Bibliogryphon

Sat 16 Dec 55 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York 54 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 50 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles 49 Bing Crosby — White Christmas 48 The Ronettes — Sleigh Ride 48 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year 46 Wizzard — I Wish it could be Christmas Every Day 39 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 37 Jona Lewie — Stop the Cavalry 36 Bobby Helms — Jingle Bell Rock 29 Wham! — Last Christmas 15 Kate Bush — December Will Be Magic Again +6 12 Nat King Cole — The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) -9* 07 Ray Conniff — Carol Of The Bells * @RoverAndOut only awarded +4 to Nat King Cole so whilst I have given it -9 I have assumed he intended to give it +6 hence -7 overall. Kate's song is way more Christmassy than say Never Do A Tango with an Eskimo which does manage to make compilations

16/Dec/2023 39 Jimmy Dean — Big Bad John +1 33 The Drifters — Save The Last Dance For Me +1 31 Percy Faith — Theme From ‘A Summer Place’ -2 28 John Leyton — Wild Wind 27 The Allisons — Are You Sure+1 23 Ricky Nelson — Hello Mary Lou / Travellin’ Man +1 21 Duane Eddy & The Rebels — Because They’re Young 18 Cliff Richard & The Shadows — A Voice In The Wilderness 17 Johnny Preston — Cradle Of Love 16 Bobby Darin — Lazy River 15 Billy Fury — Jealousy 14 Duane Eddy & The Rebels — Pepe -2 10 Elvis Presley — A Mess Of Blues -2

I had Common People and Sit Down as my top 2

The physical cost of the enquiry has to be weighed against the political cost of not holding one. Even if you want to be as cynical as possible most enquires do not finish (publish a report) until several years have passed when we willbe the other side of a General Election and the main players will not be in positions of power. The bad headlines that attend snippets gleaned from the hearings will be more bearable than the cold findings that will lay bear what the decisions makers got wrong (or maybe what they got right)

Some may question our collective musical taste but this is the right place to run these games. Where we are obsessed by lists and have patience enough to wait for Zsa Zsa Gabor, Kirk Douglas, Vera Lynn and Jimmy Carter to die

If you had asked me before this game started I would have been convinced Groove is in the Heart has been No.1

There are a couple of different versions. There is a calypso type version that is a complete mess but the single version is all warm hugs and snowflakes

15/12/23 24 Percy Faith — Theme From ‘A Summer Place’ 24 Jimmy Dean — Big Bad John +4 22 The Allisons — Are You Sure -2 20 Cliff Richard & The Shadows — Fall In Love With You 20 Adam Faith — Someone Else’s Baby 20 Johnny Preston — Cradle Of Love 20 Duane Eddy & The Rebels — Because They’re Young 20 The Drifters — Save The Last Dance For Me 20 Duane Eddy & The Rebels — Pepe 20 Bobby Darin — Lazy River 20 Ricky Nelson — Hello Mary Lou / Travellin’ Man 20 Billy Fury — Jealousy 20 John Leyton — Wild Wind 18 Elvis Presley — A Mess Of Blues -2 18 Cliff Richard & The Shadows — Voice In The Wilderness -2 14 Shirley Bassey — As Long As He Needs Me 14 Connie Francis — Mama / Robot Man

Like Dare, Lovefool is something that I only really came to in this game

December Will Be Magic has suffered from not being on many compilation albums. I think I bought my daughter at least three different Now Christmas albums over the years and it was on none of them. I did eventually find a compilation with it on which my Brother-in-law had but that was so old it contained Another Rock and Roll Christmas

Fri 15 Dec 24 The Cardigans — Lovefool +4 05 The Verve — Bitter Sweet Symphony -6 05 Deee-Lite — Groove Is In The Heart

15.12.23 56 Wizzard — I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday 55 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 50 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles 49 Bing Crosby — White Christmas 46 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York 44 The Ronettes — Sleigh Ride 42 Jona Lewie — Stop The Cavalry 42 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year 41 Ray Conniff — Carol Of The Bells 39 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 38 Bobby Helms — Jingle Bell Rock 23 Wham! — Last Christmas -4 23 Kate Bush — December Will Be Magic Again +6 22 Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters — Mele Kalikimaka -5 13 Nat King Cole — The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)

American Military SF Author David Drake (Hammers Slammers) died 10 December aged 78

Here is my poorly researched team Josip Manolic Jimmy Carter Bill Rodgers Valdus Adamkus Jean Marie Le Pen Eduard Balladaur Dennis Skinner Frank Field Douglas Hurd Simeone Sakskoburggotski Subs John Wakeham Milos Zeman Michael D Higgins Just to confirm am I right in thinking former Secretary of State - James Baker would not be allowed here because that is an appointment rather than an elected role and he never served in the senate or at local levels prior to this?

