| Xmas 93 | |
| Cover: | Saint Etienne - Xmas 93.png |
| Border: | yes |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Saint Etienne |
| A-Side: | I Was Born on Christmas Day |
| Studio: | Cat Music |
| Genre: | House |
| Label: | Heavenly |
| Producer: | Saint Etienne |
| Prev Title: | Hobart Paving |
| Prev Year: | 1993 |
| Next Title: | Pale Movie |
| Next Year: | 1994 |
"Xmas 93" is a Christmas-themed single by English alternative dance band Saint Etienne. It was released in the United Kingdom on 6 December 1993 by Heavenly Recordings. The lead track "I Was Born on Christmas Day" features guest vocals from The Charlatans singer Tim Burgess, and peaked at number 37 on the UK Singles Chart.[1] The song's title is a nod to band member Bob Stanley, who was born on 25 December 1964. The music video for the single was filmed in the vicinity of Kensington and Chelsea Register Office in London.
The main B-side, "My Christmas Prayer", is a cover of the 1959 Billy Fury original. The other two B-sides, "Snowplough" and "Peterloo", are both instrumentals. The B-sides "Snowplough" and "Peterloo" can be found in the So Tough reissue bonus disc, while "My Christmas Prayer" and "I Was Born on Christmas Day" on the Tiger Bay reissue bonus disc.
Tim Sendra from AllMusic described "I Was Born on Christmas Day" as a duet between Sarah Cracknell and Tim Burgess "set to a house beat." He added, "The melody is very sweet and the vocals blend together nicely, Burgess displaying a healthy (and unusual) dose of restraint."[2] In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton stated, "It wouldn't be Christmas without at least one seasonal record in the charts. Saint Etienne have spent the entire year missing out on the success they so richly deserve."[3] Everett True from Melody Maker named it Single of the Week.[4]
Martin Aston from Music Week gave it four out of five and named it Pick of the Week in the category of Alternative, calling it a "seasonally-challenged" duet and "a catchy, if lightweight, slice of pop, with daytime radio appeal and press potential galore."[5] Danny Frost from NME said "this is a bit of a swizz", noting "a breathier than ever" Burgess.[6] Another NME editor, Jim Wirth, noted the "join-the-dots ABBA-isms" of the song.[7] Leesa Daniels from Smash Hits wrote, "This starts off like a disco classic in the making. But then the weedy girl vocals of Sarah Cracknell come in followed by the weedy boy vocals of Tim Burgess from the Charlatans. And the whole disco classic is out the window." She concluded, "It's dead catchy and instantly singable".[8]
A music video was produced to promote the song. It was later made available on YouTube in May 2012.[9] In 2020, Sarah Cracknell talked about making the video, saying "We had such a laugh making the video for ‘I Was Born On Christmas Day’ and Tim was a real star. We shot the whole thing in sequence on a Sunday which ended up in a massive party. I'm sure I accidentally broke the hearts of many Charlatans fans who thought the wedding was real."[10]
All tracks produced by Saint Etienne.
| Chart (1993–94) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[11] | 93 | |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 37 | |
| UK Airplay (Music Week)[12] | 27 |