Paul McCartney joins Jimmy Fallon, the Roots, and special guests to sing, redeem 'Wonderful Christmastime'
Let's say you think that, of all the Christmas songs by former members of the Beatles, Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" ranks not just below John Lennon's "Merry Xmas (War Is Over)" but also George Harrison's "Ding Dong, Ding Dong," McCartney's reggae cover of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," and maybe even Ringo Starr's "I Wanna Be Santa Claus" — all defensible opinions except for the last one. McCartney, the Roots, and Jimmy Fallon redeemed Sir Paul's buoyant 1979 Christmas classic on Tuesday's Tonight Show.
It's an a cappella version, and Fallon and Co. are joined by a somewhat random collection of celebrities, some known for their singing (Scarlett Johansson, Seth MacFarlane) and others, not so much (Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon), plus Tori Kelly. They do a fine job, with the Roots and the cast of Sing providing a rock-solid musical backbone. Watch below. Peter Weber
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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