A Head Full of Wishes

A Head Full of Wishes is a site for Galaxie 500, Luna, Damon & Naomi, Dean & Britta and Dean Wareham. With news, articles and lists of releases and past and future shows.

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My record collection
#097: Old Toy Trains / He's Coming Home - Dean & Britta (blue vinyl)

This lovely Dean & Britta Christmas single was put out in 2007 on Chimney Rocks! Records by long-time mailing list member and contributor Scott. No concerns about the Christmas-credentials of this single - both sides are wonderfully xmassy!

Dean & Britta - Old Toy Trains / He's Coming Home
Dean & Britta - Old Toy Trains / He's Coming Home

It came as a limited run of 500, some in blue vinyl (not sure how many), and I think Scott sent me this blue vinyl copy later (I had got a black vinyl one on release). It had a beautiful two colour silk screned sleeve on lovely heavy card - and a polythene bag that was also screen printed with snowflakes… that have been, I guess appropriately, falling (off) over time.

Both tracks are gems, Dean & Britta had released Old Toy Trains as a free download a few years earlier, but this was the first outing of their cover of He’s Coming Home (originally by The Wailers (not Bob Marley’s ones) and called She’s Coming Home).

She’s Coming Home has one of my absolute fave little bits of Dean & Britta’s recorded output – there it is, at about 1’38” in… just before the short solo Britta shouts out “Go Dean!” - lovely. It also has lots of sleigh-bell action! And among Britta’s many credits is midi banjo!

The whole single is a beaut! I love Christmas, and with bizarrely few exceptions, love Christmas singles and this one is right near (or at) the very top of my faves, up there with Macca and The Wombles!

Dean & Britta played He’s Coming Home live during their Christmas live stream in 2020 (I do hope they don’t mind me sharing these clips) - but, it’s a gem - and does have the “Go Dean!”

  • Catalogue Number: AHFOW 11/066
  • Artist: Dean & Britta with Sonic Boom
  • Title: He’s Coming Home / Old Toy Trains
  • Notes: Blue vinyl. Only Old Toy Trains is with Sonic Boom.
  • Packaging: Lovely screenprinted sleeve and bag.
  • Format: 7”