U2 - I Believe In Father Christmas (Greg Lake & Peter Sinfield cover) | U2 Cover Rio | Collaboration

For the past 10 years, I’ve always wanted to make a bass guitar
cover or to be involved in a project that is covering a Christmas U2 song at Christmas time. For some reason it never came together. Now, however, it has come together, thanks to the members of the band U2 COVER RIO, who are at least as passionate to play U2 songs as I am.
So let’s revise 'I Believe In Father Christmas' for Christmas 2021.
With this song, I wish everyone Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

"I Believe in Father Christmas" is a song by English musician Greg Lake with lyrics by Peter Sinfield. Although it is often categorised as a Christmas song, this was not Lake's intention. He said that he wrote the song in protest at the commercialisation of Christmas. Sinfield, however, said that the words are about a loss of innocence and childhood belief. Released in 1975, the song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart, number 17 on the Irish Singles Chart and number 98 in Australia.

Lake wrote the song at his west London home, after tuning the bottom string of his guitar from E down to D. While the song is against the commercialisation of Christmas, it has often been misinterpreted as an anti-religious song and, because of this, Lake was surprised at its success. He explained in a Mojo magazine interview:

"I find it appalling when people say it's politically incorrect to talk about Christmas, you've got to talk about 'The Holiday Season'. Christmas was a time of family warmth and love. There was a feeling of forgiveness, acceptance. And I do believe in Father Christmas."

The instrumental riff between verses comes from the "Troika" portion of Sergei Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kijé Suite, written for the 1934 Soviet film Lieutenant Kijé; this was added at the suggestion of Keith Emerson (an adaptation of the same song was used on Emerson's later Christmas album). Sinfield described the song as "a picture-postcard Christmas, with morbid edges."

At the beginning of December 2008 the digital music magazine (red) wire was published. To mark the occasion, U2 also released a new song - the Christmas carol "I Believe In Father Christmas", originally by Greg Lake.

U2 - I believe in Father Christmas (Greg Lake & Peter Sinfield cover) | U2 Cover Rio

U2 Cover Rio are:

André | Brasil - Lead Vocals
   / deadmontana  

Marcos | Brasil - Guitars, Effects
   / deadmontana  

Zoltan | Hungary - Bass Guitar and Bass Synthesizer
   / czibzol  

Laurent | France - Drums, Percussion and Synthesizer
   / @u2drummer  

U2 Cover Rio | 2021