.
  4. ^ Simpson, Dave (December 13, 2020). "Christmas Wrapping: The Waitresses on how they made a festive classic". The Guardian. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c Petrick, John (December 22, 2005). "How an obscure 80s punk band created a Christmas classic". The Star. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  6. ^ a b c d "Christmas Wrapping: the Waitresses on how they made a festive classic". The Guardian. December 13, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  7. ^ Price, Mark J. "'Christmas Wrapping,' an unlikely hit for The Waitresses, spreads cheer 40 years later". Akron Beacon Journal. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  8. ^ a b McNultey, Bernadette (December 16, 2012). "Christmas songs advent calendar: Day 16. The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on December 24, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  9. ^ a b Spears, Steve (December 5, 2016). "The story behind ... 'Christmas Wrapping' by the Waitresses". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on December 18, 2019. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  10. ^ Abram, Malcolm X (December 23, 2022). "How the Waitresses turned 'Christmas Wrapping' into a holiday classic and saved Akron songwriter Chris Butler's life". Cleveland.com. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  11. ^ Urycki, Mark (December 24, 2014). "Couldn't Miss This One: Behind 'Christmas Wrapping'". NPR. NPR.
  12. ^ Betts, Graham (2004). Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2004 (1st ed.). London: Collins. p. 829. ISBN 0-00-717931-6.
  13. ^ a b "Waitresses Chart History". Official Charts. Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on January 7, 2017. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  14. ^ Lynskey, Dorian (December 23, 2005). "Readers recommend: alternative Christmas songs". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 21, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  15. ^ Christmas Wrapping at AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-12-21.
  16. ^ "18 Alternative Festive Songs To Freshen Up Your Christmas Playlist". HuffPost. December 18, 2017. Archived from the original on December 26, 2022. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  17. ^ Jane, Ally (December 6, 2013). "Video Vault, Episode 15: Save Ferris "Christmas Wrapping"". 333sound. Archived from the original on December 25, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  18. ^ "Artist Of The Week: Kate Nash". Buzzworthy. MTV. January 7, 2008. Archived from the original on January 9, 2008. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  19. ^ Staff (December 20, 2011). "MP3: The Front Bottoms Get In The Holiday Spirit With "Christmas Wrapping"". Filter. Archived from the original on December 25, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  20. ^ a b "Summer Camp Cover "Christmas Wrapping"". Stereogum. December 3, 2010. Archived from the original on December 26, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  21. ^ Gans, Andrew (November 11, 2004). "Stars From Avenue Q, Wicked, Hairspray and More Featured on "Carols for a Cure Volume 6"". Playbill. Archived from the original on December 25, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  22. ^ "Comedy Death-Ray Christmas CD". Earwolf.com. 2010. Archived from the original on December 5, 2010. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
  23. ^ "A Not So Silent Night". Revelation Films. Archived from the original on December 25, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  24. ^ VanDerWerff, Emily (December 14, 2011). "Glee: "Extraordinary Merry Christmas"". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on December 25, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  25. ^ Crooks, Amy (October 16, 2013). "Disney "Holidays Unwrapped" Details". Dis411. Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  26. ^ "'Get Santa' Soundtrack Released". Filmmusicreporter.com. December 3, 2014. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  27. ^ Sendra, Tim. Kylie Minogue: 'Kylie Christmas' at AllMusic. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  28. ^ "Christmas Wrapping, by SINKANE". SINKANE. Archived from the original on December 21, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  29. ^ a b Christmas Wrapping (UK 7" Vinyl liner notes). The Waitresses. ZE Records. 1982. WIP 6821.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  30. ^ Christmas Wrapping (UK 12" Vinyl liner notes). The Waitresses. ZE Records. 1983. ZEREC.EP59.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  31. ^ Christmas Wrapping (FRA CD Single liner notes). The Waitresses. ZE Records. 2016. ZEREC.EP59.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  32. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  33. ^ "The Waitresses Chart History (Alternative Digital Songs Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  34. ^ "The Waitresses Chart History (Rock Digital Songs Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  35. ^ "The Waitresses Chart History (Rock Streaming Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 18, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  36. ^ "The Waitresses Chart History (Holiday 100)". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 18, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  37. ^ "The Waitresses Chart History (Holiday Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  38. ^ "British single certifications – Waitresses – Christmas Wrapping". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
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