The Sunderland band that nearly topped the Christmas charts

Forty years ago, Sunderland band Toy Dolls took a quirky children’s song, Nellie the Elephant, and transformed it into a punk rock anthem that quickly became a fan favourite.

But the track’s story is about more than just a catchy tune – it is about a battle for the UK’s number one spot in the pop charts in Christmas 1984.

Originally written in the 1950s, Nellie the Elephant had long been a well-loved children’s song.

When Toy Dolls dropped their punk-infused cover, the track became a sensation, selling more than 530,000 copies.

It reached number four in the charts, despite being released on a small independent Newcastle-based label, Volume Records.

The singer and guitarist of Toy Dolls was Mike “Olga” Algar, and the band still records and tours to this day.

The bass player at the time was Pete Zulu, who left the band in 1985 and now runs the Black Horse pub in Boldon, South Tyneside, with wife Sarah Reid.

“Nellie the Elephant was just a great party song, you can’t deny that,” he says.

“It was so catchy and fun. Everybody sings along. I still can’t believe that more than 500,000 went into a shop and bought it!

“How did that happen? Madness!”

The Toy Dolls’ cover of Nellie the Elephant found itself in a fierce battle for the coveted number one position on the UK singles chart over Christmas 1984.

As well as classics such as Wham’s Last Christmas and Madonna’s Like A Virgin, it was pitted against one of the best-selling songs of all time, charity single Do They Know It’s Christmas? by Band Aid.

Zulu has fond memories of appearing on Top of the Pops as Nellie the Elephant climbed the charts.

“Wham were doing Last Christmas on a stage no more than 7m away and we were on next,” he says. “Madonna was standing nearby and you’re thinking to yourself, ‘how did this happen?'”

Toy Dolls’ cover ultimately lost out to Band Aid’s charity effort, which was driven by a global cause to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia.

It has been rereleased this year, reigniting a debate around its portrayal of Africa and the role of UK charities.

Zulu says he does not understand the criticism.

“What’s that all about? It was just about trying to help people. Everyone should try to help others. And it raised an awful lot of money.”

Nellie the Elephant was not just a straightforward cover – it was a reinvention.

The band took the cheerful, singalong tune and injected it with a fast, punk rock tempo, adding their signature guitar riffs and an energetic, almost frenetic, performance.

Although Toy Dolls may not have secured the number one spot, Nellie the Elephant remains one of the band’s most iconic tracks.

“People just love it. It’s so simple, so catchy and so much fun,” Zulu says.

Despite losing to Do They Know It’s Christmas? in the Christmas chart battle, it secured a place in punk history.

“It’s popular still. It’s even played at funerals! People still ask for my autograph or a selfie…It’s out there forever.”