In 1934, Tin Pan Alley composer Haven Gillespie jotted down a few simple verses and brought them to his frequent collaborator, John Frederick Coots. Gillespie and Coots had been successful songwriters for years, Coots having written several Broadway musicals and reviews. Coots read over the lyrics and, in the span of ten minutes, tapped out what would become the basic structure of “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.” When they brought the song to music publisher Leo Feist, Inc., there wasn’t a ton of interest. Sure, the song was catchy, but Leo Feist, Inc. was ultimately unimpressed and thought the song wouldn’t make much money. That November, however, singer Eddie Cantor used it on a radio program, and by Christmas some 400,000 orders were made for the sheet music.
This song is truly a rarity in the world of Christmas music – it is incredibly hard to find a bad version. The first recording of the song, 1934’s Harry Reser’s version, contains a banjo solo! And it’s great!
By the 1950s, all the holiday heavy hitters recorded a version. Bing Crosby, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley all had their own versions, and all of them worked. Granted, most arrangements were pretty standard-issue easy listening-meets-big band. Things didn’t get really interesting until the 1960s, starting with Ella Fitzgerald’s swingin’ version.
The Crystals destroyed it on the fantastic “A Christmas Gift for You from Phillies Records” (this superlative album will come up in more detail in another post).
The 1970s saw even more incredible versions, including the Carpenters’ honeyed rendition, Fred Astaire’s Rankin-Bass-animated take, and the Jackson 5 Motown version, which always gets cranked to 11 whenever it plays on the radio.
Probably the most well-known version is the Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band live recording. Recorded in 1975 and originally released on the Sesame Street album, “In Harmony 2,” Springsteen’s arrangement became so popular that it has become the standard. As good as it might be, however, it’s not the best.
The best version of “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” was released as part of the hugely success charity compilation, “A Very Special Christmas,” in 1987, and it was recorded by The Pointer Sisters. This version doesn’t receive much play, and it deserves to be played every day. It’s one of those rare recordings where the musicians sound like they’re having an actual, genuine blast, with The Pointer Singers goofing around and giddily singing at the top of their lungs like a bachelorette party in a karaoke bar. It’s a recording like this that makes me wonder, “Is ‘Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town’ the perfect holiday song?”
Merry 