All of my Top 10 have gone. I have a preference of the remaining three but it is not a strong one. I think we are very much in compromise territory

14.12.23 26 The Cardigans — Lovefool 25 Deee-Lite — Groove Is In The Heart 10 The Verve — Bitter Sweet Symphony -6 05 Madonna — Beautiful Stranger +4

14.12.23 63 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 52 Wizzard — I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday +6 46 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York 44 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles 42 Bing Crosby — White Christmas 41 Jona Lewie — Stop The Cavalry 40 Ray Conniff — Carol Of The Bells 37 The Ronettes — Sleigh Ride -3 37 Bobby Helms — Jingle Bell Rock 36 Wham! — Last Christmas 36 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 32 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year 31 Queen — Thank god it’s Christmas 30 Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters — Mele Kalikimaka 29 Kate Bush — December Will Be Magic Again +6 15 Eartha Kitt — Santa Baby 12 Saint Etienne — I Was Born On Christmas Day 10 Nat King Cole — The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) -3 06 Burl Ives — Holly Jolly Christmas -3

Really thought Common People was going to clinch this. All of my Top 5 are out and only one of my top 10 remains. The nineties are not my era

13/Dec/2023 26 Madonna — Beautiful Stranger 22 The Verve — Bitter Sweet Symphony 17 Supergrass — Alright / Time -3 15 Deee-Lite — Groove Is In The Heart 12 Kylie Minogue — Confide In Me -3 11 The Cardigans — Lovefool 11 Pulp — Common People +4

12/12/23 60 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 43 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York 40 Wizzard — I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday 39 Bing Crosby — White Christmas 39 Queen — Thank God It’s Christmas 38 Kate Bush — December Will Be Magic Again +6 38 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles 37 Jona Lewie — Stop The Cavalry 37 The Ronettes — Sleigh Ride -3 36 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year 34 Wham! — Last Christmas 33 Bobby Helms — Jingle Bell Rock 33 Ray Conniff — Carol Of The Bells 33 Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters — Mele Kalikimaka 31 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 28 Saint Etienne — I Was Born On Christmas Day 23 Burl Ives — Holly Jolly Christmas -3 23 Beach Boys — Little Saint Nick 23 Elton John — Step Into Christmas 20 Nat King Cole — The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) -3 19 Eartha Kitt — Santa Baby  16 Chuck Berry — Run Rudolph Run 07 Dean Martin — Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

During the wilderness years RTD wrote a Doctor Who book where an alien lifeforms had contaminated cocaine and at least one of the Doctor's companions is implied to perform gay sex acts in the backseat of a car. It did not so much push the envelope of what was acceptable on screen, more like rip the envelope to shreds and set fire to the remains. In all three Specials he has fallen back into his old ways of Deus ex machina resolving the plot thereby robbing The Doctor of any agency. I am hoping that there will be a influx of new writers in the main series that let Ncuti Gatwa give a really strong performance and not just be wallpaper over the cracked plots as CE was required to do

12.12.2023 24 Deee-Lite — Groove Is In The Heart 23 Kylie Minogue — Confide In Me 21 The Verve — Bitter Sweet Symphony 21 Supergrass — Alright / Time 20 Pulp — Common People +4 19 Madonna — Beautiful Stranger 16 The Cardigans — Lovefool 08 Blur — Song 2 -6

12.12.2023 52 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 43 Jona Lewie — Stop the Cavalry  42 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York 41 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles 37 Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters — Mele Kalikimaka 36 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year 36 Bing Crosby — White Christmas 34 Kate Bush — December Will Be Magic Again +3 34 Saint Etienne — I Was Born On Christmas Day 33 Bobby Helms — Jingle Bell Rock 33 Queen — Thank God It’s Christmas 32 Wham! — Last Christmas 31 Wizzard — I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday 30 Burl Ives — Holly Jolly Christmas 29 Ray Conniff — Carol Of The Bells -3 28 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 27 The Darkness — Don’t Let The Bells End 26 The Ronettes — Sleigh Ride -3 24 Nat King Cole — The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)  24 Beach Boys — Little Saint Nick 22 Dean Martin — Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! 22 The Crystals — Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 18 Gabriella Cilmi — Warm This Winter -3 17 Mike Oldfield — In Dulci Jubilo +3 17 Elton John — Step Into Christmas  16 Eartha Kitt — Santa Baby  15 Chuck Berry — Run Rudolph Run

Halo Jones artist Ian Gibson being reported dead on X/Twitter

Santa Baby is a really odd one. I will only accept two versions of it Eartha's or Kylie's Scott Mills played Madonna's version the other day and it was absolutely terrible there was no sense of coquettish playfulness about it which is what the song needs to succeed. I am in no hurry to vote Eartha out but I probably won't lift a finger to save her