"Happy Xmas" is the first Christmas album by Eric Clapton and his twenty-first solo studio album, released on 12 October 2018. The album features 13 covers of Christmas-themed songs, ranging from well-known classics to more obscure ones, all arranged in a predominantly blues style. Additionally, the album includes one new composition, "For Love on Christmas Day," written by Clapton and his long-time collaborator Simon Climie.
The concept for the album was initially inspired by Clapton’s wife, Melia, who suggested he create a Christmas album after hearing the holiday playlists Clapton often made for the end-of-year season. Clapton was initially reluctant, as he felt many of his favorite artists had already released Christmas albums, but he was eventually convinced after collaborating with pianist Walt Richmond (from The Tractors). Richmond’s unconventional harmonizations and arrangements played a key role in shaping the sound of the album.
One of the highlights of the album is the original track "For Love on Christmas Day," which Clapton wrote in early 2018. The song started as a piece called "Living in a Dream World," which Clapton completed by adding lyrics. Initially intended to be part of a regular studio album, the song's lyrics were altered to fit the Christmas theme when Clapton decided to make the album a holiday record.
Clapton also chose to cover songs like "Home for the Holidays" and "It's Christmas," both from American soul singer Anthony Hamilton's 2014 holiday album Home for the Holidays, after discovering Hamilton’s music on Spotify. Clapton admired Hamilton, calling him "the best soul singer on the planet."
Another notable track is the popular Christmas carol "Jingle Bells," which Clapton arranged with a partly electronic style, influenced by the music of Swedish DJ Avicii. Clapton’s young daughters were fans of Avicii, and they encouraged him to turn "Jingle Bells" into a tribute to the DJ, who tragically passed away shortly before Clapton began working on the album.
"Christmas in My Hometown," a song Clapton found while scouring the internet for unusual Christmas songs, was inspired by a version originally recorded by Sonny James in 1954. Clapton arranged the song in a style reminiscent of a pub song, evoking the image of a group of Romani people singing and having fun, as seen in a documentary he had watched.
The album's artwork, which features cartoonish, childlike drawings, was created by Clapton himself. He quickly sketched the designs on hotel sheets, with the front cover featuring a Santa character that vaguely resembles Clapton. The inner spread includes a scene of Santa’s sleigh under a Christmas star, along with a Christmas tree. Clapton humorously remarked in an interview with producer Simon Climie that the artwork took "months and months" of failed attempts, though he admitted it was done in a short time. The handwritten lettering on the front cover and the tracklist on the back were also done by Clapton himself, adding a personal touch to the project.
Happy Xmas received attention for its relaxed, bluesy approach to holiday music, marking a unique addition to Clapton's long career and providing a fresh take on the traditional Christmas album.
