Sleep In Heavenly Peace

The sun shone less brightly when Sinéad O'Connor left us in July. Here she is, performing Silent Night in 1991. 

 

Less than two years on from her #1 success with the phenomenal cover of the Prince song Nothing Compares 2 U, this beautiful rendition of Silent Night entered the UK singles chart on 14th December at #60, spending four weeks in the Top 75 but not getting any higher.

Silent Night's modest chart achievement is perhaps less of a surprise when you scan the UK Top 10 for Christmas 1991. Not exactly festive, is it? Then again, in a year dominated by war, recession and Prime Minister John Major's vision of a "classless" Britain, you may understand the lack of cheer and need for escapism.

If you've not seen the video before, you may be wondering about Sinéad's atypical wardrobe choice and the rather odd narrative. And yes, that is John Altman aka Nasty Nick Cotton from EastEnders chasing the spectral Sinéad about town. 

 

Silent Night featured in Malcolm McLaren's love letter to The Big Smoke, The Ghosts Of Oxford Street, premiered on Channel 4 at 10.05pm on 25th December 1991. Here's the pre-broadcast promo clip.

I've only seen it a couple of times, and not in full for the last twenty-odd years and YouTube frustratingly only offers up Part Four, i.e. the last ten minutes. You therefore don't get to see Tom Jones, Alison Limerick, Rebel MC and yes, the Happy Mondays. You'll also miss Fairytale Of New York, featuring Shane MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl, both gone far far too soon.

What the last segment does offer, aside from Malcolm of course, is a ballet sequence choreographed by former Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli (or Tunioli, as misspelt in the credits). Save that one for a future pub quiz...

I love this version of Silent Night. It's been done so many times, but as ever Sinéad takes a song and owns it. Peter Gabriel provides keyboards and light-of-touch production, remembering that it's all about the voice. And boy, does Sinéad shine brightly.

The single release of Silent Night is "dedicated to Louise Woolcock and her family - jah live". Louise was a 20 year old from Preston, diagnosed with a rare - and terminal - form of soft tissue cancer, who Sinéad reached out to and befriended when she read about her situation. Sinéad kept in touch and spent time with Louise, before her passing in August 1992. Louise's dad remembered that friendship with his daughter following Sinéad's passing this year. Those acts of love, that selflessness, sum up Sinéad as well as any obituary could.

Here's to Sinéad, Shane, Benjamin, Dean, Geordie, Tina, Andy, Linda, Mark, Ryuichi, Steve, Raquel, Burt, Sylvia, Alan and the (far too many) others that we lost this year.

Silent night, all, and rest in power. Your legacy endures.