VIDEO: Wurzels bring Christmas album to the capital

West Country music legends The Wurzels made a stop off in the capital city this week to promote their new Christmas album.

The cider-loving foursome arrived at the Houses of Parliament on a trailer pulled by a Massey Ferguson tractor, to mark the release of their album of reworked Christmas classics.

They also found time to meet growers and wholesalers at New Covent Garden Market, stop off at Vauxhall City Farm to donate and decorate a Christmas tree with local schoolchildren, before rounding off the day with a live show at the O2 Islington Academy in North London.

“The idea for the album came from our friends and fans,” said band member Pete Budd. “They said, you’ve never sung a Christmas song. So we thought, never mind about a Christmas song, we’ll do a Christmas album.”

The album is full of Christmas classics which have been given the full Wurzels treatment, including Let it Snow, White Christmas and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. It also includes a “wurzelised” version of Sleigh Ride, which is being released as a double A-side single in a bid to compete for the Christmas number one.

“They’re traditional songs, but the way we would do them,” said band member Tommy Banner.

Launching their album with a red Massey in tow was also the group’s way of showing their support for the Red Tractor assurance scheme.

“We hope the local school children enjoyed seeing the red tractor, which has become a symbol for the great quality of British producers,” they said.