Merry Xmas Everybody
Encyclopedia
"Merry Xmas Everybody" is a 1973 song by the English rock band Slade
. Written by lead vocalist and guitarist Noddy Holder
and bassist Jim Lea
, and produced by Chas Chandler
, it was the band's sixth number-one single in the UK. It earned the UK Christmas Number One
slot in December 1973, beating another Christmas-themed song, Wizzard
's "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
", which reached fourth place. By mid-January it was still at number one; it stayed in the UK Singles Chart
well into February 1974.
Based on melodies from discarded songs written six years before, "Merry Xmas Everybody" was Slade's best-selling single, released at the peak of their popularity, and sold over a million copies upon its first release. It is Slade's last number-one single, but by far their most successful. It has been released during every decade since 1973, and has been covered by numerous artists. In a 2007 poll, "Merry Xmas Everybody" was voted the UK's most popular Christmas song.
The single was certified UK Platinum by BPI in December 1980.
According to the Fan Club Newsletter for January and February 1974, the album was rewarded a Silver Disc for pre-order sales, even before the single's release. Within the first week of release, the single had sold 500,000 copies.
Also, according to the same newsletter, "Merry Xmas Everybody" was in such big demand that Polydor records had to make special arrangements to have 250,000 discs sent from Los Angeles, as well as 30,000 copies a day they were receiving from Germany.
" and "Skweeze Me Pleeze Me
"—in three months. These singles had both entered the charts straight at number one, a rare feat at the time as this was the first occurrence since The Beatles
hit number one in 1969 with Get Back
.
The band and their record company, Polydor
, decided to produce a Christmas hit. For inspiration Slade members Noddy Holder and Jim Lea looked at previous material they had written. Lea recalled a melody and verse he came up with while showering, and Holder recalled a song he had discarded in 1967, which he had written when the band were named the N'Betweeners. It was entitled "Buy Me a Rocking Chair", and was Holder's first solo work. Holder used the melody of this song for the chorus, and Lea's melody became the verse. After an evening out drinking, Holder worked through the night at his mother's house in Walsall
to write the lyrics, which he completed in one draft. In a 2007 interview with the Daily Mail
, he spoke about the song's creation:
Holder showed the lyrics to Lea and Slade's manager, Chas Chandler
, and played the song for them on acoustic guitars. Both believed the song would be a success. Slade then set off on a sell-out tour. Ten weeks before the song was recorded, drummer Don Powell
was injured in a car accident. His girlfriend Angela Morris was killed, and Powell remained in a coma for almost a week. After his eventual recovery, he was able to join the band to record the song. In 2009, PRS for Music announced that up-to forty-two percent of the world's population could have listened to the song.
was working on his album Mind Games
. Lennon planned to use a harmonium
, which Slade's producer Chas Chandler decided the song needed. "Merry Xmas Everybody" took five days to finish, but the band disliked the first completed version. It ended up being rerecorded, with the corridor outside used to record the chorus, as it provided an appropriate echo.
, a 7-second melody consisting of a harmonium and bass. The first verse then emerges in G major. This is followed by the bridge then the chorus. This sequence is then repeated once, and followed by a solo part sung by Holder (What will your daddy do/if he sees your mamma kissin' Santa Claus). The first sequence is then repeated, with the final chorus sung four times. On the last rendition, Holder screams out "It's Christmas!" after the Everybody's having fun line and over the rest of the chorus; the final part decreases its tempo and fades out to a D major chord played by the harmonium.
Before its release, "Merry Xmas Everybody" received about half a million advance orders. 350,000 copies were bought upon its release on 7 December 1973. On 15 December it became the third song by Slade to enter the UK Singles Chart
at number one (all in 1973) and the sixth number one of their career, and became the fastest selling single in the UK. Polydor, Slade's record label, were forced to use their French pressing plant to keep up with the demand, and the song eventually went on to sell over one million copies, becoming the Christmas number one of 1973, beating another Christmas-themed song, "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
" by Wizzard
. "Merry Xmas Everybody" remained number one until mid-January, and stayed in the charts for a total of nine weeks. That it remained in the charts after Christmas caused confusion for Holder, who wondered why people continued to buy it.
