Apologies for the small break while we were right in the thick of things! While most of you will have little concern for this tiny bit of news, my brother recently graduated from UK with a PHD in food science, so we took some time to celebrate his new doctor-hood.

However, during that time, I was lucky enough to talk with Afentra from 96.5 the Buzz in Kansas City during her Big Fat Morning Buzz show. Thanks so much for the opportunity and the support over the years! Longtime readers will note Afentra contributed a version back in 2007 in a competition with then co-host Bam Bam. We’re reposting her version here again for awesomeness’ sake. And no, we have no intention of reposting Taylor Swift’s version.

Afentra – Last Christmas

Check out her blog and if you’re feeling super saucy listen live in the mornings via the 96.5 website!

And since we left you hanging for a few days, here’s a huge smattering of covers for your ear bleeding pleasures.

We start with the second most requested cover this year, Florence + The Machine. This haunting acoustic performance was recorded for a live BBC special from last year that got plenty of airplay over seas.

Florence + The Machine – Last Christmas

After Auryn alerted us to Oh Bijou’s version available at chromewaves, we were met with both joy and shame, as we were publicly called out for not posting this version sooner! While I certainly wish my eyeballs could see everything on the wires of the Inner-net, this is where you good folks come in by sending us what your eyeballs find that our eyeballs have yet to find. We’re all in this together! So enough of that, Canadian indie outfit Oh Bijou offer an indie, almost jazzy cover, that is definitely easy on the ears. Lead singer Casey Mecija has the voice of a pixie.

Oh Bijou – Last Christmas

Not to be outdone by the Celtic Woman Christmas phenomenon a few years back, dude crew, Celtic Thunder, volley with their own set of Holiday Tunes including none other than our beloved namesake.

Celtic Thunder – Last Christmas

Next we have a couple of Matt’s who are adding festive treats to our archive. Matt Cab does smooth…and I mean SMOOTH…covers of songs, and his LC is no exception. And Matt Foley confuses me, because it’s definitely a female singer…named Matt I guess…

Matt Cab – Last Christmas
Matt Foley – Last Christmas

And if you haven’t had your brain melt with awesomeness yet, may I submit our first ever Italo Disco version! This is by the aptly named Synthesizer Dance off the Christmas Edition album available in full here.

Synthesizer Dance – Last Christmas

These next two comes via tips from Martin, whom from now on I’ll refer to as Mr. Christmas. So Mr. Christmas sent not one, but two new covers to us! The first is by 3773 from the huge Christmas collection available at Suburban Sprawl Music and the second is by Chancellor Arnold over at Arbor Christmas. If those collections don’t fill your playlist stockings for years to come, then you haven’t tried enough of the tracks! Don’t thank us, thank Mr. Christmas!

3773 – Last Christmas
Chancellor Arnold – Last Christmas

D-Line. What a guy (or girl). He (or she) has put together not one, not two, but FIVE remixes. Hold onto your hats!


2Headz Remix

We put this one on in our office, and instantly our coworkers were talking. “Again??” they pleaded. But then they got into it.


Disco Lovers Christmas

Apparently disco lovers don’t care for verses. This version spends a lot (a LOT) of time just repeating “Last Christmas” over and over. Sometimes it completes the line, but we don’t get much more than that. Maybe the next version will just focus on “once bitten but twice shy” ??


Lightsyler Remix

Nope. No such luck. We might never know how D-Line came up with the names for these remixes, but if you’re unfamiliar with the term “lightsyler” (Sylar?) it’s apparently synonymous with “trance” or “house” or “rave.” Listening to this track makes us imagine a bunch of no-good-kids sniffing peppermint and dancing with red and green glowsticks.


Mike McPower Remix

This version really centers around these awesome laser beam sounds. As though George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley were facing off in some sort of crazy sci-fi arena: “Once friends. Now, bitter rivals.” While they’re shooting at each other with laser guns, they’re exchanging awesome one-liner barbs. “I’ll save you from tears! ZAP!” “Once bitten…. but twice shy! Pew Pew!”


