All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth

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"All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" is a novelty Christmas song written in 1944 by Donald Gardner while teaching music at public schools in Smithtown, New York. He asked his class what they wanted for Christmas, and noticed that almost all of the students had at least one front tooth missing as they answered in a lisp. Gardner wrote the song in 30 minutes. In a 1995 interview, Gardner said, "I was amazed at the way that silly little song was picked up by the whole country."[1]

The song was originally recorded by Spike Jones & His City Slickers on December 6, 1948, with lead vocal by George Rock. That version reached the top of pop charts in 1949.[2] The song has also been recorded by numerous other singers and performers, including George Strait, Danny Kaye with The Andrews Sisters, The Platters, The Kelly Family[3], Nat King Cole, The Chipmunks, the Hampton String Quartet and the cast of Sesame Street.

Drag performer and singer RuPaul parodied the song on her Christmas album Ho, Ho, Ho. In RuPaul's version, which is an up-tempo electronica/disco style, she lists the various plastic surgery procedures she wants for Christmas, so she can, as she sings, "Look real purdy!".

Country music parodist Cledus T. Judd parodied the song on his 2002 Christmas album Cledus Navidad. Titled "All I Want For Christmas Is Two Gold Front Teef", Judd's parody is performed in rap.

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://articles.latimes.com/2004/sep/26/local/me-gardner26
  2. ^ http://articles.latimes.com/2004/sep/26/local/me-gardner26
  3. ^ http://www.kellyfamily.de/albums_e.php?id=226
Preceded by
"Buttons and Bows" by Dinah Shore		 U.S. Billboard Best Sellers in Stores number-one single
January 8, 1949		 Succeeded by
"Buttons and Bows" by Dinah Shore
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_I_Want_for_Christmas_Is_My_Two_Front_Teeth"
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