Bookmakers Paddy Power are offering odds of 25/1 for The Pogues’ classic Fairytale of New York to top the charts this Christmas.
The festive favourite is set to be reissued on iTunes next week and will also be released as a limited edition 7” vinyl on December 3 to mark 25 years since its original release
Irish bookies Paddy Power have also tipped the song to be its Top Christmas Cracker, which is the highest placed previously released Christmas single.
They have given it odds of 1/33, ahead of Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas at 9/1; Wham’s Last Christmas at 14/1 and Slade’s Merry Christmas Everyone at 33/1.
The Pogues will be supporting the release with a one-off UK gig at London’s O2 Arena on December 20. Keep an eye on The Irish Post for future ticket giveaways.
Is Fairytale of New York over-rated? Have there been better Christmas songs? Tweet us your thoughts @theirishpost
The Story of Fairytale of New York – Did You Know:
- Fairytale of New York has made an appearance in the top 20 every year since 2005.
- The song was originally planned as a duet by Shane MacGowan and Pogues bassist Cait O'Riordan, but O'Riordan left the band in 1986 before the song was completed. The Pogues were at the time being produced by Kirsty MacColl's then husband Steve Lillywhite, who asked his wife to provide a guide vocal of the female part for a demo version of the song. The Pogues liked MacColl's contribution so much that they asked her to sing the part on the actual recording.
- The title, taken from author J. P. Donleavy's novel A Fairy Tale of New York, was chosen after the song had been written and recorded.
- Twice MacGowan and MacColl sing, "The boys of the NYPD choir still singing Galway Bay. The New York Police Department (NYPD) does not have a choir, but it does have a Pipes and Drums unit that is featured in the video for the song. The NYPD Pipes and Drums did not know Galway Bay and so played a different song for the music video, and the editor put it in slow motion to fit the beat.
- The video featured Matt Dillon as the NYPD patrolman who arrests the intoxicated MacGowan.
