Step into Christmas

"Step into Christmas" is a Christmas song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and performed by Elton John. It was released as a stand-alone single in November 1973 with the song "Ho, Ho, Ho (Who'd Be a Turkey at Christmas)" as the B-side. It peaked at No. 24 on the UK Singles Chart.^[2] In the United States, the single reached No. 56 on the Cash Box Top 100 Singles chart^[3] and No. 1 on the Billboard Christmas Singles chart.^[4]^{[note 1]}

"Step into Christmas" was later included as a bonus track on the 1995 remastered re-issue of the album Caribou, even though it was released in the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road days. It also appears on the albums Elton John's Christmas Party, Rare Masters, To Be Continued, and various Christmas compilation albums. Two versions with different vocals exist.

According to liner notes about the song by Elton John and Bernie Taupin (in Rare Masters and Elton John's Christmas Party), the track and its B-side, both produced by Gus Dudgeon, were recorded during a quickie session at Morgan Studios in London, owned by drummer Barry Morgan, who had played on several of Elton's early albums. "Step into Christmas" was mixed to sound like one of producer Phil Spector's 1960s recordings, using plenty of compression and imitating his trademark "wall of sound" technique. This was intentional according to both John and Taupin, and an homage of sorts to Christmas songs by Spector-produced groups such as The Ronettes.

In 2009, "Step into Christmas" was the ninth most played Christmas song in the United Kingdom.^[5]

Music video

A music video was produced to promote the single.^[6]

Other versions

"Step into Christmas" was covered by the band The Wedding Present on their 1992 album Hit Parade II, and also covered by The Business for the holiday EP Bollocks to Christmas. The song was also covered by The Puppini Sisters on their 2010 holiday album Christmas with The Puppini Sisters.

Notes

↑ In years when Billboard published a Christmas Singles chart, Christmas singles were not listed on the Hot 100 chart.^[1]

References

↑ Whitburn, Joel. Top Pop Singles 1955–1996 (1997):xi
↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/elton%20john/ Official Charts Company
↑ Cash Box Top 100 Singles week ending December 29, 1973
↑ Whitburn, Joel. Top Pop Singles 1955–1996 (1997):316
↑ Most performed Christmas songs (UK) PPL & PRS for Music
↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Fjik78LapA

External links

Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

v t e Elton John songs

1960s and 1970s	"Skyline Pigeon" (1968) "I've Been Loving You" (1968) "Lady Samantha" (1969) "It's Me That You Need" (1969) "Border Song" (1970) "Rock n' Roll Madonna" (1970) "From Denver to L.A." (1970) "Take Me to the Pilot" (1970) "Your Song" (1970) "Levon" (1971) "Tiny Dancer" (1972) "Rocket Man" (1972) "Honky Cat" (1972) "Crocodile Rock" (1972) "Daniel" (1972) "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" (1973) "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973) "Step into Christmas" (1973) "Candle in the Wind" (1974) "Bennie and the Jets" (1974) "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (1974) "The Bitch Is Back" (1974) "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (1974) "Philadelphia Freedom" (1975) "I Saw Her Standing There" (1975) "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" (1975) "Island Girl" (1975) "Grow Some Funk of Your Own" (1976) "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)" (1976) "Pinball Wizard" (1976) "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (1976) "Cage the Songbird" (1976) "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" (1976) "Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance!)" (1977) "Crazy Water" (1977) "The Goaldiggers Song" (1977) "Ego" (1978) "Part-Time Love" (1978) "Song for Guy" (1978) "Are You Ready for Love" (1979) "Mama Can't Buy You Love" (1979) "Johnny B. Goode" (1979)

1980s	"Little Jeannie" (1980) "Sartorial Eloquence (Don't Ya Wanna Play This Game No More?)" (1980) "Dear God" (1980) "Whatever Gets You thru the Night" (1981) "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" (with Kiki Dee, 1981) "Blue Eyes" (1982) "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)" (1982) "Ball and Chain" (1982) "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1982) "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" (1983) "I'm Still Standing" (1983) "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" (1984) "Nikita" (1985) "That's What Friends Are For" (1985) "Wrap Her Up" (1985) "Take Me to the Pilot" (1988) "I Don't Wanna Go on with You Like That" (1988) "Town of Plenty" (1988) "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two)" (1988) "Healing Hands" (1989) "Sacrifice" (1989)

1990s	"Club at the End of the Street" (1990) "You Gotta Love Someone" (1990) "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (1991) "The One" (1992) "The Last Song" (1992) "Simple Life" (1993) "True Love" (1993) "Shakey Ground" (1994) "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (1994) "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (1994) "Circle of Life" (1994) "Believe" (1994) "Made in England" (1995) "When the Money's Gone" (1995) "You Can Make History (Young Again)" (1996) "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" (1997) "Candle in the Wind 1997" (1997) "Written in the Stars" (1999)

2000s	"This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" (2002) "Original Sin" (2002) "Are You Ready for Love" (2003) "Ghetto Gospel" (2005) "Electricity" (2005) "The Bridge" (2006) "Joseph, Better You than Me" (2008) "Tiny Dancer (Hold Me Closer)" (2009)

Related articles	Discography

Book:Elton John Category:Elton John

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