For the fan club newsletter in 1979, Jim Lea spoke of the b-side "Don't Blame Me", "Don't Blame Me was a time-filler, I think that it was created as that. When it was used as a b-side, we didn't even know it was being used, it was chosen by the offices. We were in America recording the Christmas single, there was a rush to choose what to put on the back of it, and that track happened to be used."
The song was featured in the 1989 Jive Bunny track "Let's Party" where The Sun newspaper stated Slade received £20,000 for the featuring of the track. A Slade spokeman at the time said this was exaggerated.
For the song's first CD single release in the late 1980s, the Slade fan club of early 1990 had confirmed the CD single had sold 15,000 copies within the UK.
and Elton John
. Slade then surprised her by saying that they were there already.
Disc Magazine wrote "There is no doubt that this slice of festive cheer will be a huge monster hit: the main question is whether it'll go straight to number one..."
Sounds magazine wrote "Noddy is in particularly fine voice and there's also some super-neat thumping bass. "Look to the future now, it's only just begun" suggests Noddy, and if Slade's future holds more singles of this standard then I look forward to the new year."
Record Mirror magazine reviewed the re-release of the single in 1978. "And dirt we have. Or grit really. Not only that, but five year old grit, cos this first saw you through the Xmas of 1973. Wonder how many copies they had left over that they're still releasing it. A hit of course but a shame they couldn't do something new cos I think they're great."
, where it was voted the UK's most popular Christmas song.
It can be heard playing in the background during four episodes of the British television programme Doctor Who
: "The Christmas Invasion
" (2005) (where it is the song being played in Mickey Smith
's garage), "The Runaway Bride
" (2006) (in which it is the song that is being played at Donna Noble
's first wedding reception; Donna and the Doctor
end up arriving and cutting off the song after the first verse), "Turn Left
" (where it is heard on a car radio), and "The End of Time" (2009).
Noddy Holder has referred to the song as his pension scheme, reflecting its continuing popularity .
band The Mission
, performing under the name Metal Gurus. A 1998 dance remix by Swedish dance duo Flush was a UK top 30 entry. A version was performed live by the girl group
Spice Girls
in December 1999, at all eight concerts on their Christmas in Spiceworld tour. An acoustic version was performed on The Royle Family
's Christmas Special episode, by guitarist Noel Gallagher
. Irish band Westlife
sang this song live on 2000s. British artist Tony Christie
has also covered the song. In 2010, Glenn Gregory
from electronic band Heaven 17
performed an acoustic version of the track on Paul Morley's Christmas Songs.
12" Single (1985 reissue)
CD Single (Slade vs. Flush '98 remix)
CD Single (2006 reissue)
Slade
Slade are an English rock band from Wolverhampton, who rose to prominence during the glam rock era of the early 1970s. With 17 consecutive Top 20 hits and six number ones, the British Hit Singles & Albums names them as the most successful British group of the 1970s based on sales of singles...
. Written by lead vocalist and guitarist Noddy Holder
Noddy Holder
Neville John "Noddy" Holder MBE is an English musician and actor. He was the lead vocalist and guitarist with the rock band Slade....
and bassist Jim Lea
Jim Lea
Jim Lea , is an English musician, most notable for playing bass guitar, keyboards, violin, guitar, and singing backing vocals in Slade.-Career:...
, and produced by Chas Chandler
Chas Chandler
Bryan James "Chas" Chandler was an English musician, record producer and manager of several successful music acts....
, it was the band's sixth number-one single in the UK. It earned the UK Christmas Number One
Christmas number one single
The Christmas number one single is a single that reaches number one on the national pop music charts in the week immediately prior to Christmas. It is primarily a pop culture phenomenon in the United Kingdom and in the neighboring Republic of Ireland....
slot in December 1973, beating another Christmas-themed song, Wizzard
Wizzard
Wizzard was a Birmingham-based band formed by Roy Wood, former member of The Move and co-founder of Electric Light Orchestra. The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits states, "Wizzard was Roy Wood just as much as Wings were Paul McCartney."-Biography:...
