Official Showaddywaddy Web Site Hey Mr Christmas

The Song
Hey Mr Christmas was a new SWW track released on 15th November 1974 that did not feature on the band's debut album released the week before. The song featured backing vocals from girls from the National Children's Home at Harpenden. The girls had previously had a tour of the studios where SWW were recording (Wembley Music Centre) where they met the band, and the guys later invited them to sing on the song.

It reached number 13 during an 8 week chart run, reaching its peak position in the chart of 4th January 1975. It was released without a picture sleeve in the UK, it did however come in a picture sleeve in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

A Channel 5 programme about festive songs broadcast in 2011 revealed that Hey Mr Christmas is the 43rd best-selling Christmas song of all time.

Showaddywaddy performed the song at their live shows around the time of release, and after a long absence it returned to the set in 2010, and is still being played live by the band today at gigs every December.

The banner picture shows the band in London on 19th November 1974 with girls from the National Children's Home, Harpenden, to promote the single that was released a few days earlier.
TV Appearances
Hey Mr Christmas was performed on TV on three occasions - Top Of The Pops (BBC) on 12th December 1974, Lift Off with Ayshea (ITV) a few days later on 17th December, and finally A Stocking Full Of Stars (BBC), broadcast on Christmas Day 1974.

Some years later, the appearance from A Stocking Full Of Stars was used on Top Of The Pops 2 owing to the original TOTP episode being deleted from the archives by the BBC, as they unfortunately did with many episodes of TOTP prior to 1977. The Stocking Full Of Stars TOTP repeat was remastered by the band's label Demon Music Group for YouTube, unfortunately not the original 1974 broadcast without the TOTP2 captions.
Personnel
Vocals: Dave Bartram
Bass: Rod Deas
Piano: Dave Bartram
Drums: Romeo Challenger
The acoustic guitar player is not confirmed - this could have been played by either Trevor Oakes, Russ Field, or Dave Bartram.
Composer
As with all the band's self-penned material, it was credited to all 8 members (Allured / Bartram / Challenger / Deas / Field / Gask / James / Oakes). However the track was actually written by Dave Bartram and Trevor Oakes.
Lyrics
Hey Mr Christmas, we hope you’re having fun; Hey Mr Christmas here we come.

Throw away your troubles at Christmas and make this Christmas bright,
Carols singing, bells are ringing, Santa comes tonight.
Forget your troubles and worries, and kick them out the door,
Don't look back, come on in, we'll just play some more, more, more, more.

Old folks sit by the fire, and children play in the snow;
They've been waiting, anticipating, see their faces glow.
Forget your troubles and worries, and kick them out the door,
Don't look back, come on in, we'll just play some more, more, more, more.

Sleeves

heymrchukdemo
UK demo issued to radio stations for airplay (BELL 1387)

heymrchuk
Standard UK release (BELL 1387)

heymrchgerm
German picture sleeve (BELL 2008 296)

heymrchbelg
Belgian picture sleeve (BELL 2008 296)

heymrchned
Dutch picture sleeve (BELL 2008 296)

heymrchnedcred
Dutch label - note unusual inclusion of band member's first initials.