Song View

The song originated in 1973 when bassist Jim Lea, inspired by Bob Dylan during a US tour shower, combined a new verse melody with the chorus from a discarded 1967 psychedelic track "Buy Me A Rocking Chair" written by vocalist Noddy Holder during the band's earlier 'N Betweens era. Holder swiftly rewrote the lyrics in one overnight draft at his mother's house in Walsall after a pub night in Wolverhampton, infusing it with optimistic festive cheer to counter the UK's economic problems. Recorded in the summer heat at New York's Record Plant amid drummer Don Powell's recovery from a serious accident, the track was released in December 1973, rocketing to UK number one with massive sales and establishing itself as a enduring Christmas staple that re-enters charts annually and generates ongoing royalties.