🔘 Lonely This Christmas – Single: Nov. 1985

Released: November 29, 1985 (UK)

Label: EMI / RAK Records

Catalogue Number: RAK 187

Format: 7" Vinyl Single (Reissue)

Mud’s 1974 glam‑tearjerker Christmas No. 1 returns for the mid‑’80s festive market — backed with I Can’t Stand It.

Reissued by EMI/RAK, this edition revived one of glam’s most enduring seasonal hits, complete with a Direct Metal Mastered pressing and multiple label/sleeve variants.

🔘 Overview

Originally released in December 1974 and topping the UK charts, Lonely This Christmas became Mud’s signature holiday classic. The 1985 reissue paired the original recording with the B‑side I Can’t Stand It, while the 12" added The Cat Crept In for collectors.

Issued in a generic EMI sleeve with a wraparound picture insert, the reissue featured black EMI labels with silver text and a DMM cut, giving the single a crisp mid‑’80s sonic profile. It re‑entered the Official Singles Chart at No. 61, reaffirming its perennial appeal.

🔘 Track List (Common Configurations)

7" Vinyl — RAK 187

A. Lonely This Christmas

B. I Can’t Stand It

12" Vinyl — 12 RAK 187

A. Lonely This Christmas

B1. I Can’t Stand It

B2. The Cat Crept In

Written by: Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman

Produced by: Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman

🔘 Release Details

Label: EMI / RAK Records

Formats: 7" Vinyl / 12" Vinyl

Country: UK

Year: 1985

Notes:

- Reissue of the 1974 UK Christmas No. 1

- Direct Metal Mastered pressing

- Black EMI labels with silver text

- Generic sleeve with wraparound picture insert

- 12" adds The Cat Crept In

🔘 Variants (Discogs‑Verified)

Variant 1

UK – EMI/RAK – RAK 187 (1985)

Format: 7" Vinyl (DMM, black EMI labels)

Variant 2

UK – EMI/RAK – 12 RAK 187 (1985)

Format: 12" Vinyl

🔘 Chart Data (BBC / Official Charts Company)

Peak Position: UK — No. 61

Weeks on Chart: 1

Chart Run (Official Charts):

Dec. 1985 — No. 61

🔘 Context & Notes

Recording Notes

The original 1974 production remains intact — a Presley‑styled vocal performance over lush glam‑ballad instrumentation.

Collector Notes

DMM pressings and clean wraparound picture sleeves are especially prized. The 12" edition is the most collectible due to its bonus track.

Legacy

A festive glam classic reborn — Mud’s melancholy Christmas anthem proving its staying power a decade after its original release.

🔘 Related Material

Previous Reissue

Lonely This Christmas (1974 original)

Next Single

Beating Around the Bush (1986)

🔘 Discography (Selected, Chronological)

Lonely This Christmas — 1974

Lonely This Christmas (1985 Reissue) — 1985

Beating Around the Bush — 1986

🔘 Mini‑Timeline

1974 — Original single reaches UK No. 1

Nov. 29, 1985 — UK reissue released

Dec. 1985 — Re‑enters chart at No. 61

🔘 Glam Flashback

A tinsel‑draped heartbreaker — Mud’s Christmas classic shining again in mid‑’80s gloss.

🔘 Sources

EMI / RAK Records

Discogs

Official Charts Company

Mud archival documentation