Merry Xmas Everybody is a British Festive Classic!
It’s not Christmas until you hear the wild bellowing of Noddy Holder blasting out IT’S CHRISTMAAAAAAS!
Released in 1973, this is the one song that is played at each and every Christmas party you’ve ever been to. Not a big hit in the states, but it’s ruled over Europe for the past 31 years!
It sold a million copies on its first release and has been re-released every year since hitting the Top 40 on no less than 8 occasions.
There has never been a promotional video made and we have to rely on old repeats of Top of the Pops and Christmas specials to see Slade in action singing their festive classic. 1973 also saw Wizzard’s ‘I Wish it Could Be Christmas Everyday‘ and Elton John’s “Step into Christmas’ also in the charts at the same time, so it really was a great year for Christmas classics.
Merry Xmas Everybody (yes, that’s the right title, not Merry Christmas Everybody) must be one of the most used Christmas tracks that appear on all those Christmas compilation CDs we all see at this time of year…no wonder Noddy Holder said the song was his pension fund!
There have been many cover versions of the song, but as with all truly Classic Christmas hits, none of them come close to the original.
Here I show the best, in my opinion, versions…but it was tough seeing as the original is in my all-time top 10 and it seems fruitless to even try and replicate it!
Slade – Merry Xmas Everybody
Oasis – Merry Xmas Everybody
Oasis were big fans of Slade and had a hit with ‘Cum on Feel the Noize’ but this version of Merry Xmas Everybody was never released. It featured in the end credits to the Christmas Special British TV comedy ‘The Royle Family‘. This is the full version which is a rather low-key effort from the Manchester band.
Tony Christie – Merry Xmas Everybody
A decent version by British top Crooner Tony Christie! It’s the only swing version I’ve ever heard and it’s kinda grown on me! The video itself is a bit of a parody of the Royle Family TV sitcom. This is, I think, one of the better versions out there.
Rooney – Merry Xmas Everybody
American rockers, Rooney, did a decent version that appeared on the ‘The Year They Recalled Santa Claus‘ and the O.C MIX3: Have a Very Merry Chrismukkah soundtrack. It’s an indie kind of version but pretty good and sticks to the original lyrics.
Kate Nash – Merry Xmas Everybody
A rumbustious version from Katy Nash and a lot of fun. Does it seem people from across the pond have never heard about the festive British classic? It’s hard to comprehend when it’s been a part of my life for so long, that there are millions upon millions of people who have never had the pleasure of singing along to it. I like this version a lot!
So there you have a few versions to mull over, but although some of them are fine, I don’t think you can beat the original ‘Merry Xmas Everybody‘ by Slade.
This is a solid top 10 Christmas Classic for me and one I never get tired of hearing!
