Slade – Merry Xmas Everybody

The Official Top Of The Pops Video for ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ by Slade.
‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ by Slade is one of the most iconic British Christmas singles of all time, peaking at number one in the UK in 1973, having sold over a million copies on its first run.

“Merry Xmas Everybody” – Single by Slade
B-side: “Don’t Blame Me”
Released: December 7, 1973
Recorded: July 1973
Label: Polydor
Songwriters: Noddy Holder, Jim Lea
Producer: Chas Chandler
Charted No.1 in UK

“Merry Xmas Everybody” was based on a psychedelic song, “My Rocking Chair,” which Noddy Holder wrote in 1967. In 1973 the Slade vocalist decided to convert it into a Christmas song after a night out drinking at a local pub. He and the band’s bass player and co-writer Jimmy Lea camped out at Noddy’s mother’s house and got down to changing the lyrics to make them more Christmassy. Jimmy Lea incorporated into the verse parts of another song which he was then writing and Noddy re-wrote the words incorporating different aspects of the Christmas holiday season as they came to mind.

It was the band’s sixth and final number-one single in the UK. Earning the UK Christmas number one slot in December 1973, the song beat another Christmas-themed song, Wizzard’s “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday”, which reached fourth place. It remained in the charts for nine weeks until February 1974.

No promotional video was created for the single as the band focused on extensive TV work over the Christmas period instead. They performed the song on various shows including Top of the Pops, The Les Dawson Christmas Show and Lift Off with Ayshea.

The band later performed the song again on Top of the Pops in 1983 on 22 December, and on Dutch TV while promoting the 1983 single “My Oh My”. In 1985, Holder and Lea performed a short acoustic version on the UK show Razamatazz while promoting the single “Do You Believe in Miracles”. The band mimed the song on Pebble Mill at One in 1991 while promoting the band’s final single “Universe”.

► LYRICS

Are you hanging up a stocking on your wall?
It’s the time that every Santa has a ball
Does he ride a red-nosed reindeer?
Does a-ton up on his sleigh
Do the fairies keep him sober for a day?

So here it is Merry Christmas
Everybody’s having fun
Look to the future now
It’s only just begun

Are you waiting for the family to arrive?
Are you sure you got the room to spare inside?
Does your granny always tell ya that the old songs are the best?
Then she’s up and rock ‘n’ rollin’ with the rest

So here it is Merry Christmas
Everybody’s having fun
Look to the future now
It’s only just begun

What will your Daddy do
When he sees your Mama kissin’ Santa Claus?
Ah ah

Are you hanging up a stocking on your wall?
Are you hoping that the snow will start to fall?
Do you ride on down the hillside in a buggy you have made?
When you land upon your head then you’ve been Slade

So here it is Merry Christmas
Everybody’s having fun
Look to the future now
It’s only just begun

So here it is Merry Christmas
Everybody’s having fun
Look to the future now
It’s only just begun

So here it is Merry Christmas
Everybody’s having fun
Look to the future now
It’s only just begun

So here it is Merry Christmas
Everybody’s having fun
Look to the future now
It’s only just begun
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Band:
Dave Hill
Noddy Holder
Jim Lea
Don Powell
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#christmasmusic #xmas #christmas