Sub Pop is proud to present “John Waters Covers ‘The Singing Dogs’ “Jingle Bells’” b/w “It’s a Punk Rock Christmas,” a new 7” single available ahead of “A John Waters Christmas,” his annual holiday tour. The single is being released worldwide today, Friday, November 8th, through, you guessed it, Sub Pop.
The A-side single features a parody version of The Singing Dogs’ “Jingle Bells’,” which takes the Christmas classic on a howling turn that should delight (and possibly dismay) dog owners everywhere. Meanwhile, the B-side, “It’s a Punk Rock Christmas,” is a raunchy spoken word yarn about the lack of the punk rock spirit during the anxiety-provoking season.
The new single was produced by Grammy-winner Ian Brennan (Tinariwen, The Good Ones [Rwanda], poet Raymond Antrobus, Parchman Prison Prayer) who produced all of Waters’ previous three singles. Brennan states, “In producing John’s annual Christmas tour for over twenty years, it seemed almost negligent that he didn’t have a Christmas record. Everyone from U2 to Justin Bieber to William Shatner to Bob Dylan does, and John’s wit couldn’t be a more fitting cheer for the annual holiday music canon.”
The Pope of Trash’s annual “A John Waters Christmas” comedy tour begins Sunday, December 1st, in Santa Cruz, CA, at Rio Theatre and ends Thursday, December 19th, in Baltimore, MD, at Baltimore SoundStage.
On Monday, April 22nd, 2025, John will also celebrate his 79th birthday with a special show titled “John Waters: The Naked Truth” at New York, NY’s City Winery.
Tickets for all shows are on sale now.
“A John Waters Christmas” 2024 Tour Dates
Sun. Dec. 01 – Santa Cruz, CA – Rio Theatre
Mon. Dec. 02 – San Francisco, CA – The Great American Music Hall
Tue. Dec. 03 – Seattle, WA – The Neptune Theatre
Wed. Dec. 04 – Seattle, WA – The Neptune Theatre
Thu. Dec. 05 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theatre
Fri. Dec. 06 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theatre
Sat. Dec. 07 – North Hollywood, CA – El Portal Theatre
Sun. Dec. 08 – San Diego, CA – Lou Lou’s Jungle Room
Mon. Dec. 09 – San Diego, CA – Lou Lou’s Jungle Room
Fri. Dec. 13 – Cincinnati, OH – Live at the Ludlow Garage
Sat. Dec. 14 – Cincinnati, OH – Live at the Ludlow Garage
Sun. Dec. 15 – New York, NY – City Winery
Mon. Dec. 16 – Kingston, NY – Old Dutch Church
Tue. Dec. 17 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
Wed. Dec. 18 – Alexandria, VA – Birchmere Music Hall
Thu. Dec. 19 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage
Mon. Apr. 22 – New York, NY – City Winery (John Waters: The Naked Truth – 79th Birthday Show)
“John Waters Covers ‘The Singing Dogs’ “Jingle Bells’” b/w “It’s a Punk Rock Christmas” is available now on a hideous holiday swirl from Sub Pop Mega Mart in North America, MM2 in the UK and Europe, and select independent retailers worldwide.
“John Waters Covers ‘The Singing Dogs’ “Jingle Bells’” b/w “It’s a Punk Rock Christmas” follows the 2022 release of “It’s In the Book” (which features Waters covering a stand-up routine recorded and made famous by midwestern-US comedian/actor/musician Johnny Standley in 1952), and his 2021 single, “Prayer to Pasolini” (his tribute to the legendarily controversial Italian film director Pier Paolo Pasolini). Both singles are also available from Sub Pop.