How Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody stormed the charts and turned four West Midland lads into global music legends
Mrs Regan stuck her oar in. Dave Hill almost got airbrushed out. Jim Lea lost two years. And then the crowds went wild, wild, wild.
It won't be long now before you hear Merry Xmas Everybody. Again.
It has been getting grannies up and rock 'n' rolling with the rest ever since it went to the top of the charts more than 50 years ago, in December 1973, a singalong Christmas pop classic which has been the best selling and most enduring hit for Wolverhampton-based rockers Slade.
Their road to become one of the top groups of their era had been long with many twists and turns.
So to celebrate the golden anniversary of this particular golden oldie let's chart some key stages of their journey in pictures, starting by going back nearly 60 years to December 1964.
It was then that there was an early write-up about "a fast-rising Midland group" called The 'N Betweens, including two future Slade stalwarts, Dave Hill and Don Powell, although Don was not yet well known enough to get his name spelt correctly.
"The 'N Betweens are predicted to have a big career in front of them in view of their fast increase in popularity recently. Three of the group, vocalist Johnny Howells, rhythm Mick Marson, and drummer John Powell (sic), first became participants in beat music when Mick's brother brought home a guitar.
"They started 'tatting around' then took it more seriously. But they tried to form a group three times without success. After a few months they broke up each time. Then, at the fourth attempt, lead guitarist David Hill joined them and they finally managed to keep together.
