Why did Thank God It's Christmas bomb?

Granted, it wasn't the best Christmas-single that year (Last Christmas, Do They Know It's Christmas), but was it that bad?

Or was it maybe the fact that they played Sun City 2 months prior to the release of the single?

No Video, tour (which they played it on), interviews, promotion of any kind would have had an impact surely. I wasn't around at the time so maybe i am wrong, but i think the band got what they put in.

All of the above and the fact that it was just an ordinary song really.

Its crap?
Doesn't sound like queen.
Horrible synth sound.
Compared to last Christmas its a bad Christmas song.

I really like it. Promotion would have helped it, but I Think it's a great Xmas song.

One of my great Queen regrets is that they never nailed a great Christmas classic. They were,obviously, more than capable, but they underachieved with Thank God it's Christmas.
There is a certain lazy feel to it, almost like a jam session to kill a bit time while in the studio.
I think back to a particular review of Day at the Races,In late '76, in the Record Mirror, or perhaps Melody Maker, and the writer extolling that Teo Torriate, could be remembered as a classic to rival John and Yoko's Happy Christmas, war is over. And for some reason that little statement stayed with me and in my little fantasy world, Teo Torriate could have been their great Christmas classic, (obviously written with a festive lyric.)
Allow me: 'Let us clling together now it's Christmas time, oh my love my love, at this time of peace and joy let the candles always burn and may the world be as one, for evermore.
Forgive my obvious lack of lyrical finesse, but do you get my point ?. Queen were well qualified to turn out a classic Christmas song which could have been up there,every year, played to death, along with John and Yoko, Slade, Wham,Macca, Wizzard et al, instead of hearing TGIC only rarely. They missed their chance, probably because of inertia, dare I say it.
And the funny thing is, despite its failings, I still enjoy listening to it every year, with a kind of retrospective mindset.
Guess I AM, a Queen stepford.

[QUOTE] [b]master marathon runner wrote:[/b]

One of my great Queen regrets is that they never nailed a great Christmas classic. They were,obviously, more than capable, but they underachieved with Thank God it's Christmas.
There is a certain lazy feel to it, almost like a jam session to kill a bit time while in the studio.
I think back to a particular review of Day at the Races,In late '76, in the Record Mirror, or perhaps Melody Maker, and the writer extolling that Teo Torriate, could be remembered as a classic to rival John and Yoko's Happy Christmas, war is over. And for some reason that little statement stayed with me and in my little fantasy world, Teo Torriate could have been their great Christmas classic, (obviously written with a festive lyric.)
Allow me: 'Let us clling together now it's Christmas time, oh my love my love, at this time of peace and joy let the candles always burn and may the world be as one, for evermore.
Forgive my obvious lack of lyrical finesse, but do you get my point ?. Queen were well qualified to turn out a classic Christmas song which could have been up there,every year, played to death, along with John and Yoko, Slade, Wham,Macca, Wizzard et al, instead of hearing TGIC only rarely. They missed their chance, probably because of inertia, dare I say it.
And the funny thing is, despite its failings, I still enjoy listening to it every year, with a kind of retrospective mindset.
Guess I AM, a Queen stepford.[/QUOTE]

Absolutely!

If that song had been entirely in English it could be up there

....but it needs a guitar solo!

Well maybe it's because the song sounds like it was written in 5 minutes? If it wasn't sung by Freddie there would be absolutely no indication that this is a Queen song. It sounds more like an early demo and not a finished song.

A huge mistake was not making a Video, I still don't understand why in all the years since Freddie passed, QPL have never made an attempt to produce a retrospective animated video for TGIC. The band also made the wrong choice of song, as much as I like the song I think a Freddie version of I Dream Of Christmas would've been huge, it's everything Thank God isn't, upbeat, sounds like Queen and has a fantastic Brian May solo. Although a Queen demo of I Dream Of Christmas is in the vaults somewhere sadly I'm of the belief it's a Brian vocal take and not Freddie. Saying that I would still love to hear the Brian version as apposed to the Anita version. What a missed opportunity on all counts, should've been a classic Queen double A Sided single I Dream of Christmas / Thank God It's Christmas both with David Mallet videos.

Whilst I cannot disagree that it's not a typical Queen track (and to an extent, I agree it sounds like a demo or product of a jamming session) I actually love this song. I've somewhat lost my Christmas spirit over the last few years, but this one always reminds me "it's time". A video would have been a help!! "A Winter's Tale" is also a great Christmas track, IMO.

Queen should have made a Xmas single like the Darkness one, play it and imagine Freddie's vocal ! Now that would have been huge :-)

[QUOTE] [b]CruellaDeVille wrote:[/b]

All of the above and the fact that it was just an ordinary song really.[/QUOTE]

Exactly

[QUOTE] [b]The Fairy King wrote:[/b]

Granted, it wasn't the best Christmas-single that year (Last Christmas, Do They Know It's Christmas), but was it that bad?
[/QUOTE]

It's not a great song, though I quite enjoy it, but I think you have the answer in your question, Last Christmas and Do They Know It's Christmas were both huge... both multi million sellers and quite frankly Joe Public only has room for so many Christmas singles at one time.
Shakin Stevens had a huge hit the year after with Merry Christmas Everyone, but that was originally supposed to be released in 1984, They postponed it a year because they didn't want to compete with (I.e knew they couldn't compete with) Band Aid and Wham.

I doubt Thank God Its Christmas would ever have been huge but it would likely have done a lot better if they had waited till 85 or 86 to release it.

[QUOTE] [b]pittrek wrote:[/b]

Well maybe it's because the song sounds like it was written in 5 minutes? If it wasn't sung by Freddie there would be absolutely no indication that this is a Queen song. It sounds more like an early demo and not a finished song.[/QUOTE]

I agree.
Shows how bad Brian and Roger sound when they work together. Kinda like 'The Cosmos Rocks'.