Date: 16 December 1987
Originally published in: Smash Hits (UK)
Written by:
“What do you mean I’m unkind to Mel in the song?” chirps Kim Wilde. “Well, yes… I suppose I am a bit off hand with him, but that’s what’s funny about the record, isn’t it?”
This whole Mel and Kim shenanigan started several months ago when Kim was persuaded by the charity organisation Comic Relief to become one half of Mel And Kim – the Mel and Kim whose surnames are Smith and Wilde not the Mel and Kim who go by the names of Appleby and Appleby. The result was the cover version of “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” currently hovering around the loftier regions of the nation’s charts – a song, fact fiends, which was last a hit for a woman called Brenda Lee a formidable 25 years ago. Last year Cliff Richard and The Young Ones helped raise over £1 million for Comic Relief; this year it’s Mei and Kim’s turn…
“Actually I do get on quite well with Mel,” Kim Wilde insists of her tubby companion. “He’s really nice. He’s a really quiet bloke with a really serious side to him which you never see on TV.”
And what did the other Mel and Kim make of all this?
“We sent them rough versions of the song from day one and they were right behind it. I think they saw the joke,” says Kim.
So now the nation have witnessed Kim and Mei cavorting around singing about Christmas jollies like “pumpkin pie” (“whatever that is,” sniggers Kim. “I mean who the hell has ever eaten a pumpkin pie?”), donning ’50s-style togs (“I was so glad to get out of that white dress… I feit like a cake decoration”) and playing ancient “rock and roll” riffs the way your Uncle Reg would like ’em…
So is this the new musical direction for the woman we have learned to call “Her Royal Top Tenness”?
“Oh no,” blurts a horrified Kim Wilde. “I’m not Shakin’ Stevens! I’m not going to do millions of rock and roll numbers and cop out for the rest of my life. This is just for this one single.”
By the by, on February 5 Comic Relief will be putting on a massive seven hour evening of comedy on BBC 1 which will include a snippet of Mei And Kim’s plucky performance. What’s more, if you fancy the look of Mel Smith’s bow tie you can get one just like it from Tie Rack shops and all the profits go to Comic Relief…
