The Christmas song challenge. When? Why? How?
As a jobbing songwriter, I would argue that one Christmas Classic is worth 50 World Cup Football (soccer) Anthems.
Joining the mile-high Christmas Club, along with fellow members Mariah, Slade, Wham, Bing, & the Pogues, would not only give you financial security for the rest of your life, but it would also provide for your children, and grandchildren’s future.
Before you take on the Christmas song challenge you need to ask yourself three important questions… when, why and how do you write a global Christmas #1 single?
Lisa Fitz in a songwriting sessional Rockfield Studios
1. When?
Start now. Get into the vibe this Christmas in preparation for next year’s #1 hit.
Make voice notes, collect stories, capture conversations, find a way into your Christmas song that is unique and memorable. It will need to be ready for release by September to get traction, so if you start in January, you will have 9 months to get it right.
“I don't want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
I don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is you”
– Mariah Carey, ‘All I Want For Christmas is You’
2. Why?
Let the stats speak for themselves… Mariah Cary makes approximately $1.26US million per annum (in America alone) from her ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ royalties alone. Nuff said.
“As I started to piece it together, it came to the chorus… ‘So here it is, Merry Christmas, everybody’s having fun!’ I was over the moon when I thought of it, I thought: this is great.”
– Jimmy Lea, Slade
3. How?
Just get on with it. All the usual songwriting strategies apply, the only difference is that this project is seasonally focused.
My advice is to give it as professional production as you can afford and get it out there. Now days people will find you if you share it on TikTok with the right hashtags, the right-song-right place analogy goes a long way in today’s digital world.
Start with the song.
Work on production.
Make a little video.
Release and share.
Lisa Fitz & Ian Wallman in songwriting session at a Pro7ect retreat
‘Let Me Be Your Angel’ - Session Notes:
In 2017 I collaborated on the Christmas song ‘Let Me Be Your Angel’ with fellow Pro7ect songwriters and producers Jon Fletcher and Ian Wallman.
We wrote it for Leona Lewis’s Christmas album and had the rare opportunity to pitch it straight to the artist. In the interest of full disclosure – it didn’t go on the album (she decided to record covers) – but it was a valuable professional experience, and, in my opinion, we wrote a Christmas-Cracker of a song (your loss Leona).
We had about 3 weeks to write and record the song, so we our took time and developed it over several writing and recording sessions.
Here's a brief timeline of the whole process:
June 20th: The spark - Ian Wallman’s management ask if he is interested in pitching a song for the Leona Lewis Christmas album brief. Ian contacted me and I agreed to collaborate, and we invited Jon Fletcher to join us.
June 20th to 30th: R&D - I emersed myself in Leona Lewis’s music, making notes about her preferred singing key, vocal techniques, vocal range, and phrasings (top tip – when you are pitching a song to a particular artist it is crucial that you do your homework in this regards).
July 1st: Songwriting session 1 - Jon and I sat down at the piano to throw some idea’s around and talk Christmas songs. We discussed what works, what doesn’t, how to avoid clichés whilst giving the song an authentic Christmas feel. After about 4 hours playing with chords, we built a structure, and assembled the musical framework. The idea ‘Let Me Be Your Angel’ came whilst we were discussing what Christmas means to us. Sharing, giving, caring for loved ones, coming together, reflection, gratitude. We discussed how lonely this time of year is for some people who are missing loved ones, and the idea of an angel watching over us started to emerge.
July 8th: Songwriting session 2 - Jon and I finished the 2nd verse lyrics, added a modulation to the arrangement, and recorded a 1st draft demo of the song.
July 12th: Recording session 1 - working in Ian’s Studio we first chose a tempo before laying down the piano, guide vocal, guitars drums and percussion. The track quickly started to come together.
July 14th: Strings - in my opinion, if you can add real strings, you should. We got our friends Jane Griffiths and Barney-Morse Brown in to record a string section over the body of the song. Usually, I would write an arrangement for strings, but as we were against the clock, we arranged the parts on the fly at the session.
‘Let Me Be Your Angel’ string session
July 16th: Choir - we also wanted a choir on the song, to give it that uplifting, church feel, so we called all our friends to the studio. I’d written and scored the vocal arrangement for 3-part harmony, and about 25 of us nailed the choir tracks in a fun-filled 3-hour recording session.
The ‘Let Me Be Your Angel’ Choir
July 18th: FINALLY we recorded the main vocals, mixed and mastered - I put down the final lead vocal, Ian mixed and mastered the track and off it went to Leona. Not every pitch is a winner but perhaps she will record it next Christmas.
‘Let Me Be Your Angel’ written by Lisa Fitzgibbon, Jon Fletcher and Ian Wallman for Leona Lewis.
Now in our 8th year, Pro7ect songwriting retreats at the world famous Rockfield Studios, is the only residential songwriting retreat in the UK offering music production in the room and an opportunity to collaborate with internationally acclaimed writer/producers.
Pro7ect Headline producers include Stew Jackson (Massive Attack), Youth (Sir Paul McCartney, The Verve, The Orb), Roni Size (Reprazent), John Fortis (Razorlight, Ellie Goulding), Iain Archer (Snow Patrol, James Bay), Andrew Levy (Brand New Heavies) and Mercury Prize Winner Talvin Singh OBE and many more besides. To see a list of our Headline Producers go to: https://www.pro7ect.com/our-producers
Pro7ect Session Notes is an insider’s guide to real life songwriting, collaboration, and music production experiences from Pro7ect Songwriting Retreats Creative Director Lisa Fitzgibbon.
I look forward to sharing with you in this monthly column songwriting & music production experiences, advise, tips and insider secrets that I’ve discovered along my Pro7ect Collaboration Navigation adventure.
Take risks,
Lisa Fitz
Pro7ect Session Notes is an insider’s guide to real life songwriting, collaboration, and music production experiences from Pro7ect Songwriting Retreats Creative Director Lisa Fitzgibbon.
For more information and to apply for Pro7ect songwriting retreats and Masterclasses: www.pro7ect.com
Pro7ect is proudly sponsored by Prism Sound.
Images: by Ian Wallman