The Boxing Day Music Shuffle (26 December 2025)

While Shakin’ Stevens, Mariah Carey and co can get back in their boxes for another year, the end of Christmas doesn’t mean the end of music. So, Sir (or Madam), the music goes on in the form of my weekly music shuffle.

Here, my music device selects ten songs from my collection and I tell you what it has chosen. All I ask is that you click on the song title to enjoy the music and that, if you feel like it, sing along.

I hope you find something you like. Let’s rock.

1. Kids With Guns by Gorillaz. 20 years since Demon Days was released. Everything about it still sounds fresh and great, not least this one.
2. Double O Love by Dan Hartman. A lesser known banger from the brilliant Mr Hartman, this one released in 1978.
3. Left Right by The Chemical Brothers. One of my favourite joints from 2005’s Push The Button, featuring the wonderfully named Anwar Prescott.
4. Higher Ground by Stevie Wonder. All-time classic from 1973’s Inner Visions.
5. I Think by David Crosby. Croz’s late career renaissance was as brilliant as it was unexpected, album after album of fine new songs, of which this is one, from 2021’s For Free.
6. Mr Tembo by Damon Albarn. A great song from Albarn’s Everyday Robots, released in 2013. Mr Tembo is an elephant, as you will see in the video.
7. Come On by Leftfield. Love this tune by the enduringly excellent Leftfield, from 2022’s This Is What We Do.
8. Father And Daughter by Paul Simon. Obviously, this is gorgeous and actually appears on the soundtrack of the movie The Wild Thornberrys Movie, released in 2022. Not a new song, but a new version.
9. Strange Things by Sonny J. The fella only made one album, 2008’s Disastro, but I rather liked it. The real banger on the album is the magnificent Can’t Stop Moving, which would have strolled into my Desert Island Discs had it randomly appeared.
10. Africa by Toto. You don’t need me to say anything about this song, do you? Great tune with wonderfully gobbledegook lyrics and still a highlight of the band’s live shows. From Toto IV from 1982. 1.2 billion streams on YouTube.

No surprise about my Desert Island Disc this week. It’s Africa by Toto.

I wish you love and peace and look forward to seeing you on the music shuffle next year.