BBC Radio 1's Top Gear Choir Special: 1970

Rod Stewart leads the Faces, John Peel, Marc Bolan, and roadies in a chaotic Christmas carol singalong!

The unique holiday performance on BBC Radio 1's Top Gear featured Rod Stewart singing "Away In A Manger" and a Christmas carol medley by a choir that included the Faces, their roadies, John Peel, Marc Bolan of T.Rex, and others. The festive broadcast captured the spirit of the era's wild camaraderie – glam rockers, DJs, and crew united in off-key holiday cheer.

BBC Radio 1's Top Gear Choir special broadcast on December 26, 1970.

This unique holiday performance featured Rod Stewart singing "Away A Manger" and a Christmas carol medley sung by a choir that included the Faces, their roadies, John Peel, Marc Bolan of T-Rex, and others.

This one-off recording by an aggregation labelled 'The Top Gear Carol Singers' featured a group of musicians commonly associated with Peel's Top Gear show. The Peel Sessions (p. 265) lists the personnel as: David Bedford (piano), and the vocalists Marc Bolan, June Child, Ivor Cutler Sonja Krist (& friend), Rod Stewart, Wyatt, Mike Ratledge, Ron Wood Ronnie Lane Peel & Pig, Kenney Jones, and Ian McLagan Walters is listed by as the producer (although Sheila's comment leads one to deduce sang as well), and the majority of the carols are played on an electronic organ, presumably again by Bedford. 'Away In A Manger' was sung Stewart solo (although Walters remembered on Look Out, It's Alive 1991 he was not keen to do this), backed by Bedford on the piano; 'Silent Night' was sung by Kristina solo, the choir humming along; and 'Good King Wenceslas' featured solo lines by Lane and Wyatt.