When they made their debut on the phonographic market in 1966 with the album “It’s My”, their popularity skyrocketed. Five musicians: Jerzy Kossela, Bernard Dornowski, Seweryn Krajewski and Jerzy Skrzypczyk, were definitely the leaders among Polish big beat bands. The Polish Beatles, as they were called, regularly gave concerts, gave interviews and appeared on television programs. One of them was supposed to be the Christmas edition of “Tele-Echa”.
He started writing a song but was unable to finish it. He asked a renowned songwriter for help
The band was supposed to sing two traditional Christmas carols and a pastoral song, but Jerzy Kossela had a slightly different plan for this performance. Airtime turned out to be an ideal opportunity to present an original, original song. – I wanted to use such a large audience to show something of my own – later. Due to numerous professional commitments, he was unable to create it himself, so he asked Krzysztof Dzikowski to write, or rather finish, a Christmas song.
He gave him the text, starting with the words “It’s such a day, very warm, although December” and part of the verse. – I was supposed to write a text in which it was immediately clear that it was about Christmas, but I couldn’t use key words such as Christmas tree. None of the people in power at that time would object to the fact that the band sang about Christmas, those were the times – said the songwriter in an interview with the website.
Krajewski improved the song in one night. “One Day a Year” is still a hit today
Despite enormous time pressure, Dzikowski completed the lyrical part, emphasizing that he did not agree to changes in the text. When he showed Kossela the results, he was not particularly pleased. – When I read what Krzysiek brought, I was even less satisfied – he recalled. The last resort was supposed to be . So he handed him the existing material and waited for the results. Time was pressing, as recordings were to take place the next morning. – It was a bull’s-eye. He composed the music in one night, and he worked under great pressure, he said.
The musicians learned the melody, but did not have time to read the lyrics thoroughly, so they ended up singing by reading from a piece of paper. However, this did not negatively affect the listeners’ reactions. The song “One Day in the Year” quickly won the hearts of Poles, becoming a permanent number on the Christmas charts. The version we know from the radio, however, is melodically different from the one released on the 1967 EP, as the violinists were replaced by a Hammond organ. It has been ranking high in the plebiscite regularly conducted by RMF Classic radio. In 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2019, it surpassed even the band WHAM! and “Driving Home For Christmas” by Chris Rea.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
