'Merry Christmas Everybody!'

'Merry Christmas Everybody' by Slade surely has to be the No 1 U.K. Christmas record of all time. Recorded  in late summer 1973 the song has sold well over a million copies in the U.K. and has charted  every year here since 2006 thanks to Christmas download sales. There is something impossibly jolly and festive about the record that just doesn't allow you to ignore it and with its jaunty, slightly ZZ Top 'Gimmie All Your Lovin', bouncy rock n' roll melody its the perfect record to get the whole family up and dancing.

Ironically, the song came out at a time when there was much political unrest here in the U.K. Christmas 1973 was not a happy time for many as the miners, led by Joe Gormley, were on strike and many homes and stores were having to make do with candlelight. Prime minister, Ted Heath and his government were having a torrid time and the country as a whole was far from harmonious. It is typical though of the British people that whenever adversity strikes a general determination to 'overcome' seems to rise to the surface. 'Merry Christmas Everybody' was thus the ultimate 'up yours' to a world which it seemed had decided to dampen spirits and Slade with their sparkling glam rock outfits and platform shoes put the fun and festive back into Christmas.

The biggest selling Christmas record of all time globally is of course 'White Christmas' by Bing Crosby but even Bing's warm hearted and romantic Christmas classic cannot match 'Merry Christmas Everybody' for its 'one for all and all for one' appeal. Mums and Dads, Nans and Grandads, kids and even toddlers all start to shake and wobble along to the Slade but 'White Christmas' is more for adults only.

Surprisingly, Slade only ever made one more Christmas single. 'All Join Hands' was an admirable sing-a-long song and it did have a kind of 'Auld Lang Syne' participation appeal but it only made No 15 at Christmas 1984 and has never seen the light of the festive chart since. I think for me 'Merry Christmas Everybody' and 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday' by Wizzard (more about that later) have to be the top two Christmas U.K. hits of all time but then I am biased because I associate so many happy childhood memories with the early 70's and simply LOVED all the glam glitter and dressing up of the Glam rock era. 

Whatever the case, what is certain is that 'Merry Christmas Everybody' is a Christmas classic that will be with us every Christmas for many years to come yet...  




MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!!!!!