ONE of the biggest ever festive hits began life as a “hippy-trippy” song about a rocking chair until it was transformed by a bottle of Christmas spirit.
Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody shot to No1 in Christmas 1973, and half a century later is still a fixture of the festive airwaves.
It generates an estimated £500,000 in royalties every year and is credited with starting the phenomenon of the race to be Christmas No1.
And it all came about because of a boozy night in the Midlands home of frontman Noddy Holder’s parents.
Noddy, 77, said: “The song that became Merry Xmas Everybody was written in 1967.
“It was a hippy-trippy thing and the chorus went: ‘So won’t you buy me a rocking chair to watch the world go by / Buy me a looking glass to look me in the eye-eye-eye...’
This story is from the December 13, 2023 edition of Daily Record.
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This story is from the December 13, 2023 edition of Daily Record.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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