It’s that time of year again! Since we’re in December, the countdown to the Christmas number one is well and truly upon us. So in the spirit of celebrating Christmas till we’re sick of it, this December we’ll be bringing you many a Christmas number one to get you into the festive mood (reindeer jumpers and all…)
Up this week: ‘Reet Petite’ by Jackie Wilson
We’re going into the 80’s this week for our Christmas chart topper with Jackie Wilson and ‘Reet Petite’. Becoming the UK Christmas number 1 in 1986, ‘Reet Petite’ is probably a song you’ve heard when you’ve been at a family gathering of some description and the DJ starts playing ‘The Twist’ and Elvis, but also probably not a song many of us would know outside of that.
However, if not just for the feel good alone, it is a song we should all know; with an upbeat tune that should is reminiscent of the 1960’s rather than the 1980’s and more sounds than discernible words, it’s a song made for dancing, especially after a few drinks. A word of warning though: don’t search it on Youtube unless you want to watch what appears to be Morph for adults. It’s pretty terrifying.
The song itself though is a welcome reprieve from clichéd Christmas number ones or the melancholic ballads that came before it; it’s also, despite the video, slightly more reasonable than the Christmas number 1’s that the British public deemed worthy to come after it which include Bob the Builder (Can We Fix It, anyone?) and Mr Blobby. Obviously pre-X-Factor number 1’s were drawing from a limited pool. So whilst it isn’t going to put you in the Christmas mood in the same way Wham! and Slade will, ‘Reet Petite’ will definitely put you in the party mood, and given how we use Christmas as an excuse to have a lot of parties, I would definitely put it on your playlist this year.
Kathryn Cockrill
