Merry Xmas Everybody
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| "Merry Xmas Everybody" | ||
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| Single by Slade | ||
| B-side(s) | Don't Blame Me | |
| Genre | Hard rock/Glam rock | |
| Length | 3:41 | |
| Writer(s) | Noddy Holder/Jim Lea | |
| Producer(s) | Chas Chandler | |
| Chart positions | ||
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Merry Xmas Everybody is a single by the English glam-rock band Slade. Written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea, and produced by Chas Chandler, it was the band's sixth and final number one single in the UK. It held the coveted UK Christmas Number One slot in December 1973 – beating Wizzard's I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day into fourth place. It is affectionately held in similar regard by UK residents as Bing Crosby's White Christmas is by Americans[citation needed]. The song is particularly memorable for frontman Noddy Holder's typically screeching delivery of the line "It's Chriiiiiiist-maaaaaaaaaaas!" towards the song's close.
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[edit] History and origin
The song was first written in 1967 with different lyrics. Its original title was "Buy Me A Rocking Chair".
Holder described his reasons for writing the song in the November 2006 issue of MOJO Magazine:
- "I wanted it to be a working-class British Christmas song. And it fitted right with the political and social things going on at the time. It was very grim: there was the Three-Day Week, power cuts at 10 o'clock at night, television finished early because there was no electricity, there was a miners' strike... the whole country was in turmoil. That's why I came up with the line 'Look to the future now/It's only just begun.' That's what everybody had to do. The country couldn't have been at a lower ebb. In times like that, people always turn to showbiz."
Despite the song's association with British working class Christmases it was actually recorded in New York in the Summer of 1973.[1] The band initially had trouble capturing the right feel for the song. In an adjoining studio, John Lennon was working on his album Mind Games. The ex-Beatle had recorded his own Christmas single in 1971, and had contributed to 7 Beatles Christmas records. Slade manager/producer Chas Chandler: "We just couldn't get the sound right. Then John Lennon turned up with a harmonium he was about to use in the studio next door. It was just the sound we wanted."[2]
The famous lyrics for this song start:
- Are you hanging up your stocking on the wall?
- It's the time that every Santa has a ball.
- Does he ride a red nosed reindeer?
- Does he turn up on his sleigh?
- Do the fairies keep him sober for a day?
[edit] Popularity
Since hitting number one, the song has been deeply ingrained in the country's consciousness, and remains so even today; it is still a regular feature at UK nightclubs around the Christmas season, especially on Christmas Eve where midnight is signalled by Noddy's screeching finale. The song re-entered the UK Top 40 singles chart a further three times in 1981, 1983 and 2006 eventually selling a little over one million.copies.[3] There was also a dance remix made by Swedish dance duo Flush that was a UK top30 entry in 1998.
[edit] Availability
As well as the single release, it has since been featured on the albums Crackers: The Slade Party Album (live version), Wall Of Hits, Feel The Noize: Greatest Hits and The Very Best Of Slade, and is also available in The Slade Box anthology box set.
It is also available on many Christmas compilation albums. It was re-released on 4th December 2006 with a cover picturing Noddy Holders mirrored hat in fairy lights, two versions of it, (one red, the other green) are being released. The red one features "Cum on feel the Noize" as a B side. The green features Heres To (The New Year) and Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.
| Preceded by Little Jimmy Osmond Long Haired Lover From Liverpool |
UK Christmas Number One single
Merry Christmas Everybody 1973 |
Succeeded by Mud Lonely This Christmas |
| Preceded by "I Love You Love Me Love" by Gary Glitter |
UK number one single December 15, 1973 |
Succeeded by "You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me" by The New Seekers |
[edit] References/External Links
- ^ Interview with Noddy Holder - Record Collector magazine October 2006
- ^ Black Vinyl, White Powder, Simon Napier-Bell 2001
- ^ List of 200 best selling singles in UK