's "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
"I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" is a popular Christmas song, first released in 1973 by the English glam rock band Wizzard.It reached number four in the UK singles chart. The song was famously beaten to Christmas number one by Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody" which remained there for nine...
", which reached fourth place. By mid-January it was still at number one; it stayed in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
well into February 1974.
Based on melodies from discarded songs written six years before, "Merry Xmas Everybody" was Slade's best-selling single, released at the peak of their popularity, and sold over a million copies upon its first release. It is Slade's last number-one single, but by far their most successful. It has been released during every decade since 1973, and has been covered by numerous artists. In a 2007 poll, "Merry Xmas Everybody" was voted the UK's most popular Christmas song.
The single was certified UK Platinum by BPI in December 1980.
According to the Fan Club Newsletter for January and February 1974, the album was rewarded a Silver Disc for pre-order sales, even before the single's release. Within the first week of release, the single had sold 500,000 copies.
Also, according to the same newsletter, "Merry Xmas Everybody" was in such big demand that Polydor records had to make special arrangements to have 250,000 discs sent from Los Angeles, as well as 30,000 copies a day they were receiving from Germany.
History and background
By 1973 Slade were one of the most popular bands in Britain, having achieved two number one singles—"Cum On Feel The NoizeCum on Feel the Noize
"Cum On Feel the Noize" is a rock song originally released by Slade in 1973.Written by Jim Lea and Noddy Holder and produced by Chas Chandler, "Cum On Feel the Noize" was Slade's fourth number-one single in the UK and their first to enter straight at number one...
" and "Skweeze Me Pleeze Me
Skweeze Me Pleeze Me
"Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" is a popular song in the UK by Slade.Written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea and produced by Chas Chandler, Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me was the band's fifth number one single in the United Kingdom, and their second to debut at the top spot immediately, spending three weeks at the top...
"—in three months. These singles had both entered the charts straight at number one, a rare feat at the time as this was the first occurrence since The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
hit number one in 1969 with Get Back
Get Back
"Get Back" is a song by The Beatles, composed by Paul McCartney and frequently attributed to Lennon–McCartney. The song was originally released as a single on 11 April 1969, and credited to "The Beatles with Billy Preston." A different mix of the song later became the closing track of Let It Be ,...
.
The band and their record company, Polydor
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
, decided to produce a Christmas hit. For inspiration Slade members Noddy Holder and Jim Lea looked at previous material they had written. Lea recalled a melody and verse he came up with while showering, and Holder recalled a song he had discarded in 1967, which he had written when the band were named the N'Betweeners. It was entitled "Buy Me a Rocking Chair", and was Holder's first solo work. Holder used the melody of this song for the chorus, and Lea's melody became the verse. After an evening out drinking, Holder worked through the night at his mother's house in Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
to write the lyrics, which he completed in one draft. In a 2007 interview with the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
, he spoke about the song's creation:
We'd decided to write a Christmas song and I wanted to make it reflect a British family Christmas. Economically, the country was up the creek. The miners had been on strike, along with the grave-diggers, the bakers and almost everybody else. I think people wanted something to cheer them up – and so did I. That's why I came up with the line 'Look To The Future Now It's Only Just Begun'. Once I got the line 'Does Your Granny Always Tell You That The Old Ones Are The Best', I knew I'd got a right cracker on my hands.
Holder showed the lyrics to Lea and Slade's manager, Chas Chandler
Chas Chandler
Bryan James "Chas" Chandler was an English musician, record producer and manager of several successful music acts....
, and played the song for them on acoustic guitars. Both believed the song would be a success. Slade then set off on a sell-out tour. Ten weeks before the song was recorded, drummer Don Powell
Don Powell
Don Powell is a drummer who founded the English glam rock group, Slade.- Biography :As a child Powell joined the Boy Scouts where he became interested in the drums after being asked to join the band on a Sunday morning parade. After Etheridge Secondary Modern School he studied Metallurgy at...
was injured in a car accident. His girlfriend Angela Morris was killed, and Powell remained in a coma for almost a week. After his eventual recovery, he was able to join the band to record the song. In 2009, PRS for Music announced that up-to forty-two percent of the world's population could have listened to the song.
