The W Factor: Wombles battle for Christmas No 1
The Wombles will be going head to head with The X Factor for this year’s Christmas number one, as well as releasing a new greatest hits album.
The W Factor, a remastered 20-track compilation album, will be out on 28 November, with Wombling Merry Christmas released as a single on 12 December.
Mike Batt has also confirmed on Twitter that there will be a brand new promo video for Wombling Merry Christmas. And the band’s PR company promises: “The Wombles will be out and about in the run-up to Christmas enjoying their overdue renaissance and the season of goodwill.”
Uncle Bulgaria said: “I don’t watch much television myself - I leave that to the young Wombles - but I hear The X Factor is jolly popular. However, W comes before X. Let’s see what people think of The W Factor! It should appeal to the common people.”
He added: “We wish everyone a wombling merry Christmas.”
Wombling Merry Christmas reached number two in 1974, spending eight weeks in the charts.
The Christmas campaign follows The Wombles’ successful live ‘comeback’ performance at Glastonbury - which made headlines thanks to Michael Eavis’s comments - and the release of the original albums on CD and download for the first time in June.
Mike Batt has also promised that the remaining Glastonbury footage will be made available, either on DVD or via YouTube - so far, Dramatico have only uploaded the opening song and a teaser trailer.
The tracklisting for The W Factor is:
- Remember You’re A Womble
- The Wombling Song
- Superwomble
- Invitation To The Ping Pong Ball
- Wipe Those Womble Tears From Your Eyes
- Wombling White Tie And Tails
- Wombling In The Rain
- The Orinoco Kid
- Exercise Is Good For You
- Wellington Goes To Waterloo
- To Wimbledon With Love
- The Womble Shuffle
- Minuetto Allegretto
- Down At The Barber Shop
- Nashville Wombles
- Tobermory
- Banana Rock
- Madame Cholet
- Bungo’s Birthday
- Wombling Merry Christmas
Update: The album is now available to order from Amazon, Play.com and HMV for £6.99 or less. You can also download the album for £4.99 from iTunes or Amazon
Update: The music video for Wombling Merry Christmas was launched on 11 November, exclusively on the Digital Spy website. It features The W Factor’s ‘Jedward Wombles’ and ‘Simon Cowell Womble’ along with the Wombles band in their Christmas outfits. You can watch the video below.