Guitarist Dave Hill was on the track, but because he didn’t write it, he didn’t make much money from the Slade hit.
Slade legend Dave Hill says the secret behind the success of Merry Xmas Everybody is that it’s about normal Brits having a normal Christmas.
The festive rock anthem was originally released in 1973 and beat Wizzard’s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday to the coveted number one spot, remaining at the top of the charts until February 1974. The track has soundtracked every Christmas ever since, and Dave believes it has been played for the last 52 years because it’s sentiment is about family, presents and good drink up.
He said: “That Christmas song is 52 years old. The Christmas song defies logic. It grew from a great idea to the best Christmas song in the world, in fact, the most successful Christmas song in the world. It touches people of any age from nine to 90. It’s a masterpiece of a song. It’s nothing to do with religion, it’s to do with what we do at Christmas.”
Reflecting on the track further on the Music Industry podcast Dave he added: “I mean, it’s not a jingle bell song. It’s not a religious song. It’s about everybody having half a dozen, getting the booze down, getting the family around, buying presents, everything we like about Christmas. Trees, snow, if you’re lucky, which we never were half the time.
Undoubtedly, none of us at the time would be aware of what would happen and what it would turn into with the Christmas song.
According to Dave, 79, Dave believes that the UK will have problems in 2025 like it did in 1973, when there were three-day weeks and “Britain was on its knees,” which makes Merry Xmas Everybody even more poignant. He stated, “That song was released in 1973 when Britain was at its lowest.” Although there were strikes, three-day weeks, and a lack of funds, the song lifted a nation. It succeeded. And they never cease to think about Christmas.
“They’ve still got the anthem and we’re still going through a tough time. I have a philosophy in life, the thing is we’re all, in a way, having a tough time. Be kind to one another because everybody is having a tough time. That includes rich people, poor people, ordinary people. “It’s almost like kindness has become less in our world.”
Merry Xmas Everybody earns up to £1 million in royalties every year, with writers Noddy Holder and Jim Lea banking the majority of the money.
However, Dave insists that he is only proud to have played on such a fantastic record with drummer Don Powell and that he is not jealous of his former bandmates.
When questioned about his lack of songwriting credits, he responded, “No. Excellent writers were Jim and Noddy. It wasn’t written by me. Two people who were masters of writing hit records made for a good time. He had a lot of talent, including being a violinist, piano player, bass player, and all-round talent.
Noddy left Slade’s original lineup in 1992 to pursue other projects and an acting career. Even though Noddy left the group more than 30 years ago, Dave and Slade have remained close friends and have remained supportive of one another through their respective health issues. Dave continues to tour as Slade.
Noddy was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in 2018 despite only having six months to live, and he successfully treated his condition with his wife Suzan Holder, who went public with his condition in 2023. In 2010, Dave had a stroke at a concert in Nuremberg, Germany, which he recovered from.
When asked about his friendship with Noddy, Dave said, “There is definitely something about Noddy that has always been strong throughout.” I never parted ways with Noddy, despite the band’s split. We can always be seen. He has endured a challenging time and a health crisis. However, he is doing well and is doing well. There have been health issues, strokes, and other things, just like there are with us all. One of my all-time best friends is still Noddy, and he is. When I first asked him to join me, we immediately acted in that manner. Our relationship is so good.
Working with Noddy’s producer son Django Holder on the album Dirtyfoot Lane, which is named after a real place in his hometown of Wolverhampton, and which will be released in 2026, Dave has been busy recording his first ever solo album this year.
Thanks For The Good Times is a song Dave wrote in memory of his former Slade bandmates Noddy, Jim, and Don, which he refers to as “the end of a long line of hits.” Dave doesn’t believe he and Noddy will ever perform together again despite the fact that he has previously collaborated with Noddy’s son.
He responded, “I wouldn’t ask him. That would be different if he wanted to make a different suggestion for me. But I am aware that he isn’t considering it. He is married to a lovely wife, and he is very happy, so he doesn’t need to perform. The best part of working with Noddy’s son, Django Holder, is that they have collaborated.
Source: Mirror
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