Today’s Christmas song is ‘I Wish it Could Be Christmas Every Day’. This Christmas song was released by British glam-rock band, ‘Wizzard’ in December 1973 and, as with most Wizzard songs, it was written and produced by the band's frontman Roy Wood, who was formerly of ‘The Move’ and a founding member of ELO. Despite the song's strong, long-lasting popularity, it has reached no higher than Number four on the ‘UK Single’s Chart’
As it was kept from number one by Slade's ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’, it was decided to re-release the single in 1981. It was found that the original tapes had been lost, so the song was re-recorded by the band and a new choir, from Kempsey Primary School in Worcester, was used. It is this version that has been used since. The single reached Number 41 on the ‘UK Singles Chart’ and was released again in 1984, this time with an additional extended 12-inch version, getting as far as Number 23. It has appeared in the British top 40 every Christmas since.
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Whoever you are and whatever your circumstances, it cannot be denied that during the Christmas season, people usually behave towards all others with a degree of courtesy and consideration that might not be as automatically forthcoming at a different time of the year. I know of many people who might pass a busker or a big issue seller or a rough sleeper with their empty collection cup every day of the year as they make their way to work, without giving that person one penny or even a second glance. Yet, during the season of Christmas, something inside this very same person leads them to look twice at the impoverished stranger they pass daily, and they might even consider stopping to give them a few pence. Even if they do not stop, they are at least more likely ‘to think about’ the circumstances of the rough sleeper and the beggar for even a few seconds longer than they otherwise would have.
Herein lies a most wondrous and powerful thought. The universe and our world have been in existence for millions of years, yet it only takes a second to change anything and everything! One second is all it takes for some world leader to press the red button to start a nuclear war and end the world. It only takes a second to kill a man, save a man's life, fall in love, to realise that you are no longer in love, find a new religion or to lose one's faith, be courageous or a coward, be kind or cruel, hateful or loving! Your world and the quality of your existence and the strength of your purpose and resolve can be radically altered for better or worse in one second by a single thought, a change of mind and heart, or the merest consideration. That is all it takes; an idea can change, improve or destroy your life by the mere entertainment and conversion of it into action.
Whoever we are and whatever our past experiences of Christmas happen to be, it appears to be inbred in the human part of us that Christmas is that time of the year to open up one’s heart and to become kinder, more considerate and charitable to others.
Oh, ‘I wish it could be Christmas every day’. Sheila and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Love and peace Bill xxx