Eclectic pop trio Saint Etienne is responsible for turning out one of my top Christmas tunes from modern times. “I Was Born On Christmas Day” dates back to December 1993, on which Saint Etienne vocalist Sarah Cracknell is joined by Tim Burgess of The Charlatans. Roll the tape:

Apols if that was your first-ever exposure to the festive tune, since much gets lost in the live performance. The studio version, thoughtfully included on the U.S. edition of 1994’s Tiger Bay, is miles better.

Getting on with it, Saint Etienne are responsible for my second biggest disappointment of this particular holiday season. For 2010, the band released their first-ever Christmas compilation, A Glimpse Of Stocking, a set that features seven new songs and eight tunes previously released for Christmases past (including the first, “I Was Born On Christmas Day”). Sadly, A Glimpse Of Stocking was a strictly limited edition and though it had been on my to-do list, I missed the cut to order my copy. Now I’m left to try my luck with eBay, where the set is fetching quite a premium.

You can, however, stream the whole thing, though I feel it’s something of a Grinch-y tease since you can no longer get it. Hopefully, when the holidays come around next year, Saint Etienne will give A Glimpse Of Stocking a proper release. But while we wait (and I watch eBay), the fine folks at RCRD LBL have somehow finagled a free download of one new cut, “No Cure For The Common Christmas,” a dark dance number that recalls the urgent club rhythms of Nightlife-era Pet Shop Boys.

If you know someone who really digs Saint Etienne, consider gifting the fantastic deluxe editions of their albums. Any one of these goody-filled releases is a stocking stuffer that’s sure to bring a smile to their face come Christmas morning.

Free download of Saint Etienne – “No Cure For The Common Christmas” via RCRD LBL. 

UPDATE 12/20: I’ve tracked down a second free festive tune from A Glimpse Of Stocking. Read more about “Through The Winter” and snag a free download here.