Recently confirmed as the first British artist to achieve eight decades of chart success, UK music icon, Marty Wilde, has announced the release of his first ever Christmas single – a Double-A side with daughters Roxanne and Brit Award-winning, Kim Wilde; and a sprinkling of festive help from The Shadows’ Brian Bennett.
The magical Christmas Fantasia features on one side and Christmas All Over The World on the flip. Both feature duets with daughters Roxanne and Kim, and both tracks are original fresh-pennings from Marty.
Stepping back 80 years, Christmas Fantasia was inspired by Marty’s childhood memories of Disney Fantasia (which is 80 years old this autumn), and sees Marty, Roxanne and Kim delivering an upbeat poignant message of magic and hope, following this year of isolation.
On the Double A side, Christmas All Over The World is an Xmas infused Christmas pudding mix of a track taken from Marty’s new album Running Together – which is out now.
“It’s been such a tough year for everyone, and family and song are the two joys that I felt I could gift to people everywhere,” he said of the release. “After these isolating pandemic months, I felt it was time for me to step up and bring my own sprinkling of Christmas joy with ‘Christmas Fantasia’. It’s all there, sleigh bells, the festive message and the angelic voice of our beautiful daughter, Roxanne, who duets with me on this. You’ll hear the vocals of our little helper, Kim, on there too.
“Celebrating my eight decades in music, I went back 80 years to when I was young, World War II restricted people back then, including the distribution of movies & live entertainment. As we face COVID restrictions, I saw a mirroring of now and then, and how the magical hope that Disney’s Fantasia brought to us all (despite WWII restrictions), was a symbol of hope and happiness.
“‘Christmas Fantasia’ was conceived from that memory,” he continued. “Roxanne, Kim and I wanted to remind everyone that restricted times can still have pockets of magic, joy and music. That happiness and smiles can still be found, no matter what our hardships are. I’m delighted that my good pal, Brian Bennett, was able to help out on the production of this track. Happy Christmas everyone.”