Jingle Bell Rock

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"Jingle Bell Rock"
Single by Bobby Helms
B-side "Captain Santa Claus
(and His Reindeer Space Patrol)"
Released 1957 (1957)
Format 7-inch
Recorded October 1957
Genre Christmas, country, rock and roll
Length 2:12
Label Decca 9-30513
Writer(s) Joe Beal
Jim Boothe
Bobby Helms singles chronology
"My Special Angel"
(1957)		 "Jingle Bell Rock"
(1957)		 "Just a Little Lonesome"
(1958)

"Jingle Bell Rock" is a popular Christmas song first released by Bobby Helms in 1957. It has received frequent airplay in the United States during every Christmas time since then. "Jingle Bell Rock" was composed by Joseph Carleton Beal (1900–1967), and James Ross Boothe (1917–1976).

Beal was a Massachusetts-born public relations man and longtime resident of South Ocean Avenue in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Boothe was a Texan writer in the advertising business.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Contents

Helms recordings [edit]

"Jingle Bell Rock" has been performed by many, but Helms' version is the most known in the world. Its title and some of its lyrics are takeoffs on the old Christmas standard, "Jingle Bells." It makes brief references to other popular songs of the 1950s, such as "Rock Around the Clock," and mentions going to a "Jingle hop." An electric guitar played by Hank Garland can be heard playing the first notes to the chorus from "Jingle Bells."

Despite being titled a Jingle Bell "Rock", Helms' version of the song was performed in the crossover style known as rockabilly.

Bobby Helms' original version on Decca 9-30513 from 1957, was re-recorded by him on Kapp K-719 in 1965 and yet again in 1967 on Little Darlin' LD-0038. In 1970, Helms recorded an entire album titled "Jingle Bell Rock" on Certron C-7013, releasing from the album the title track on Certron C-10021 with a picture sleeve. In yet another re-recording, Helms released a version on Ashley AS-4200 (year unknown). In 1983, Bobby Helms released his last recording of "Jingle Bell Rock" on Black Rose 82713.

Chart performance [edit]

Helms's original version charted at No. 13 on Billboard's Most Played C&W by Jockeys chart, a predecessor to the Hot Country Songs chart. After it was featured on the soundtrack to the 1996 film Jingle All the Way, the original version returned to the country charts in late 1996-early 1997, reaching a peak of No. 60.

Bobby Helms [edit]

Chart (1956) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Most Played C&W By Jockeys 13
U.S. Billboard Best Sellers in Stores 6
Chart (1996-1997) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks 60
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 18

George Strait [edit]

Chart (2000) Peak
position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[7] 69

Aaron Tippin [edit]

Chart (2002) Peak
position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[8] 52

Rascal Flatts [edit]

Chart (2008-09) Peak
position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[9] 29

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert [edit]

Chart (2012) Peak
position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[10] 37
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[11] 34

Other recordings [edit]

A notable cover version of the song was recorded by Bill Haley & His Comets in 1968 for United Artists records. Intended for a seasonal single release, it was not released and it was considered lost for nearly 30 years until it was finally issued in the mid-1990s.

Brenda Lee released a version of "Jingle Bell Rock" which made the Billboard Christmas singles chart in both 1964 and 1967.

Other artists to have covered the song include:

In popular culture [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ Joseph Carleton Beal, in: Ancestry.com. Biography & Genealogy Master Index (BGMI) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2009.
  2. ^ Joseph Mills Carleton Beal, in: Ancestry.com. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.
  3. ^ Ancestry.com. Social Security Death Index [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2009.
  4. ^ Dale V. Nobbman, Christmas Music Companion Fact Book, Hal Leonard Corporation, 2000, p. 101. ISBN 978-1-57424-067-2.
  5. ^ U.S. Census, 1910, State of Massachusetts, County of Norfolk, enumeration district 1083, p. 23-A, family 578.
  6. ^ "Historical Sacrilege Issue", The Evening Standard (Uniontown, Pennsylvania), 3 October 1963, p. 14.
  7. ^ "George Strait Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Country Songs for George Strait. Prometheus Global Media.
  8. ^ "Aaron Tippin Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Country Songs for Aaron Tippin. Prometheus Global Media.
  9. ^ "Rascal Flatts Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Country Songs for Rascal Flatts. Prometheus Global Media.
  10. ^ "Blake Shelton Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Country Songs for Blake Shelton. Prometheus Global Media.
  11. ^ "Blake Shelton Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Country Airplay for Blake Shelton. Prometheus Global Media.
  12. ^ http://jeremycamp.com/music/christmas-god-us/jingle-bell-rock
  13. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYwClmp-LGY
  14. ^ Original Soundtrack, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Retrieved 09-16-11.

External links [edit]
"Jingle Bell Rock" (2006)
A version of "Jingle Bell Rock" sung by British girl band "Girls Aloud".
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