Recording
The song was recorded in the late summer of 1973, during Slade's east coast US tour. Despite its association with the British working class, it was actually recorded at the Record Plant in New York, where, in an adjoining studio, musician John LennonJohn Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
was working on his album Mind Games
Mind Games
Mind Games is John Lennon's fourth post-Beatles album, and was recorded and released in 1973. Like his previous album, the politically topical and somewhat abrasive Some Time in New York City, Mind Games was poorly received by music critics...
. Lennon planned to use a harmonium
Harmonium
A harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
, which Slade's producer Chas Chandler decided the song needed. "Merry Xmas Everybody" took five days to finish, but the band disliked the first completed version. It ended up being rerecorded, with the corridor outside used to record the chorus, as it provided an appropriate echo.
Composition
"Merry Xmas Everybody" opens with the introduction using a B♭ triadTriad (music)
In music and music theory, a triad is a three-note chord that can be stacked in thirds. Its members, when actually stacked in thirds, from lowest pitched tone to highest, are called:* the Root...
, a 7-second melody consisting of a harmonium and bass. The first verse then emerges in G major. This is followed by the bridge then the chorus. This sequence is then repeated once, and followed by a solo part sung by Holder (What will your daddy do/if he sees your mamma kissin' Santa Claus). The first sequence is then repeated, with the final chorus sung four times. On the last rendition, Holder screams out "It's Christmas!" after the Everybody's having fun line and over the rest of the chorus; the final part decreases its tempo and fades out to a D major chord played by the harmonium.
Release
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number one (all in 1973) and the sixth number one of their career, and became the fastest selling single in the UK. Polydor, Slade's record label, were forced to use their French pressing plant to keep up with the demand, and the song eventually went on to sell over one million copies, becoming the Christmas number one of 1973, beating another Christmas-themed song, "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
"I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" is a popular Christmas song, first released in 1973 by the English glam rock band Wizzard.It reached number four in the UK singles chart. The song was famously beaten to Christmas number one by Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody" which remained there for nine...
" by Wizzard
Wizzard
Wizzard was a Birmingham-based band formed by Roy Wood, former member of The Move and co-founder of Electric Light Orchestra. The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits states, "Wizzard was Roy Wood just as much as Wings were Paul McCartney."-Biography:...
. "Merry Xmas Everybody" remained number one until mid-January, and stayed in the charts for a total of nine weeks. That it remained in the charts after Christmas caused confusion for Holder, who wondered why people continued to buy it.
For the fan club newsletter in 1979, Jim Lea spoke of the b-side "Don't Blame Me", "Don't Blame Me was a time-filler, I think that it was created as that. When it was used as a b-side, we didn't even know it was being used, it was chosen by the offices. We were in America recording the Christmas single, there was a rush to choose what to put on the back of it, and that track happened to be used."
The song was featured in the 1989 Jive Bunny track "Let's Party" where The Sun newspaper stated Slade received £20,000 for the featuring of the track. A Slade spokeman at the time said this was exaggerated.
For the song's first CD single release in the late 1980s, the Slade fan club of early 1990 had confirmed the CD single had sold 15,000 copies within the UK.
Promotion
No promotional video was created for the single. Bassist/co-writer Lea stated that no film was needed for the single as the band absolutely blitzed the T.V. over Christmas, appearing on shows as bizarre as 'The Lee Dawson Christmas Show'. Lea remembered that on the Tuesday that the single went straight to number one in the charts, the band were filming the 'Lift Off' TV show in Manchester. Apparently the band drove around the streets of the city to check that they were number one before arriving at the studios. When they arrived, Roy Wood's girlfriend of the time Ayshea Brough, said that the next few weeks would be interesting to see who had the Christmas number one out of Slade, WizzardWizzard
Wizzard was a Birmingham-based band formed by Roy Wood, former member of The Move and co-founder of Electric Light Orchestra. The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits states, "Wizzard was Roy Wood just as much as Wings were Paul McCartney."-Biography:...
and Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
. Slade then surprised her by saying that they were there already.
