Original Singers of Wizzard’s Christmas Classic Receive Long-Awaited Recognition

The glam rock band Wizzard’s song, “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday,” has remained a popular holiday track for over 50 years. However, the children depicted in archival footage, seen in bobble hats and playing toy instruments with the band, were not the Birmingham youngsters who performed vocals on the original recording. Instead, those featured in the visuals were recruited from London drama schools. Recently, some of the original child singers reconnected and were honored with a trophy from the Official Charts Company, acknowledging their contribution to the top 10 hit. Wizzard’s frontman, Roy Wood, composed the song in the summer of 1973, expressing a desire to feature children from his native Birmingham. Bill Hunt, the band’s keyboard player, was tasked with arranging this and contacted Stockland Green School in the Erdington area, near his residence. His brother-in-law, a teacher at the school, facilitated a meeting between Hunt and the headmaster, Mr Hellmuth. Hunt stated that the search was for children who “could create a good noise” and “wouldn’t be intimidated by the studio environment.” Mr Powell, the school’s music teacher, chose a dozen enthusiastic 11 and 12-year-olds, among them Hilary Gunton. Ms. Gunton recalled her parents’ initial reluctance, stating: “They were like ‘Oh, I don’t know, going to London with these rock people’. And I said ‘If you don’t let me go, I’ll never speak to you again’.” During the October half term, the children journeyed to London for the recording session, with some traveling in Hunt’s car and others aboard Wizzard’s tour bus. Hunt recounted their most vivid memory: “What they remember most is going to the Hard Rock Cafe afterwards. It had just opened in London and had burgers or whatever. We spoiled them a bit.” Ms. Gunton further commented: “I was one that was lucky enough to travel in the bus, with coke and lots of sweets and Mars bars and you name it, we were well sugared-up.” The majority of the song had been recorded several months prior, leaving only the choir’s contribution to be added. Nik Romillie stated: “Roy conducted us and he pretty much give us the lines. “He was really friendly and he knew exactly how to communicate with us and made us feel really at home.” To foster a festive ambiance, the studio was adorned with tinsel and fairy lights. Denise Pitkin recalled tugging on Roy’s beard “to see if it was real – I gave it a good tug and he gave out a bit of an ‘Ouch’.” David Brookes, another singer, remarked: “I’m sure one of us blew a raspberry into the microphone.” He added that this sound “You can still hear it at the start of the song.” Wizzard’s ambition for a Christmas number one hit was, however, thwarted by their West Midlands counterparts, Slade, whose song “Merry Christmas Everybody” surpassed them. Wizzard’s track ultimately peaked at number four in the charts. Further disappointment arose for the young vocalists when they watched the song on television. Although their voices were distinctly audible, the accompanying music video showcased children from London’s Italia Conti acting school, and their roles on “Top of the Pops” were filled by children from London’s Tiny Tots Model Agency. Hunt attributes this situation to the stringent trade union regulations governing television at that period. He explained: “The TV management needed kids with an actors’ union card and they found it easier to pull in a crowd from London instead of all the way from Birmingham.” He expressed regret, adding: “It was sad. We were a Brummie band and it would have been great to have had Brummie kids on telly instead of these posh London kids.” Over the subsequent five decades, the original singers reported difficulty in persuading others of their involvement in the recording. Ms. Pitkin remarked: “They didn’t believe us – because of the other kids that were on television. “That was a bit soul-destroying – because it was us.” Ms. Gunton further commented: “It was disappointing. It would have been nice to go to Top Of The Pops, because everybody watched it on a Thursday.” Prompted by Hunt, five of the initial singers—David Brookes, Hilary Gunton, Mary Lafferty, Denise Pitkin, and Nik Romillie—reunited to re-record the song alongside current pupils from Stockland Green. During this event, “The One Show” awarded them a Top Ten Trophy from the Official Charts Company. Ms. Lafferty expressed that despite their past letdown, they remain immensely proud of the song. She shared: “Even now my grandkids absolutely love it. They tell everyone: ‘That’s my Nan on there.'” For one of the singers, the experience also proved transformative. Mr. Romillie subsequently pursued a music career as a singer, songwriter, and producer, known by the stage name Colonel Red. He reflected: “It definitely planted a seed for me. To go to London and do something so special at such a young age. It made me feel like anything was possible.” Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.