Shakin’ Stevens backs Sunday Express Xmas campaign. (Image: Getty)
Rock and roll legend Shakin’ Stevens has urged Sunday Express readers to help make Christmas merry “for everyone” as we launch our new festive campaign.
The paper has teamed up with the Salvation Army to call for those most in need not to be left behind at what should be the most wonderful time of the year.
Our ‘Warm Hearts’ campaign reminds us that while many of us will be surrounded by loved ones on December 25, others are not so fortunate.
It encourages readers to think of others who take the same approach as the Salvation Army, which will be present for communities across the UK over Christmas—as it has been for more than 150 years.
Shaky—real name Michael Barratt—was the best-selling singles artist of the 1980s, with hits including ‘This Ole House’ and ‘Green Door’.
In 2015, he recorded a new version of his classic hit ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’, with proceeds going to the Salvation Army – a charity he has long supported.
He told the paper he believed if everyone played their part, especially during this time of year, it would make a difference for those most in need.
Backing the campaign, which launched last week, the 76-year-old said: “If you ask what we would hope for this Christmas, it would be that the charities who support those in need, be it for food, care, or to sleep safe, do in turn receive support from us all in these difficult times.”
Shakin’ Stevens re-recorded ‘Merry Christmas’ song. (Image: Getty)
The Salvation Army will extend a helping hand to the vulnerable, finding accommodation for those living on the streets and providing companionship for people left alone while others celebrate.
It also offers help for families struggling to feed their children.
We are calling on our readers to do their part and ensure they are present for the people most in need.
Explaining why he had lent his iconic voice to the campaign, the Welsh star said his ‘eyes had been opened’ when he discovered the extent of the work the Salvation Army carried out.
While researching his family background, he discovered that many of his descendants had close ties to the charity. His grandmother had spent more than seven decades volunteering and performed in one of its bands.
He said: “Some years ago, we started to look into my family tree. Among the stories, we found that several members of my family had been part of the Salvation Army, as many, indeed, still are.”
“We also discovered that my grandmother had been in the army for more than seven decades.
“We then started to research the army, and discovered that they don’t just come out at Christmas, to fundraise on the streets of our cities, but they are major contributors in supporting those in crisis, throughout the world – however the need arises – from social crisis, or from the devastating effect of natural disasters.
“It was an eye-opener. We were surprised to learn the full extent of the good works carried out by the Salvation Army, and felt that this was an aspect of the army that deserved to be communicated to the public, and could perhaps assist them in their fundraising.”
While learning more about his family, Mr Stevens recorded an album inspired by the stories he had uncovered during his research. This inspired him to re-record the song ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ in honour of his grandmother, who had spent hours on the squeezebox playing in the Army’s band.
He also created a separate song about his grandmother; ‘The Fire In Her Blood’.
Shaky’s family were in the Salvation Army. (Image: Getty)
Determined to highlight the work of the Salvation Army – both in the UK and abroad, he offered his recording to the charity to showcase its work.
Mr Stevens said he “loved every minute” working with the charity.
He told the Sunday Express: “When we approached the army, they loved the track and so we worked with them on the visuals, to ensure that the resulting video would give them the opportunity to show how much the army contributes to the lives of us all, wherever we happen to live .
“The whole experience of working with the army was so enjoyable, and we loved every minute of it.”
Although a household name, whose iconic single will once again be played repeatedly this Christmas, the star said there was no substitute for hard work.
Before hitting the big time, he had worked variously as a milkman, window cleaner and upholsterer. But music was always in his blood.
He explained: “I was born into a very large family, with the majority of my 12 siblings still living at home. Although sometimes cramped, it was a house full of music and love. I used to sing in the school classroom, and formed bands from a young age, performing mainly in village halls.”
Gigs followed in festivals and theatres, but it was never plain sailing. He said his often-cited ‘meteoric rise to stardom’ was in fact, anything but.
He said: “I have achieved a lot, I do acknowledge, but it took a long time, and a lot of hard work. Prior to turning professional and earning enough money to live on, I also needed at times to have a ‘day job’. “This varied from window cleaning to working as an upholsterer – which I loved because I could listen to music on the radio all day long.”
“I also worked as a milkman, but only for a short period of time. I was driven to perform, and so that really didn’t work for me for very long.”
Salvation Army will help vulnerable this Christmas. (Image: Getty)
He added there was no silver bullet for coming up with a classic tune, but he felt any successful Christmas song needed a sprinkle of ‘Christmas magic’.
He explained: “In my view there is no ‘magic’ formula for a hit single. The closest comparison for me is that it is like a good book; it has a beginning, that grabs your attention, a middle, that develops the track and keeps you interested, and an end that will leave its mark on your memory, and make you want to play it…. one more time… and then again.”
“But some recordings just have that magical sparkle, and let’s face it, Christmas is a very magical time!”
Urging everyone to join our campaign, he said that in today’s troubled times, it was more important than ever to spare a thought for those less fortunate – wherever they might be.
He said: “We can’t just look to our own shores, and those in other lands deserve their peace, together with their right to live in a safe environment – and for our journalists to be allowed to report their stories, at home and abroad – without fear or favour.”
Salvation Army officer appears in Shakin’ Stevens pop video
While working over Christmas requires dedication and sacrifice, Margaret feels the effort is worth it. Nearly 20 years ago. When one man she was helping over the festive period disappeared, Margaret and her colleagues tracked him down to the beach where he was living. Despite being near suicidal, they talked him round – and he and Margaret are still in touch.