Critical reception
Upon release, Record Mirror magazine reviewed the single, "When Slade get hold of a Christmas song, inevitably it's something different. They enquire whether the fairies keep Santa sober for a day and granny says old songs are the best, then gets up and rock rock and rolls with the rest and what will daddy do when he sees mama kissing Santa Claus. Lyrics courtesy Holder and Lea, that well known tunesmith duo, here on a gentler, more melodic, less rumbustious, guaranteed number one than usual. Flip is Don't Blame Me. I don't. It's blameless rock - chart certain."Disc Magazine wrote "There is no doubt that this slice of festive cheer will be a huge monster hit: the main question is whether it'll go straight to number one..."
Sounds magazine wrote "Noddy is in particularly fine voice and there's also some super-neat thumping bass. "Look to the future now, it's only just begun" suggests Noddy, and if Slade's future holds more singles of this standard then I look forward to the new year."
Record Mirror magazine reviewed the re-release of the single in 1978. "And dirt we have. Or grit really. Not only that, but five year old grit, cos this first saw you through the Xmas of 1973. Wonder how many copies they had left over that they're still releasing it. A hit of course but a shame they couldn't do something new cos I think they're great."
Legacy
"Merry Xmas Everybody" is a perennial feature, and is played regularly at UK nightclubs around Christmas. It is included on numerous Christmas-themed compilation albums, and has been featured in several of Slade's subsequent compilation albums. Despite the song's popularity it became the band's last number-one hit. The song charted in every year in the early half of the 1980s, and again in 1998 and 2006, and is a regular feature of television and radio playlists in the Christmas season. However, some venues have removed it from their Christmas playlist because it was overplayed, and became "irritating" to some people. Despite this negative response, Peter Buckley describes the song in The Rough Guide To Rock as "arguably the best Christmas single ever"; this opinion was reflected in a 2007 poll carried out by MSN MusicMSN Music
MSN Music was a part of the MSN web services. It delivered music news, music videos, spotlights on new music, artist information, and live performances of artists. In 2004, Microsoft created an MSN Music download store to compete with Apple's iTunes Music Store, though its sales in comparison were...
, where it was voted the UK's most popular Christmas song.
It can be heard playing in the background during four episodes of the British television programme Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
: "The Christmas Invasion
The Christmas Invasion
"The Christmas Invasion" is a 60-minute special episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is Christmas, but there is little cause for celebration as planet Earth is invaded by aliens known as the Sycorax...
" (2005) (where it is the song being played in Mickey Smith
Mickey Smith
Mickey Smith is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by Noel Clarke.Mickey is introduced as the boyfriend of the Ninth and Tenth Doctor's companion Rose Tyler, and a recurring character on the programme...
's garage), "The Runaway Bride
The Runaway Bride (Doctor Who)
"The Runaway Bride" is a special episode of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, starring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor...
" (2006) (in which it is the song that is being played at Donna Noble
Donna Noble
Donna Noble is a fictional character played by Catherine Tate in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A secretary from Chiswick, London, she is a companion of the Tenth Doctor, appearing in one scene at the end of the final episode of the 2006 series,...
's first wedding reception; Donna and the Doctor
Tenth Doctor
The Tenth Doctor is the tenth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant, who appears in three series, as well as eight specials...
end up arriving and cutting off the song after the first verse), "Turn Left
Turn Left (Doctor Who)
"Turn Left" is the eleventh episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was written by showrunner Russell T Davies and broadcast on BBC One on 21 June 2008....
" (where it is heard on a car radio), and "The End of Time" (2009).
Noddy Holder has referred to the song as his pension scheme, reflecting its continuing popularity .
