THEME TIME: Walking in the air covers
Walking in the air is a recurrent on this blog, the song from the 1982 animated film 'The Snowman' popped up several times, even recently in a version by La Nouvelle Musique (here!). The track, written by Howard Blake and used famously in a commercial later on, has been covered MANY times. Tis a classic!
The classic status is, I guess, partly because the movie made a profound impression on many in their youth, and is still worth watching. The dreamy, angelic atmosphere, tis sung by a boy soprano, or treble voice range (or 'castrato'), the fantasy of flying with a snowman to the North Pole to see Santa Claus, it all helps.
I've selected some popular, and odd, offbeat cover versions, for this is of course yer favorite offbeat Xmas music blog! But we also made a Spotify playlist with mostly conservative covers, HERE.
This is the metallified cover by Finnish band Nightwish. This guitars-with-female soprano-vocals mould was copied a lot:
Also quite popular, this rock version by McFly
But now to the odd ones out. A surf rock version from 2011, you ask? Sure:
An odd instrumental synthified version from 2010, you need? Coming right up:
More instrumental stuff, but jazzier (from 2020):
Let's do it indie rocking style (from 2012):
Pick it up inna ska stylee (from 2015):
This is from 2025, a very VERY beautiful swing version with an upright bass solo:
Too beautiful for you? You want it nastier, filthier, louder, wilder? From 2015, here splatters GURT:
Whew. Let's take it down a notch or two with this nice, slow vocal jazz version from France (from 2023):
Ah, our friends from Randolph's Leap re-did it in their own style. Uptempo, brassy (from 2013):
And here's another CAGG-friendly bunch! Christmas Aguilera add some The Streets (2013):
You thought the Gurt version was kinda tame? Listen to this anal-focussed parody (2016):
You can recover from Footprints in the Custard listening to this new wave'd version by Pet Rock (2014):
Yet ANOTHER friend of CAGG, mr Zach Malm (2017), and his pulsating take:
This instrumental indie rock version I really really liked, from 2012:
More indie, more rock, more Maccabees (2010):
And finally, friends of the blog from Scandinavia, Darling West alive (2023):
Another take:
Want more? Better Watch Out posted some extra versions last year, HERE. And Christmas Underground just joined the fun HERE
Want more Theme Time posts with cover versions? Try Christmas Eve Can Kill You (here!), Just Like Christmas (here!), Meke Kalikimaka (here!), I'm Gettin' Nuttin' for Christmas (here!) and I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (here!)
The classic status is, I guess, partly because the movie made a profound impression on many in their youth, and is still worth watching. The dreamy, angelic atmosphere, tis sung by a boy soprano, or treble voice range (or 'castrato'), the fantasy of flying with a snowman to the North Pole to see Santa Claus, it all helps.
I've selected some popular, and odd, offbeat cover versions, for this is of course yer favorite offbeat Xmas music blog! But we also made a Spotify playlist with mostly conservative covers, HERE.
This is the metallified cover by Finnish band Nightwish. This guitars-with-female soprano-vocals mould was copied a lot:
Also quite popular, this rock version by McFly
But now to the odd ones out. A surf rock version from 2011, you ask? Sure:
An odd instrumental synthified version from 2010, you need? Coming right up:
More instrumental stuff, but jazzier (from 2020):
Let's do it indie rocking style (from 2012):
Pick it up inna ska stylee (from 2015):
This is from 2025, a very VERY beautiful swing version with an upright bass solo:
Too beautiful for you? You want it nastier, filthier, louder, wilder? From 2015, here splatters GURT:
Whew. Let's take it down a notch or two with this nice, slow vocal jazz version from France (from 2023):
Ah, our friends from Randolph's Leap re-did it in their own style. Uptempo, brassy (from 2013):
And here's another CAGG-friendly bunch! Christmas Aguilera add some The Streets (2013):
You thought the Gurt version was kinda tame? Listen to this anal-focussed parody (2016):
You can recover from Footprints in the Custard listening to this new wave'd version by Pet Rock (2014):
Yet ANOTHER friend of CAGG, mr Zach Malm (2017), and his pulsating take:
This instrumental indie rock version I really really liked, from 2012:
More indie, more rock, more Maccabees (2010):
And finally, friends of the blog from Scandinavia, Darling West alive (2023):
Another take:
Want more? Better Watch Out posted some extra versions last year, HERE. And Christmas Underground just joined the fun HERE
Want more Theme Time posts with cover versions? Try Christmas Eve Can Kill You (here!), Just Like Christmas (here!), Meke Kalikimaka (here!), I'm Gettin' Nuttin' for Christmas (here!) and I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (here!)
Comments
Easily my favorite (so far):
Divided By Friday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4DrdhcLpf0
Wish I could find a downloadable link.
And, I found it at Better Watch Out. Not my site. I wish!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrJwnHgEpfI
Yeah, Guuz, really wish that sweet Half Earth version was more easily available. Perfect for the last song on Xmas Eve.