In an interview just days before his death aged 74, Chris Rea – the unmistakeable voice behind one of the world’s most popular Christmas songs – spoke to The Independent about the “hope and warmth” of “Driving Home for Christmas”.
The British rock singer wrote the track at a time when he was hardly in the holiday spirit. His record contract was almost done, and his manager had just informed him he was quitting. Rea was keen to get home from London’s Abbey Road studios to Middlesbrough, but he’d been banned from driving, and his label refused to pay for a train ticket.
So, his wife picked him up in their battered Austin Mini and they set off for Middlesbrough. The snow set in, as did the traffic, prompting Rea to look across at the other drivers, who looked equally miserable. Jokingly singing that now-famous line, he started to scrawl down lyrics in a notepad on his lap.
Originally released as the B-side to his single “Hello Friend” in 1986, the re-recorded version of “Driving Home for Christmas” (1988) has appeared in the UK singles chart almost every year for the past two decades, reaching a new peak of No 10 in 2021. Both versions feature on Rea’s new record, The Christmas Album, which is out now, including as a limited edition vinyl.
“It has that hope and warmth to it, like all the classic Christmas songs,” Rea told The Independent. “That and the frustration of being stuck in the motorway traffic – that’s what people relate to.
“What’s funny is that I’d been banned from driving just before I wrote it, and we originally thought we’d give it to Van Morrison. It was a Fifties jazz thing, like he used to do. Then the record label put it out as a B-side of mine, and a DJ started playing it. And here we are today.”
Before he died following a short illness, Rea said he had been getting back into his love of blues and jazz, and recording “some instrumental pieces”. He was also looking forward to Christmas, and reflected on his pride in making his own film, La Passione, which was released 30 years ago.
News of his death was shared by his family, who said he died on Monday 22 December in hospital following a short illness.
A statement on behalf of his wife and two children said: “It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Chris. He passed away peacefully in hospital earlier today following a short illness, surrounded by his family.”
