Songfacts®:

• This UK Christmas classic is from Wizzard, an offshoot of ELO led by Roy Wood, who wrote the song. Wizzard was active from 1972-1975 and released two albums.
  
  The saxophone player in the band, Mike Burney, sparked the song. He was very excited to be a member of Wizzard and would tell Wood, "being in this band, it's like Christmas every day."
• "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" has a real feel-good factor about it. It was recorded in August 1973 at Phonogram Studios in London; to get in the Christmas spirit, Roy Wood made sure it was decorated for the holiday and he brought in a school choir from his native Birmingham, adding a festive touch.
  
  Released as a single backed by "Rob Roy's Nightmare (A Bit More H.A.)," the song went to #4 in the UK but returned annually as a holiday favorite.
• This song charted three more times in the UK after its initial release. The first charting reissue came credited to "Wizzard featuring vocal backing by The Suedettes plus the Stockland Green Bilateral School First Year Choir with additional noises by Miss Snob & Class 3C," and hit #23 in 1984. The song was once again a seasonal hit in 2007 (#16) and 2008 (#31).
• Engineer Steve Brown turned the air conditioning down to its coldest setting while Wizzard were recording the song to help create a wintry feel.
• The Big Reunion's charity cover of the song peaked at #21 on the UK singles chart in December 2013. The supergroup is made up of members from '90s pop acts Atomic Kitten, B*witched, Blue, 5ive, The Honeyz and Liberty X, following the success of their reality show.
• Creator Universe, comprising 30 of the UK most influential content creators, covered this in 2023. They recorded it at the legendary Abbey Road Studios with producer Jamie Sellers (Ladbaby's "Don't Stop Me Eatin'," "Sausage Rolls For Everyone" and "Food Aid").
  
  Their single was released on December 15, 2023, with all the profits going to the food bank charity The Trussell Trust. It was notably less successful than LadBaby's string of #1 singles, only peaking at #28 in the UK.
• Roy Wood, Wizzard's frontman, wanted the choir to feature children from his hometown of Birmingham. Keyboard player Bill Hunt took on the task of organizing this and turned to Stockland Green School in Erdington, near his home.
  
  Hunt's brother-in-law, a teacher at the school, introduced him to the headmaster, Mr. Hellmuth. Hunt told the BBC they were looking for kids who could "create a good noise" and "wouldn't be intimidated by the studio environment."
  
  The school's music teacher, Mr. Powell, selected a dozen eager 11- and 12-year-olds, including Hilary Gunton, whose parents were initially hesitant. She recalled, "They were like, 'Oh, I don't know, going to London with these rock people.' And I said, 'If you don't let me go, I'll never speak to you again.'"
  
  The group traveled to London during the October half-term break, some riding in Hunt's car and others aboard Wizzard's tour bus. By then, most of the song had already been recorded months earlier, so only the choir's vocals were needed to complete the track.
  
  To create a festive atmosphere, the studio was decorated with tinsel and fairy lights. One of the young singers, David Brookes, shared a humorous memory: "I'm sure one of us blew a raspberry into the microphone. You can still hear it at the start of the song."
• While the Stockland Green children brought the song to life, the music video shows children from the Italia Conti acting school in London. Appearances on Top of the Pops were mimed by children from London's Tiny Tots Model Agency.