Paul McCartney has offered up a little holiday treat for his fans by posting a video clip of a recent performance of his 1979 solo yuletide classic “Wonderful Christmastime” on his social media pages.
During his December 14 concert at the Co-op Live venue in Manchester, U.K., McCartney played “Wonderful Christmastime” live for the first time since 2018. The former Beatles star and his solo band were joined on by a choir made up of children who attend the You Should Be Dancing Theatre Academy in Manchester. Also on hand were the members of McCartney’s horn section dressed as elves, who added some festive jingling bells to the performance.
The video clip captures a segment of the performance, which ended with fake snow falling down on the audience from the rafters.
Along with the video, the post features a note that reads, “The season is almost upon us… So here’s something special. ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ live from Co-op Live, Manchester.”
Full-length, fan-shot videos of “Wonderful Christmastime” performance can be found on YouTube.
McCartney and the band also played “Wonderful Christmastime,” at his second concert in Manchester, on December 15, as well as at his final two shows of 2024 at The O2 arena in London on December 18 and 19. At the latter two concerts, Paul and company were joined by the London-based Capital Children’s Choir.
Fans Shared Reactions to the “Wonderful Christmastime” Performance
Many fans shared their reaction to the “Wonderful Christmastime” video in the comments section of McCartney’s Instagram, including several who attended the Manchester concert.
One fan wrote, “What a memory for the kids in the chorus.”
A second commented, “Was there on 14th of December! Awesome memorable perfect mindblowing night!!!”
A third fan enthused, “What an unbelievable night… still reeling after a week.”
More About “Wonderful Christmastime”
“Wonderful Christmastime” was released as a single in November 1979. It was the first solo single McCartney had released since 1971. It also was his first solo track following Wings’ final album, Back to the Egg, which was released that June.
McCartney produced, sang and played all the instruments on “Wonderful Christmastime,” including keyboards, guitars, bass, drums, percussion, and jingle bells.
In January 2024, “Wonderful Christmastime” reached its highest position ever on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 26.
McCartney’s Upcoming Plans
After wrapping up his 2024 Got Back Tour earlier in December, McCartney has no other shows on his schedule.
As for his holiday plans, Paul revealed in a recently posted fan Q&A that he planned to sit back and relax with family during Christmastime. He also reported that he’s been working on a lot of new songs, and his New Year’s resolution is to finish a new album in 2025.
