It reached number four in the UK singles chart. The song was famously beaten to Christmas number one by Slade's 'Merry Xmas Everybody' which remained there for nine consecutive weeks, from December 1973 to February 1974. As with most Wizzard songs it was written and produced by Roy Wood.
The song features the lead vocals of frontman Roy Wood but also contains backing vocals by "The Suedettes" as well as the choir of The Stockland Green Bilateral School First Year (arranged by pianist Bill Hunt, who was the brother-in-law of the school Maths teacher), with additional noises being produced by "Miss Snob and Class 3C", as credited on the sleeve.
The single was actually recorded in the August so to create a wintry feeling, engineer Steve Brown decorated the studio with Christmas decorations and turned the air conditioning down to its coldest setting. Singer Roy Wood wore a woollen hat found in Lost Property.
The first issue of the single was on Warner Brothers, as they had signed with them at the end of 1973, but this single proved to be the last EMI single, so the single was immediately issued on Harvest with the same picture sleeve.
Although Wood had arranged for the members of the Stockland Green school choir to sing at the Top Of The Pops television recording, their place was taken by children provided by a local London stage school.
With the failure of its first release to reach number 1 in 1973 - it was kept from number one by Slade's 'Merry Christmas Everybody' - it was re-released in 1981 (only reaching number 41) and then again in 1984, this time with an additional extended 12" version and getting as far as number 23.
As downloads as well as physical sales became eligible for the weekly Top 75 as from January 2007, and with the help of additional exposure thanks to an Argos television advertisement later in the year using an excerpt of the song for a soundtrack, it was one of several Christmas oldies to chart again in November and December 2007. This time it reached number 16, despite the absence of a physical release in the shops. In December 2008 it reappeared in the chart at number 31. In December 2009, the song had returned to the chart, at number 45. In December 2010 the song charted again at number 46 in the UK charts
Click the link below to download the following:
Video
Single Version
Rob Roys Nightmare - B-Side
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