She said: “I can tell you about a gift given to me for Christmas for a homeless man. This man we wanted to help was a ‘cor blimey’ bloke – his language was foul!
“He would come into The Salvation on Mondays, and one day he didn’t come in. I had his number so I phoned him. He was in a heap. It was one week to Christmas and he was living on the beach.
“He had nothing and no-one, no family, and was thinking about ending his life. So me and my friend who was able to get cheap rucksacks went down to find him. This friend would get them whenever they were on sale and hand them out to the homeless.
“I knew where he slept on the beach. We went and found him and woke him up and gave him his rucksack – he wasn’t too happy about being woken up! We got him some fish and chips, and I think that was some sort of turning point. 19 years later, he still rings me one night a week and I still ring him one night a week.”
She said her work was different from day to day, but she found a touch of Christmas magic through helping those in need.
She explained: “We had a bit of a Christmas miracle once – we managed to get a brand-new single mattress that someone was about to give to the shop, and got it to a couple who’d been sleeping on the metal floor of a broken-down camper bus. Sometimes you’ve got to ask for forgiveness rather than permission to help people, but you can do that in The Salvation Army.
“I think that kind of help can make such a difference.”
* To help our campaign by donating to The Salvation Army please call 0800 389 8282
As a fresh faced 73-year old, life long Salvation Army member Margaret Randall was delighted to appear in the video for Shakin’ Stevens charity re-make of Merry Christmas Everyone.
But Margaret, awarded an MBE in 2007 for her work with the homeless, isn’t the type to let stardom go to her head. She was straight back to the streets helping those in need, just as she has done for her entire life.
She became involved with The Salvation Army after they helped her as a child, bringing joy to the poor in her native Birmingham.
Now 82, she said: “My mum and dad were poor, so we only had one gift. We also had a stocking with an apple and an orange. It’s not really what you want is it on Christmas morning, an apple and an orange? But I remember The Salvation Army on Christmas Eve – the carol service and the band. They’d go round all the most awful parts of Birmingham, where I grew up, all the worst pubs, and sing and play and help. I used to look at them and think that one day I’ll join The Salvation Army.”
She was true to her word and works tirelessly with the charity, even hand washing the feet of the most vulnerable because she realised “no one else will do this”.
“That’s what The Salvation Army does,” said Margaret, who lives and works in Winton, Bournemouth.
“I’ve loved every minute of my time with The Salvation Army. It’s meant everything to me. It’s hard to describe the awfulness that people we help have to put up with, and The Salvation Army helps.
“These guys, mostly guys, have nothing. Broken marriages, lost their jobs, sometimes they’ve been in and out of prison. They’re often not well, mentally.
“We can’t do everything for them, but we do what we can. I still get calls from people who’ve sorted their lives out, or from a mum who thinks her boys would have been dead without us. That’s the Salvation Army for you.”
Margaret became renowned for tending to the feet of the homeless, which she believes gives them back dignity and self-respect.
She described how this first arose: “I’ve been with the Salvation Army my whole life. For 20 years I organised the meal run for the homeless, and that’s where I first saw the need for foot care.
“I remember a particular time, I had a phone call from a man who needed help. I like everyone we help.
“We did a trace and confirmed he had no next of kin, and he came to us for an appointment in a big trench coat and just pajamas underneath. I knew he wasn’t right mentally and I thought ‘Dear Lord, what am I doing?’
“I saw his feet, and his toes were so dirty they were stuck together, stuck solid. He needed help. So I thought ‘No-one else will do this.’ I didn’t ask permission. I got hot water and I got to work on his feet. His hair hadn’t been washed in years, so I took him next door to the barbers and I washed his hair and I asked the barber to give him a cut, said I would pay for it, and we got him some clean clothes from the shop.
“I wouldn’t say he looked like a different man, but his feet were in good condition. I always think he could have died then. That’s what the Salvation Army does.”
Salvation Army has been helping people since 1865. (Image: Getty)
Salvation Army bands will bring festive joy across the UK
Highlights from outside the capital include carolling in town centres from Bournemouth to Bexley Heath, festive performances at Guildford’s Friary Centre, and Christmas Day carols at hospitals in Boscombe.
They will also take part in the Christmas lights switch-on in Swindon and Fordingbridge, as well as a carol concert at Liverpool’s iconic Strawberry Field.
Whether at community hubs, cathedrals, or care homes, The Salvation Army will perform for all to enjoy and listen to.
The charity began on the streets of East London in 1865. The challenges people faced in the late 19th Century—homelessness, addiction, loneliness, and unemployment—have echoes today. The Salvation Army has continued its founders’ work, tackling issues and working at the heart of communities to offer practical help, unconditional assistance, and support in a bid to transform lives.
If you spot them on the street, don’t forget to take a photo and tag @dailyexpress and @salvationarmyuk.
From Trafalgar Square to Liverpool’s iconic Strawberry Fields, the famous bands of the Salvation Army will bring festive joy across the country.
The Salvation Army is synonymous with brass bands, particularly at Christmas time, this year it will spread festive joy to communities across the UK including carols by candlelight, concerts in historic venues and carolling on bustling streets. This December, you can find Salvation Army bands getting people into the festive spirit at iconic locations, including London’s West End and performances each Saturday morning for Christmas shoppers on Oxford Street, Regent Street, and Piccadilly.