music
December 22, 2025
Chris Rea: how we made Driving Home for Christmas
‘The first time we played it live, we hired 12 cannons and put three feet of snow in the stalls. The clean-up cost me £12,000’
TL;DR
- Chris Rea wrote "Driving Home for Christmas" in 1978 during a stressful drive home due to a dwindling record contract and being banned from driving.
- The song's lyrics were inspired by the sight of miserable drivers in traffic during a snowy journey.
- A significant financial boost arrived with a £15,000 check from the US for his hit "Fool (If You Think It’s Over)" shortly after the journey.
- The song was later developed from unfinished ideas with keyboardist Max Middleton and released, eventually becoming a major Christmas hit.
- Drummer Martin Ditcham recalls recording his parts in Rea's home studio, adding percussion and jingle bells to the already recorded track.
- Despite Rea's initial apprehension about it ruining his credibility, the song became a widely recognized and played Christmas single.
- A live performance featured 12 snow cannons, creating three feet of artificial snow in the venue, which cost £12,000 to clean up.
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