Christmas was usually a rather subdued celebration at both student-radio stations I worked at since, as you can well imagine, the students that operated the operations were off for the winter break. If we wanted to celebrate we had to have something in the works before Thanksgiving and then put it into action as soon as we got back. No one liked wrestling with last-minute programming ideas and focusing on passing final exams at the same time. I recall one year as an undergrad we were on the ball enough to switch out our regular liners and replace them with some holiday ones. I thought it was cool and made us sound like we were ahead of the trend, rather than usually following suite. Of course, we had to work overtime in January to get the normal liners reinstated. Along with starting another semester, the extra work wasn't worth it, especially when we couldn’t find some of the liners. Oh, well.
Musically we usually didn't change much, except for trying to enter some holiday-themed tunes into rotation, which, for the rock format could be trying. We didn't have much in the way of Christmas albums so we had to rely on Christmas editions of the weekly preview discs (or the even rarer gifts from record labels) and hope there was something we could find salvageable...because stuff like Seven Mary Three Wise Men, A Van Halen Holiday and Kiss Saves Christmas wasn't going to cut it.
So when we stumbled upon the Smashing Pumpkins and Billy Corgan's Christmastime we thought we in pretty good shape. I actually recall a number people commenting on it and enjoying it, noting that it was the sort of thing you'd expect the Pumpkins to sound like as well as having a Christmassy message attached.
And that was all that mattered.
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Christmastime
(Billy Corgan)
The Smashing Pumpkins
From the album A Very Special Christmas, Vol. 3
1997
We watch the children playing
Beside the christmas tree
The presents are wrapped up
It's beautiful and secretly the gifts still hide
The fun awaits for you inside
Christmastime has come
There'll be toys for everyone
Cause christmastime has come for you
I remember dreaming
Wishing hoping praying for this day
Now i sit and watch them
The little ones i love so excited by the wait
Christmastime has come
There'll be toys for everyone
Cause christmastime has come for you
And now the word is given
It's time to peek inside
It's time to let the toys out
So anxious for your look of joy and delight
Waiting for just your surprise
Christmastime has come
There'll be toys for everyone
Cause christmastime has come for you
