Karel Gott recorded one final holiday song, and it has just been released

There is a new holiday song featuring the late Czech singer Karel Gott. It was intentionally kept back so it could be released it after his death.

Singer and composer Richard Krajčo and his band Kryštof created the song “Vánoční” (Christmas) in collaboration with Gott two years ago. A videoclip was posted on Youtube on November 5, and had over a quarter million views in five hours.

Gott does not appear in the clip of the Czech-language song, but his voice is heard on the lead vocal.

Karin Krajčo Babinská, the wife of Richard Krajčo, wrote the script and directed the video.

The band Kryštof can be seen playing the song, with snow falling in the studio. This is blended with scenes of an extended family celebrating Christmas. Leading Czech actors Iva Janžurová, Alois Švehlík, Dana Batulková, Pavel Rímský and Lucia Štěpánková appear in the narrative part, along with Krajčo, Babinská and their three children.

“We didn't want it to be Christmas kitsch, but maybe in the end it is," Babinská said, according to news server iDnes.

Gott does make a sort of a cameo. One of the actors puts well-worn Karel Gott vintage record, Vánoce ve zlaté Praze (Christmas in Golden Prague) from 1969, on a turntable during the celebration.

The holiday song was created even before the duet “Srdce nehasnou” (Hearts Will Go On) which was Gott’s last hit before he passed away on October 1, 2019. That was recorded with Gott’s daughter Charlotte, and also written by Krajčo.

“I came to Karel Gott with it and confided in him that I had written a song where he played a significant role and that he could even appear in it. He liked it, so we got together. After about a week, he called and in addition to agreeing with ‘Vánoční, he asked me if I would try to write a song for him and Charlotte,” Krajčo said.

He agreed with Gott that the holday song would be a secret until a year after Gott passed away, and the duet with Charlotte would come out first. “This was so he could basically spend another Christmas with us. And now the time has come,” Krajčo added.

Krajčo hopes the song will become a Christmas classic. “We longed for a song that will always appear on the Christmas holidays, but at the same time avoid all clichés. Of course, we don't know if we succeeded, but the fans will definitely tell us,” he said.

Gott was one of the best-loved Czech celebrities for decades. He left behind a treasure trove of songs in Czech and German, as well as a few oddities in English.

People waited in line for hours to see his coffin, which was displayed at Zofin Palace, and left thousands of candles and flowers outside his home in Prague’s Smíchov district. He is buried at Malvazinky Cemetery, about a kilometer from his family villa.