Free Music giveaway on 7th December 2010

Now that the bleak mid-winter is fully upon us Debt Records feels compelled to add to your chills with this free download of Louis Barabbas’ Christmas Single from 2008. Gawd Bless Us, Every One!

Today marks the eleventh year since The Recording Industry Association of America filed a lawsuit against the Napster file-sharing client alleging copyright infringement. What better way to mark the dawn of this most controversial of musical epochs than with some free music at Christmas time, a season famous for its generosity (though characterized by its greed).

The song was originally commissioned in 2007 by a London label called “Old School House Recordings” for a Christmas album featuring, among others, The Broken Family Band’s Steve Adams and Humble Soul’s Aidan Smith. Louis was working as a Christmas elf in Manchester’s German Market at the time (see photo right) and wrote the song “Writing My List” in a typical post-shift rage during the bus journey back to Withington. The Bedlam Six (then known as The Black Velvet Band), recorded it the following day with the haunting cello part provided by The Moulettes’ Hannah Miller (who was living with Barabbas at the time).

Unfortunately the label folded and the album never reached the shops. The band were thus left with a song that was rapidly approaching its use-by-date. In the end they decided to self-release (or should that be “elf” release) the record the following year accompanied by a creepy music video directed by Joseph Mannion (who recently shot Becca & The Broken Biscuits’ “Train Driver” promo) with animation from Plastic Zoo’s Sam Alder (who later worked on the Bedlam Six’s celebrated “Tell-Tale Hound” video).

Anyway, we forget what the Christmas Number One was in 2008 but it certainly wasn’t “Writing My List”.

So here it is, a Christmas gift from Debt Records to you with all the festive cheer we can muster - available for free download from www.debtrecords.net/shop. Humbug!

2008 BBC coverage can be found here

Here is the Music Video:

The song will be available to download free from the Debt Records shop on 7th December 2010 and will remain there until epiphany. Louis Barabbas & The Bedlam Six’s next record “Get Religion!” is released on Debt Records on 31st January 2011. They then embark on a UK and Europe-wide tour.

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