IF you're sick of I Wish it Could be Christmas Every Day and Mistletoe and Wine, there's a new homegrown festive song on the scene.
All the proceeds from Christmas is Here will be donated to the Maggie's cancer support centre in Nottingham by the city's answer to Band Aid.
The song, written and composed by Jake Buckley, raised £100 on the first day to help patients and their families who visit the centre in the grounds of the City Hospital.
Joining Jake, 28, on the single are fellow members of the band The Money, who opened the Splendour festival two years ago and friends including Joe Strange and Richard Howell.
Jake, a guitarist and vocalist, chose the Maggie's centre after it was suggested by his mum Elaine, who is battling cancer.
"I rang my mum and asked her what she thought," said Jake. "The name of Maggie's came up as a good cause to support.
"I looked into it. I like the architecture – it's cool as well as being helpful."
The song can be downloaded for a £1 donation and so far supporters have generously paid more than the minimum.
But hundreds of people have listened to it online for free – some of them twice – without donating, so Jake is urging them to support the charity.
"It's for a good cause and it's a good Christmas song," he said. "When people hear it they love it – they presume because it's a Christmas song it's rubbish, but it's good."
Jake wrote the song last year, performed it once at a Christmas Eve gig at the Punch Bowl, in Carlton, and forgot about it until a few weeks ago when he rounded up his musician friends to record the song in a rehearsal room in Sneinton.
"I played Bob Geldof for the day," he added. "It's been a bit of a domino effect. I asked my friends – they're a talented bunch – and it's just snowballed from there," said Jake, who lives in the Lace Market.
His mum Elaine, 56, from Mapperley, first visited Maggie's in July on the day she was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer. She talked to the centre head Kate Martin about the disease and benefits adviser Chris Bissett, because she had given up her job as a children's worker at St Jude's Church.
She now pops in for a chat and cuppa with other visitors whenever she has an appointment at the City Hospital.
"Your whole state of mind is different when you come out to when you go in," she said.
"It's great and there is so much potential so I would love to see as much money put into the centre as possible."
Christmas is Here features The Money's 'Stav' Mylonas, Scott Barnes and Paul 'PK' King. Other vocalists are Finlay Shaun Thorpe, Mark Storey, Hannah Cygan and Adam Dziuba.
Angela Kehoe, Maggie's fundraising organiser, said: "I really like it. It's great to hear a new and fresh Christmas song. People should definitely have a listen and pay to download the track.
"We are really grateful to Jake and his friends."
To download the song go to http://jakebuckley.bandcamp.com/
