Christmas Eve
The Song of the Day is:
Brenda Lee – “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree”
Recorded in 1958, available on the compilation Merry Christmas From Brenda Lee
You will get a sentimental feeling
When you hear
Voices singing let’s be jolly
Deck the halls with boughs of hollyRockin’ around the Christmas tree
Have a happy holiday
Everyone dancing merrily
In the new old fashioned wayJohnny Marks
Today’s song acts as a kind of belated birthday acknowledgement, as Brenda Lee turned 75 just earlier this month. If you’re doing the math, you’d know that she was still just a very young teenager when this song came out, aged just 13 upon recording. Her young age, however, didn’t keep her from enjoying massive success though. In fact, far from it. She was the highest selling artist of the sixties, minus Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Ray Charles. Her mix of early rock and roll and country music singing helped her reach from both sides of the aisle. While the diminutive singer is not often associated with the architects of modern music, she is a member of the Country Music, the Rockabilly and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fames. It’s been decades since her hit-making years, but she is fondly remembered for her spunky singing. Her biggest hit was actually this perennial favorite, “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree”, and it has reached its highest chart position just this holiday season. Personnel on the recording included the legendary Nashville A-Team, including Floyd Cramer on piano and Hank Garland on guitar. It was written by Johnny Marks, who deserves an induction in the non-existent Christmas Hall of Fame for penning this song, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, “Run Run Rudolph” and “A Holly Jolly Christmas”. The song is additionally famous for it’s inclusion in the original Home Alone. I actually just shocked myself by finding out that the Beatles never covered this song, rather the song in question was a pastiche by a Canadian group called the Rubber Band. Now that I listen to the vocals closer, it makes sense that it’s not the real deal, but they had me fooled for decades (guess Napster accreditation is not to be trusted). The “I’ve got Christmas on me fingers!!!” line at the end was too self referential to be true. It’s still a good version though. As for Brenda Lee, Little Miss Dynamite, we wish you a happy belated birthday!
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