Jimmy Barnes Reveals Expanded Edition Of 'Blue Christmas' Album

Jimmy Barnes has shared the details of Blue Christmas (2023 Expanded Edition), adding two new tracks to his hugely successful festive album released last year.

On the new tracklist, Barnes covers the Christmas classic, O Holy Night, and reprises a life-changing hit for the Barnes family, If Santa Forgets, starring three generations of the family.

In 1991, his children released a Top 10 hit album, Hey Rudolph, as The Tin Lids, which went on to sell more than 100,000 copies. One of the tracks on the album, If Santa Forgets, was an original Christmas song written by producer David “Froggy” Froggatt.

After singing the original track with his children, Mahalia, Eliza-Jane, Jackie and Elly-May, If Santa Forgets has been redone with another generation of the Barnes family: the grandkids.

“If Santa Forgets, it always made me very emotional,” Barnes explained in a press release. “Singing with my children when they were so small seemed to pluck the heartstrings even more than usual. Now I have some of my grandchildren singing too, and it has gone to the next level.” You can watch the official video for If Santa Forgets below.

He said about the expanded edition of Blue Christmas, “This album is my gift back to the kids, the grandkids and everyone out there who just wants to sit and sing with their family on Christmas.”

On his version of O Holy Night, Barnes added, “O Holy Night is a song that I know from an amazing version by Mahalia Jackson. As a few of you probably know, I named my daughter after her. The reason I did that was because Mahalia Jackson’s voice had a huge impact on me as a young fellow. She is powerful and full of love. So is this song. I love it and can’t wait to sing it around the tree at Christmas.”

As well as the new songs, Blue Christmas features Barnes taking on some of the most beloved Christmas songs, including Jingle Bell Rock, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, Let It Snow, Little Drummer Boy, Silent Night, and more. 

The expanded edition of Blue Christmas will be released on Friday, 24 November, and is available to pre-order now on white vinyl, CD or digital via Bloodlines. You can pre-order your copy here.