Earlier this month, I blogged here and here about my Comic Relief favourite moments from the past 26 years from the release of the first charity single between Cliff Richard and the Young Ones, the first Red Nose Day in 1988 and the present day.
Well, I felt it only right to bring that up-to-date with my favourite moments from this year's festivities which culminated in the record breaking £74m raised for charity on the night alone.
A World Record
For the days running up to Red Nose Day, March 18th itself, Radio One stalwarts Chris Moyles and Comedy Dave set a new world record for a radio show of 52 hours. I'm not a Radio 1 fan - I'm more of a Radio 2 or Classic FM kinda guy so imagine my surprise at finding myself glued to the BBC Red Button channel 301, watching great chunks of this record attempt being played out in front of my eyes.
They raised a whopping £2.6m for Comic Relief from their attempt alone. Staggering. Here's the moment when they broke the World Record...
Another Red Nose Day hit was 'Smithy saves Red Nose Day 2011' . The Gavin & Stacey star teamed up with George Michael and stars from the entertainment and sporting world (and Gordon Brown!) for a hillarious sketch around possibly the biggest table ever!
Then there was the Alan Partridge sketch. Here he is he on North Norfolk Digitial Radio's Mid-Morning Matters supporting Comic Relief in his own inimitable way!
I must admit that I enjoyed the Masterchef spoof with Ruby Wax, Miranda Hart, Claudia Winkleman and David Cameron!
We also saw Andy Murray being Outnumbered!
But my highlight? Easy. Another masterstroke from the genius that is Peter Kay and his alter ego Geraldine McQueen. Dueting with Susan Boyle, they covered the 1980s Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson hit.
Currently at No.11 in the charts, 'I Know Him So Well'.
Well done Comic Relief - you've played another blinder!
I love Christmas - loves it I do! It's the inner child in me.
But this year, I make no bones with the fact that I'm more excited about this Yuletide time of year than I have been in years. The reason? Two words - Alyson Rees!
We'll have been together officially for a year as of Boxing Day so this will be our first proper Crimbo together and whilst she lives with her parents in Llanboidy you wouldn't think it such has been her impact on my house these past 12 months! Most notably at the moment is the Christmas Tree and decorations that we've been putting up today around the house! I bought this house Aneddfa, 5 years ago this December. Never in that time have I gone all Christmassy with it - I've never had the time or compulsion too. But this year, it's all change! This Christmas is gonna rock!
My Top Xmas Hits!
A big part of this wintery season for me is always the music. I love Christmas music at this time of year as it really puts me in the mood. It does annoy me when I hear it in October because it tends to lose some of that sparkle when you hear it too early.
Normally I turn the music on, on December 1st and no earlier but this year I'm a few days early because I'm just too damned excited with it all (and it's the first day of advent also!).
Christmas songs from down the years are so numerous and splendid, I have found it near impossible to try and collect in one small space here, a sample of my favourites. But I've given it a go. Now don't be surprised if you find some big hits excluded from this list. There are some songs that for me are oveplayed at Xmas time and which have made them lose their appeal somewhat.
Here, in no particular order are the Cole Xmas Hits which I look out for each year...
First, a wonderful Bing Crosby hit. No, not 'White Christmas' (yawn), but 'It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas'
Then there's the fantastic Brenda Lee and she's Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree.
Jona Lewie's anti-war 'Stop the Cavalry' is a classic.
The Beach Boys are legendary. Their Xmas hit I think is greatly under-rated. It's 'The Little Saint Nick'.
Andy Williams is rarely wrong and certainly not this time. For 'It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year'
Tom Jones and Cerys Matthews certainly new the temperature 'cos 'Baby It's Cold Outside'.
An under-rated Yule-tide hit comes from Chris Rea - he's 'Driving Home for Christmas'.
My father liked Boney M. I like Boney M. I love their rendition of 'Mary's Boy Child'.
Don't you ever forget Bobby Helms and his 'Jingle Bell Rock'.
Here's a little bit of Celine Dion singing one of the spine-tingling tunes of all time - 'O Holy Night'.
Want some Dean Martin? Want some Snow? You've got it! 'Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow'.
But we can't some Christmas without some Elvis. Less of the white stuff, this is a 'Blue Christmas'
Continuing on the more melancholic vibe, it'll be 'Lonely This Christmas' for Mud.
I blame Aberystwyth University friend Christopher Shaw for this one. Only in the past year have I suddenly realise how awesome David Essex's 'A Winter's Tale' is. A wonderful, haunting melody.
Say what you want, I don't care. I've always been fond of Robson and Jerome's version of 'I Believe'.
