{"id":334708,"date":"2025-12-25T09:36:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-25T09:36:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/334708\/"},"modified":"2025-12-25T09:36:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-25T09:36:08","slug":"listen-to-damon-albarn-read-how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-for-bbc-radio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/334708\/","title":{"rendered":"Listen to Damon Albarn read ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ for BBC Radio"},"content":{"rendered":"

Damon Albarn<\/a> has read How the Grinch Stole Christmas! for BBC Radio. Listen below<\/p>\n

READ MORE:\u00a0Gorillaz \u2013 \u2018Cracker Island\u2019 review: conventional, but richly satisfying<\/a><\/p>\n

The moment took place on Jo Whiley\u2019s show on BBC Radio 2 yesterday (December 23), during a show in which the presenter played a host of Christmas hits.<\/p>\n

As a \u201cfestive treat\u201d the Gorillaz<\/a> frontman briefly stopped by to give a reading of Dr. Seuss\u2019 classic children\u2019s book.<\/p>\n

You can listen to the full episode here<\/a>, or hear a snippet of his rendition below.<\/p>\n

@bbcradio2<\/a> <\/p>\n

Damon Albarn reads \u2018How The Grinch Stole Christmas\u2019 by Dr Seuss for Jo Whiley \ud83c\udf84 Listen now on BBC Sounds \ud83e\udde1<\/p>\n

\u266c original sound \u2013 BBC Radio 2 \u2013 BBC Radio 2<\/a> <\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a busy year for Albarn, who announced the upcoming Gorillaz album \u2018The Mountain\u2019, which is set for release on February 27. It was first announced and previewed at their phone-free \u2018House Of Kong\u2019 mystery show in London<\/a> back in September.<\/p>\n

So far, they\u2019ve released four singles from the LP \u2013 the most recent being \u2018Damascus\u2019<\/a>, which followed on from \u2018The God Of Lying\u2019 (featuring IDLES)<\/a>,\u00a0\u2018The Happy Dictator\u2019 (feat. Sparks)<\/a>, and\u00a0\u2018The Manifesto\u2019<\/a>\u00a0with Trueno and late\u00a0D12<\/a>\u00a0member Proof.<\/p>\n

Other artists who have joined Albarn and Jamie Hewett for the record include\u00a0Black Thought<\/a>, Asha Puthli, Asha Bhosle,\u00a0Gruff Rhys<\/a>, Kara Jackson, Paul Simonon,\u00a0Johnny Marr<\/a>, and Anoushka Shankar.<\/p>\n

Also on the album are contributions from The London Arab Orchestra, Demon Strings, Chris Storr, James Copus and Matthew Gunner, while deceased acts like Dennis Hopper,\u00a0Bobby Womack<\/a>,\u00a0De La Soul<\/a>\u2018s Dave Jolicoeur,\u00a0Tony Allen<\/a>, and the late\u00a0Mark E Smith<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0The Fall<\/a>\u00a0are billed as \u2018Voices from Elsewhere\u2019.<\/p>\n

In an interview earlier this autumn, Albarn opened up about how\u00a0he and Hewlett losing their fathers and travelling to India was a huge source of inspiration for the album.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe did two quite amazing, magical trips to India. India is a very interesting place to carry grief, because they have a very positive outlook on death,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI did things I\u2019d never done before. I swam in the Ganges in Varanasi. I watched the bodies being burnt on the banks of the Ganges. I took my dad\u2019s ashes there and I cast them in the river. It was very beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

In March, Gorillaz will head out on\u00a0a UK and Ireland tour<\/a>, which includes stops in Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Cardiff, Nottingham, Liverpool, Belfast and Dublin, as well as a one-off headline show at London\u2019s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ll also play\u00a0some warm-up shows in Bradford<\/a>, and perform at numerous European festivals, including\u00a0Electric Picnic<\/a>,\u00a0Primavera Sound Barcelona<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Porto<\/a>, and\u00a0Rock Werchter<\/a>.\u00a0Visit here for tickets<\/a>.<\/p>\n