Mud topped off their sensational year by winning the Christmas sweepstakes with "Lonely This Christmas", the #1 song in the UK for four straight weeks. If it sounds like singer Les Gray is parodying Elvis Presley, he is.
"I was doing an Elvis on that but it was really a send up of all those smoochy songs. It works because it can also be taken seriously. I remember playing it at the the Liverpool Empire and some of the fans were crying and there were laughing."
The Wombles also finished their spectacular year with a top 5 holiday song. In the US, there was no race for the top of the charts. Perry Como had the highest charting holiday song with "Christmas Dream" which peaked at #92.
Here's how the UK Xmas songs fared on Christmas week 1974:
#5 The Wombles "Wombling Merry Christmas"
#13 The Goodies "Father Christmas Do Not Touch Me"
#18 Gilbert O'Sullivan "Christmas Song"
#23 Showaddywaddy "Hey Mr. Christmas"
Of the five I have absolutely no recollection of the Wombles or Goodies songs. Given my age (same as yours I think) I find it a bit strange. Of course, of the 5 it's the Gilbert o'Sullivan one that I wished I had no memory of.
ReplyDeleteAt least it's fun that everyone tried so hard. You couldn't put out a Christmas single in the UK without telling the world you wanted it to be THE Xmas song of the year
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