Cover versions
The song has been covered by various artists. Notable covers include a version by 4 Skins, as part of the Bollocks to Christmas compilation album. Others include a 1990 version by the British gothic rockGothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
band The Mission
The Mission (band)
The Mission are a gothic rock band formed in 1986 from the splinters of the freshly dissolved rock band The Sisters of Mercy.The band was started by frontman Wayne Hussey and bassist Craig Adams , soon adding...
, performing under the name Metal Gurus. A 1998 dance remix by Swedish dance duo Flush was a UK top 30 entry. A version was performed live by the girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
in December 1999, at all eight concerts on their Christmas in Spiceworld tour. An acoustic version was performed on The Royle Family
The Royle Family
The Royle Family is a popular, BAFTA award-winning television comedy drama produced by Granada Television for the BBC, which ran for three series between 1998 and 2000, and specials from 2006 onwards...
's Christmas Special episode, by guitarist Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis. He is currently fronting his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.Raised in Burnage, Manchester with his...
. Irish band Westlife
Westlife
Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
sang this song live on 2000s. British artist Tony Christie
Tony Christie
Tony Christie is an English musician, singer and actor. He is best known for his track, "Is This The Way To Amarillo", a double UK chart success.-Career:Tony Christie has sold over 10 million albums Worldwide...
has also covered the song. In 2010, Glenn Gregory
Glenn Gregory
Glenn Gregory is an English musician. A founding member of Heaven 17, he was partly responsible for hit records such as "Temptation"....
from electronic band Heaven 17
Heaven 17
Heaven 17 are an English synthpop band originating from Sheffield in the early 1980s. The trio comprises Martyn Ware , Ian Craig Marsh and Glenn Gregory...
performed an acoustic version of the track on Paul Morley's Christmas Songs.
Formats
7" Single- "Merry Xmas Everybody" – 3:26
- "Don't Blame Me" – 2:40
12" Single (1985 reissue)
- "Merry Xmas Everybody (Extended version)" – 3:52
- "Don't Blame Me" – 2:40
CD Single (Slade vs. Flush '98 remix)
- "Merry Xmas Everybody '98 Remix (Flush Edit)" – 3:44
- "Merry Xmas Everybody (Original version)" – 3:26
- "Cum On Feel the NoizeCum on Feel the Noize"Cum On Feel the Noize" is a rock song originally released by Slade in 1973.Written by Jim Lea and Noddy Holder and produced by Chas Chandler, "Cum On Feel the Noize" was Slade's fourth number-one single in the UK and their first to enter straight at number one...
" – 4:23
CD Single (2006 reissue)
- "Merry Xmas Everybody" – 3:26
- "Cum On Feel the Noize" – 4:23
Chart performance
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Belgian Singles Chart | 2 | 8 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 3 | 10 |
| French Singles Chart | 28 | 21 |
| German Singles Chart | 4 | 12 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 1 | 7 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 4 | 11 |
| UK Singles Chart | 1 | 9 |
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
|---|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 70 | 2 |
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
| UK Singles Chart | 32 | 4 |
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
| UK Singles Chart | 67 | 3 |
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
| UK Singles Chart | 20 | 6 |
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
| Irish Singles Chart | 18 | 2 |
| UK Singles Chart | 47 | 4 |
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
| UK Singles Chart | 48 | 5 |
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
| UK Singles Chart | 71 | 3 |
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
| UK Singles Chart | 99 | 1 |
| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
| UK Singles Chart | 93 | 2 |
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
| UK Singles Chart | 30 | 3 |
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
| European Hot 100 Singles Chart | 65 | ? |
| UK Singles Chart | 21 | 5 |
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
| UK Singles Chart | 20 | 4 |
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
| UK Singles Chart | 32 | 5 |
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
| German Singles Chart | 80 | 2 |
| UK Singles Chart | 41 | 4 |
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
| UK Singles Chart | 50 | 4 |
Personnel
- Noddy Holder: Lead vocals and rhythm guitar
- Jim Lea: Bass guitar, harmonium and backing vocals
- Dave Hill: Lead guitar and backing vocals
- Don Powell: Drums