"I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday", sometimes written as "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day", is a Christmas song recorded by British glam rock band Wizzard. It was first released in December 1973 and, as with most Wizzard songs, was written and produced by the band's frontman Roy Wood—formerly of The Move and a founding member of Electric Light Orchestra. Despite the song's strong, long-lasting popularity, it has reached no higher than number four on the UK Singles Chart, a position it occupied for four consecutive weeks from December 1973 to January 1974.[1][2] The song was beaten to the 1973 Christmas Number 1 spot by Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody", which remained at the top of the charts for five weeks, from December 1973 to January 1974.
Wood sings lead vocals. The backing vocals for the single are by the Suedettes, augmented by the choir of Stockland Green School First Year.[3] The original sleeve of the single credits "Miss Snob and Class 3C" with "Additional noises". The basic track for the single was recorded in August 1973, so to create a wintry feeling engineer Steve Brown decorated the studio with Christmas decorations and turned the air conditioning down to its coldest setting. Wood wore a woollen hat found in lost property. The schoolchildren were brought down from the Midlands to London by bus during the autumn half-term to add their contributions.[4]
At the time of the single's release, Wizzard's contract with EMI was close to expiration. Promotional copies were pressed by Warner Bros., with whom the band had just signed for future releases. Only then was it discovered that EMI were legally entitled to the track after all, so the Warner Bros. Records pressings were halted and the record appeared on the Harvest label, but with the same picture sleeve.[4] In a UK television special on ITV in December 2012, the British public voted the song second (behind "Fairytale of New York") in The Nation's Favourite Christmas Song.[5]
Music video
The video shows the band dressed up in a winter-themed studio and then joined by a group of children who play instruments and join in with the singing.
Re-releases
As it was kept from number one by Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody" it was decided to re-release the single in 1981. It was then found that the original tapes had been lost, so the song was re-recorded by the band and a new choir, from Kempsey Primary School in Worcester, was used (they had appeared on Roy Wood's solo single "Green Glass Windows" earlier that year).[6] The single reached number 41 on the UK Singles Chart, and was released again in 1984, this time with an additional extended 12-inch version, getting as far as number 23.
As downloads became eligible for the weekly Top 75 from January 2007 onwards, and with exposure thanks to an Argos television advertisement, the song charted again in November and December 2007, this time reaching number 16. In the week of 13 December 2008, the song peaked at number 31. In the week of 14 December 2009, it peaked at number 45. In the week of 11 December 2010, it peaked at number 46. In the week of 12 December 2011, it peaked at number 28. It has appeared in the British top 40 every Christmas since and in the top 25 every Christmas since 2017.
Other versions by Roy Wood
In 1989, Wood re-recorded part of the song for Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers for use on their festive single Let's Party, which topped the British chart in December. In 1995, he recorded a live version and released it as a single on his own independent record label Woody Recordings.[7] The only release from a shelved live album entitled Alive, the single, credited to the Roy Wood Big Band charted at number 59 on the UK Singles Chart.[8]
In 2000, Wood re-recorded the song again for Mike Batt's Dramatico Records, as part of a medley with Batt's song "Wombling Merry Christmas". This novelty record was released as "I Wish It Could Be a Wombling Christmas Everyday" by The Wombles with Roy Wood and reached number 22 on the UK Singles Chart.[9]
On 16 December 2020, Wood appeared with his band on Dave's Meet the Richardsons at Christmas, singing "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" in Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont's garden. This version, which also played out over the end credits, was credited to the Roy Wood Rock & Roll Band.[10][11][12]
B^ Vocal backing by the Suedettes and the Bleach Boys
C^ Wizzard featuring vocal backing by the Suedettes plus the Stockland Green Bilateral School First Year Choir with additional noises by Miss Snob and Class 3C[19]
On 23 October 2013, it was announced that the six 1990s and early 2000s pop bands who reunited for the ITV2 series The Big Reunion - Five, 911, Atomic Kitten, B*Witched, Blue, Honeyz and Liberty X - would be releasing a cover version of "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday", with all proceeds split between six Text Santa charities: Age UK, Barnardo's, BeatBullying, the British Heart Foundation, CLIC Sargent and Help the Hospices.[23] The recording of the charity single, which was produced by Danish producer and songwriter Cutfather (the Saturdays and One Direction), was the subject of a behind-the-scenes documentary broadcast on ITV2 on 12 December 2013.[23] The song was released on 16 December 2013 and charted for 1 week in the UK Top 75 at Number 21, with the release credited to The Big Reunion Cast 2013.[24]
Music video
The official music video for the Big Reunion version of the song was uploaded to YouTube on 2 December 2013.[25]
^The four consecutive weeks include one for which no new chart was published; when this occurs, it is the usual practice to repeat the previous week's chart to fill the gap. The same two records - "I Love You Love Me Love" and "You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me" - intervened between the Slade and Wizzard discs both before and after the "gap" week.
^It has been claimed that the choir's participation was arranged by pianist Bill Hunt, who may have been brother-in-law of the school's maths teacher.[citation needed] But a familial connection has been disputed since Hunt's mother is claimed to have lived in nearby Queens Road, also within the ward of Stockland Green.[citation needed]
^ abVan der Kiste, John (2012). Roy Wood: The Move, Wizzard and beyond. KDP.
^"The Nation's Favourite Christmas Song". ITV. 22 December 2012.
