Merry Xmas Everybody

About

Merry Christmas Everybody appeared on the first disc of The Christmas Present and was recorded by Robbie Williams with jazz pianist Jamie Cullum. Written by Slade members Noddy Holder and Jim Lea, the original 1973 version became one of Britain’s most enduring festive anthems, reaching number one in the UK and selling over a million copies. Williams and Cullum transformed the glam-rock classic into a brassy swing number recorded live in the studio, capturing the warmth and spontaneity of their duet.

Williams described the session as one of the most enjoyable of the album, noting that both he and Cullum were long-time admirers of each other’s work. The video, directed by Dan Massey of Electric Light Studios, portrayed the pair performing in a snow-dusted big-band setting, while the song featured prominently in Williams’s 2019 television special *Not the Robbie Williams Christmas Show* and the *Royal Variety Performance*.

Arranged by Guy Chambers and Richard Flack, the track traded Slade’s guitars for brass and rhythm-section swing, but retained the original’s good-humoured cheer. Williams said of the song, “It’s intoxicating. This is the time machine to the pub, where kings and paupers are all on a level and everybody’s filled in all the blanks with five pints.”

“Me and Jamie were both excited to be singing with each other. We did it in the same room. There was magic that day because we were together in the studio.”Robbie Williams

While faithful to the spirit of the Slade hit, Williams’s version added a polished, theatrical energy characteristic of his swing recordings. It became one of the album’s signature covers, celebrating festive camaraderie through humour and showmanship.