Upping the tempo again, another under-rated Xmas hit, this time from Elton John -'Step Into Christmas'.
Shakin' Stevens can not be overlooked. 'Merry Christmas Everyone'.
Then coming towards my all time top Xmas Hits. Band Aid, 1984 really was something else. Again, shivers down spine time. Do they know it's Christmas?
An all-time hit is Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas'. Wow!
If I had to choose a Mark Cole all-time Christmas Number 1. Then I think there can only be one. It has to be Kirsty McColl and the Pogues 'Fairytale of New York'.
This has been a right-old varied bag of Xmas hits - apt as my musical tastes have always been eclectic. But to finish off, just to show that the good old-fashioned Christmas song isn't dead. Here's a modern hit that should deserve to be in anyone's all-time Xmas hits list for years to come.
From the genius that is Peter Kay, courtesy of Geraldine McQueen, to remind us all that is great about this time of year, it's 'Once Upon a Christmas Song'.
You'll be singing it over and over and over again...
I'm a big Peter Kay fan. I said as such in a recent blog post where I wrote of my love of good natured, down-to-earth comedy.
I'm also a big musical fan and of Queen and of Freddie Mercury in particular. Again, I also mentioned this in another recent blog post.
So imagine my amazement and delight to have these two very different enthusiasms, merged together into a bizzare, surreal but fantastic performance last night!
Peter Kay - A Musical Maestro
As I mentioned in my 'Love of Laughter' blog mentioned above, I was due to attend with my Alyson, a Peter Kay concert in Cardiff having bought the tickets back almost a year ago. I've been a Peter Kay fan since he hit it big. His earthy, everyday sense of humour strikes a chord with everyone and as I mentioned before, he to me is a male version of Victoria Wood who is also beloved for her northern, no-nonsense take on life.
What the two have in common also is a musicality that adds to their comedy. Not only do they love their music but they can bring their day-to-day roots to life not ust through words, but through lyrics as well.
Peter has (for a comedian), a remarkable 6 Top 40 hits. 3 of those are No.1 hits - 'Is this the way to Amarillo' with Tony Christie, I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) and 'The Official BBC Children in Need Medley' featuring his animated all-star band. He also scored No.2 and No.5 hits as reality TV spoof contestant Geraldine McQueen and a No.6 hit with 'Sleep' alongside Texas.
At the start of the concert last night, before his big entrance, they played the videos to I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) and Sleep - a cracking way to get into the Peter Kay mood!
Here are a few samples of his genius. First of all, Geraldine McQueen's 'The Winners Song'.
Secondly, his fantastic animated tribute to our childhood heroes of today and yesterday for Children in Need last year. It was like an animated version of Band Aid!
Peter Kay - Live in Concert on the Tour That Doesn't Tour, Tour
So, we got to see the man himself in the flesh last night in Cardiff. Peter it should go without saying was on great form.
I think the general vibe was that the first half was a slow burner. He was good of course but with so many references to past comedic routines, it felt as if he's almost trapped by his own historic success.
But the second half really was Peter Kay at his cutting edge best. His humour again struck a chord with the 5,000 or so packed-out audience who were continuously in fits of laughter but he brought the main part of his act to a close with some fantastic observational references to modern musical songs that we all know and love. I won't go into the detail as it will spoil it for those who are yet to see him or who may buy the DVD when it will surely be released. All I'll say is buy it!
Freddie Mercury - A Reprise
The encore was outstanding. Peter's ability to play a shovel in time to legendary rock songs as if he was playing a guitar was superb! He then graduated to playing a 'double shovel'! The pyrotechnics must have been costly but brought the evening to a loud and fantastic conclusion as he concluded by paying homage to one of his boyhood favourite bands by dressing in a leotard and leading a closing rendition of 'We are the Champions'.
As the old saying goes, it had to be seen to be believed!
Genius, Genius, Genius
Peter Kay just has that ability to make the normal, extraordinary. He's an everyday Bolton lad who speaks our language and dreams our dreams.
But for me it's his musical ability that sets him apart from his contemporary comedians of today. I couldn't see a Jack Dee, a Michael McIntyre or a Jimmy or Alan Carr concluding a performance with such incredible levels of energy and enthusiasm as I witnessed last night.
The reason that Peter Kay is able to do it, is because he loves it. In all of his comedy and all of his music, he is paying tribute to a loved and wonderful past.
It is for that reason that we, in turn, love Peter Kay. The 5,000 of us there last night certainly did and I am now incredibly excited and proud to say that I saw him live, in the flesh and at his very best.