Sonic Alive Remix

After the other remixes we just heard, we were hoping that this one would be a little more… different. But for the most part, it’s a lot like all the other versions only without the “je ne sais quoi.” The beat is sort of interesting, but not anything special. Way to go out on a whimper, D-Line. At least this version is over eight minutes long!


And now it’s time for a little gem from the Arctic Monkeys. The satellite radio at our office plays their Fluorescent Adolescent song about 5 times a day, so it’s nice to finally hear it butted up against another song that we hear incessantly.

Fricckin’ ZAMFIR! Zamfir, the king of the ’80s infomercial, unleashes his magical pan flute on the Wham! hit for us. If you don’t recall Zamfir from the ’80s, more recently his song “The Lonely Shepherd” was featured on the Kill Bill soundtrack. And you’re making me feel old.

Gheorghe Zamfir – Last Christmas / It’s Gonna Be a Cold X-Mas


Britt Nicole’s cover is my new favorite “guilty pleasure” version.

Britt Nicole – Last Christmas


Who knew Santa could rock?! Wait…This does not rock in the least…In fact, it’s really the antithesis of rock…WTF SANTA?!

If you understand German, you can check out the glowing 1-star reviews for the 2-disc set this comes from. The Harley Santa from the cover art is appealing though.

Santa Claus & His Rockin’ Snowmen – Last Christmas


Kimberly Locke – Last Christmas


I almost went to classify this as dance, but this is so much more than that: It’s disco! We may be quick to put it in that category since Russian duo Smash!! is known as a pop band, but we don’t have much disco in the collection yet, so why not pad that stat if possible? You can also check out the sweet video we posted last year from Smash!!

Smash!! – Last Christmas


Nadine Schimidt – Last Christmas


Isabella Ortega – Last Christmas


Lunetic – Rok a Den


Marcella Ashley Ashley” – Last Christmas


Cuuuuuute

This one’s good. It’s nothing new in terms of how it’s done, but I imagine if Wham! had been one of those newfangled emo bands, like Dashboard Confessional, this is how “Last Christmas” might’ve turned out originally.


Feeling Left Out – Last Christmas

Feeling Left Out’s entire Christmas EP is available for purchase at their online store which includes the Quicksand Jesus version of “Last Christmas,” but hurry, quantities are limited!


After some discussion, we decided that this is a fairly awesome disco version of “Last Christmas.” But deciding that it was disco wasn’t easy, since it straddles so many lines. On the one hand, that bassline and hi-hat are totally disco. But on the other hand, everything else in the song is not. Ultimately, the lack of any other disco in our collection put it to rest. Unfortunately, no information regarding the band is known, or if they’re even called One.


One – Last Christmas


This is much more upbeat than the reggae version we heard on Day 2, but with only slightly more reggae. The Jamaican accent helps their case, but not much.


The Tamlins – Last Christmas


This version comes to us from Reggage Pulse 4: Christmas Songs found at good ole’ amazon.com.




What on Earth? This is what would happen if Kids Incorporated broke into Trent Reznor’s studio and recorded the Wham! classic. This song, in some way, summarizes everything that I love about this project.


Triple Image – Last Christmas


The CD single import of “Turn it Up” with this version is available over at amazon



Yuji Oda is a Japanese actor and part-time musician, this being his most recent recording. Butch Walker, is a writer/producer who’s made hits for Avril Lavigne, SR-71, All-American Rejects, Lit, Simple Plan, Lindsay Lohan…jeez…He was even a guest judge on that Rock Star: Supernova show, and produced their album. Currently, Walker’s in-house producer, Russ-T Cobb is working with one of yesterday’s Magical Snowflake Award winners, Gates of Berlin on their new album. Coincidence?..


Yuji Oda w/ Butch Walker – Last Christmas


This is from Yuji’s “Last Christmas” single that has another Wham! inspired b-side. It’s available again, at amazon.com