Christmas success at last for Roy Wood

Dec 21 2007 By Andy Coleman

WIZZARD star Roy Wood wishes it could be Christmas every day.

The season of goodwill means Roy is back on the road with his festive shows - and he's also back in the charts with I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day.

The Wizzard hit was beaten to number one back in 1973 by Slade's Merry Christmas Everybody but in 2007 he's ahead of his Black Country rivals.

"At last I'm higher than Slade!" grins the Brummie frontman who saw the song climb to number 16 this week, while Slade languished at 22.

"What's really helped me this year is the song being used on the Argos TV advert. You can't beat television coverage."

I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day is one of a number of seasonal songs enjoying a new lease of life thanks to computer downloads being taken into account for chart placings.

"I wanted EMI to give it a proper re-release but they wouldn't so the chart position is on downloads alone," says Roy. "I reckon it would have done even better if the CD was available in the shops."

Roy's Rock & Roll Christmas show can be seen tonight at Bilston's Robin 2 (01902 401211) and tomorrow at Birmingham's Town Hall (0121 780 3333).