‘There’s some music you write that no longer belongs to you,’ acknowledges lyricist, playwright and director Leslie Stewart, one of the co-creators of the ubiquitous festive classic Mistletoe and Wine. ‘Everyone has their own interpretation of it, and this piece has taken on a life of its own.’
To say that Mistletoe and Wine, sung by Cliff Richard and co-written by Leslie, Keith Strachan and the late Jeremy Paul, was a success would undersell its true impact. The song spent four weeks at number one in the UK in December 1988 and became the biggest-selling single of that year with over 750,000 copies. The following year, its three co-writers won an Ivor Novello Award for Best Selling A-Side.
The track has since gone on to become part of the cultural fabric of the festive season, as synonymous with the holidays as Santa Claus, John Lewis adverts and the string of pop hits from The Pogues, Slade and Mariah Carey that dominate playlists at this time of year.
‘When you hear certain songs, they’re like earworms,’ Keith tells M. ‘They get into your brain and you can’t get rid of them. Mistletoe and Wine is like that: it’s a song many people either love or hate. I’ve had hundreds of people come up to me and tell me it’s awful.’
Hey, remember when Cliff Richard went full traditional Christmas in 1988? This song embraces everything festive – from candlelight to sacred themes – with zero irony. While some critics rolled their eyes, Cliff’s sincere delivery and those warm, fuzzy lyrics won everyone over.
The origins of the song can be traced back to the early 1970s at the London School of Fashion, where Leslie and Keith’s paths crossed for the first time.
‘I met a drummer at college who told me he knew of a band looking for a lyricist, and asked if I wrote poetry,’ Leslie recalls. ‘I told him I did, and so I went to meet this jazz-rock outfit, Swegas. I started writing lyrics with one of their band members, who happened to be Keith Strachan.’
Swegas bowed out for good in September 1971, but Leslie and Keith maintained their songwriting partnership. ‘We just hit it off, and still do!’ Leslie tells M. ‘We had a wonderful relationship as co-writers. One of the main pleasures for me was hearing what Keith would do with my lyrics; I’ve always really enjoyed that process.’
The pair initially explored musical theatre, working together with Jeremy on an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Match Girl. The show, titled Scraps, premiered at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond in December 1977 and featured an early version of Mistletoe and Wine. Rather than using an existing Christmas carol in the play, the production team wanted something bespoke.
‘I thought we’d written the whole [show already],’ Leslie remembers. ‘I took my little boxer dog for a walk as I was a bit cross about the situation, and this line just came to me — “It’s a time for giving, a time for getting, a time for forgiving and for forgetting” —and I thought, “That’s it!” I rushed home, sat down and wrote it in about 20 minutes. I’ve often found writing hard work, but this just came to me.’
Answerphone machines also played a key role in the writing of Mistletoe and Wine. As Leslie and Keith were often working in different spaces, they’d call each other and leave messages with their ideas.
‘Mistletoe and Wine was a product of this process,’ Leslie explains. ‘I’d call Keith and say, “Don’t answer, just put your answerphone on and I’ll talk the lyrics over the phone”. Keith would then call me back, and I’d record whatever musical accompaniment he’d come up with on my answerphone.’
Posted from: https://www.heart.co.uk/showbiz/music/christmas-songs-best-ranked/