.

The Killers Go Mariachi For New Christmas Single, Cast a Bearded Luke Perry in Video

December 2, 2009 12:00 AM ET

Keeping with their nascent holiday tradition, the Killers released their fourth Christmas single yesterday, this one titled "Happy Birthday Guadalupe." The mariachi-flavored track, recorded miles away from whatever hemisphere produced Day & Age, features guest spots from two bands that opened for the Killers during their recent tour, Wild Light and Mariachi El Bronx. The single was released digitally via (RED) on World AIDS Day and all proceeds from the track will go toward the Global Fund to help fight AIDS in Africa.

The video for "Happy Birthday Guadalupe," which is also available for digital download, follows a lonesome, grizzled cowboy, played by none other than Beverly Hills 90210 thespian Luke Perry, as he searches the desert for his long-lost love. It's sort of like Paris, Texas if that movie was soundtracked by a Tijuana nightclub band. The imagery of the video screams Day of the Dead more than it does "Feliz Navidad" (there's nary a Christmas tree in sight), but Killers fans are likely just happy to be unwrapping a new song from Brandon Flowers and company this holiday season.

As Rolling Stone has previously reported, past Killers Christmas singles have seen the band collaborate with the likes of Elton John and the Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant, as was the case with 2008's Xmas gift "Joseph, Better You Than Me." In 2007, they offered up "Don't Shoot Me, Santa," and the whole tradition kicked off in 2006 with "A Great Big Sled."

Related Stories:Montauk Club • Killers' Flowers Joins Springsteen Onstage for "Thunder Road"Montauk Club • The Killers, M.I.A. and Mastodon Deliver Big Sounds on a Big Scale at CoachellaMontauk Club • The Killers Inside: Rolling in Vegas With Brandon Flowers

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

prev
Music Main Next

blog comments powered by Disqus
Daily Newsletter

Get the latest RS news in your inbox.

Sign up to receive the Rolling Stone newsletter and special offers from RS and its
marketing partners.

X

We may use your e-mail address to send you the newsletter and offers that may interest you, on behalf of Rolling Stone and its partners. For more information please read our Privacy Policy.

Song Stories

“Tonight's the Night”

The Shirelles | 1960

The lead cut and title track from this girl group's debut album, "Tonight's the Night" was written by 19-year-old bandmember Shirley Owens, who sings lead, and producer Luther Dixon. The band from Passaic, New Jersey met in high school, first calling themselves the Pequellos. The song's frank thoughts about sexual and emotional surrender was racy for the time, but that didn't stop the Chiffons from cutting a similar version immediately after the original came out. "We were the first female group to write some of our own material," band member Beverly Lee recalls. "We did have some say-so in our writing."

More Song Stories entries »