Luke Spiller’s Merry Xmas Everybody Cover: A Soulful Twist on Slade’s Timeless Anthem

4 December 2025 rocknews

As the holiday season sparkles into view, The Struts frontman Luke Spiller has gifted fans with a deeply personal and stripped-back cover of Slade’s iconic “Merry Xmas Everybody.” Released on December 3, 2025, this soulful rendition transforms the 1973 glam-rock staple into an intimate ballad, perfect for those quiet moments amid the festive frenzy. Available now on all major streaming platforms, the track arrives alongside a visually striking music video that captures Spiller’s signature flair—think Santa suit, sunglasses, and a bicycle cruise along the Los Angeles River.

In a year marked by Spiller’s bold solo evolution, this cover serves as a heartfelt nod to his British roots and the bands that shaped him. Below, we dive into the story behind the release, Spiller’s journey from glam-rock powerhouse to introspective solo artist, and why this version feels like the holiday surprise we didn’t know we needed.

The Story Behind Luke Spiller’s “Merry Xmas Everybody” Cover

For Spiller, Christmas has always been a sanctuary—a chance to return to the UK after grueling tours and reconnect with family. “Like so many of us, I have always loved Christmas,” he shared in a statement. “For me personally, it’s a time where I often travel back to the United Kingdom and spend quality time with my family after a long year of touring and seeing the world. I grew up listening to this song and have such great memories being surrounded by the people I love celebrating the year coming to a close.”

Inspired by those childhood vibes, Spiller reimagined the track as a slow-dance essential, peeling back the bombast to spotlight the lyrics’ warmth and nostalgia. “I wanted to put my own spin on this classic and decided to strip back the music so people can really focus on the lyrics,” he explained. “Slade were an incredible band and have been a huge influence on my own musical journey so I really wanted to do it justice. Merry Xmas Everybody!”

The result is a moody, almost cinematic take—dark and gritty in spots, yet brimming with Yuletide cool. Critics are already praising it as “the Christmas song nobody asked for until they realized they needed it,” highlighting its emotional depth in a season often dominated by upbeat anthems. Stream it on Spotify, Apple Music, or your platform of choice, and watch the video here for that full LA holiday vibe.

Slade’s Original “Merry Xmas Everybody”: A Holiday Legend Born in Turmoil

To appreciate Spiller’s cover, it’s worth revisiting the original—a raucous glam-rock explosion that defined British Christmases for generations. Written by Slade frontman Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Chas Chandler, “Merry Xmas Everybody” was recorded in the sweltering summer of 1973 at New York’s Record Plant (fresh off John Lennon’s Mind Games sessions). Released on November 23, 1973 (with chart-topping on December 15), it was conceived as escapist joy amid the UK’s grim winter of strikes, inflation, and energy crises.

The song’s chorus melody drew from a discarded 1967 Holder tune called “Buy Me a Rocking Chair,” repurposed with festive lyrics after a boozy pub night. It debuted at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, selling over a million copies in its first run and becoming Slade’s biggest hit. Slade, the Wolverhampton glam pioneers, had already notched five No. 1s that year, but this one sealed their legacy—re-entering charts annually and amassing 114 weeks total.

Globally, it’s streamed in 139 countries, with over 3.3 million seconds of UK radio airplay in 2024 alone. Covers abound—from Oasis’s acoustic Royle Family rendition to Steps’ pop twist—but Spiller’s version stands out for its raw vulnerability, honoring Slade’s influence on glam acts like The Struts.

From The Struts to Solo Stardom: Luke Spiller’s Musical Evolution

Spiller’s path to this cover traces back to his explosive rise with The Struts, the Derby-born glam-rock revivalists formed in 2012. With guitarist Adam Slack, bassist Jed Elliott, and drummer Gethin Davies, the band channeled Queen, The Rolling Stones, and Slade into arena-ready anthems. Their 2014 debut Everybody Wants charted internationally, spawning the viral hit “Could Have Been Me” (No. 1 on Spotify’s Viral Chart).

Before their first full album, they opened for The Rolling Stones (80,000 fans in Paris), The Who, and Guns N’ Roses. Dave Grohl called them “the best opening band we’ve ever had” after a Foo Fighters stint. Hits like “Kiss This” and “Body Talks” (featuring Kesha and produced by Jon Levine) fueled global tours and acclaim for their “retro-fetishist classic rock” swagger.

The Struts’ discography boasts four studio albums:

Album Title	Release Year	Key Highlights
Everybody Wants	2014	Debut LP; international charting; “Could Have Been Me” breakout.
Young & Dangerous	2018	Chart-climber; “Body Talks” single; collaborations with rock icons.
Strange Days	2020	Quarantine-born; features Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, Tom Morello; cover of KISS’s “Do You Love Me.”
Pretty Vicious	2023	High-energy glam; arena-sized production.

By 2020, after three albums and endless tours, Spiller craved a shift. “Five years ago, Luke Spiller found himself in a state of self-inquiry,” as one profile aptly put it. He flipped his process: starting with poetic lyrics and titles, exploring dramatic, avant-garde sounds unfit for The Struts’ mold. The result? His debut solo album, Love Will Probably Kill Me Before Cigarettes And Wine, dropped April 25, 2025, via Big Machine Label Group—a 10-track “cinematic sonic expedition” evoking James Bond scores and LA heartbreak.

Co-written and produced by Levine (with guitarist Jason Faulkner), it documents Spiller’s early L.A. days: love, loss, and glamour. Tracks like the title ballad (an ELO-style epic) and “Devil In Me” showcase his raw honesty: “I’ve never been this honest in my music before.” “Heartbreak, romance and dazzling Hollywood sensibility seeps into the theme,” raved reviewers. The album’s release earlier this year paved the way for this holiday single, blending Spiller’s solo introspection with Struts-era festive energy.

Why This Cover Resonates in 2025

In a world still shaking off post-pandemic blues, Spiller’s version echoes the original’s escapist spirit—updated for slow dances and reflective toasts. It’s a bridge between his glam past and vulnerable present, proving why Slade’s influence endures through artists like him. As Spiller bikes through L.A.’s concrete jungle in the video, he’s not just covering a song; he’s reclaiming holiday magic on his terms.

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