Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (song)
| "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" | |
|---|---|
 Picture sleeve of children's series 10" single released by Columbia Records (MJV-56) |
|
| Single by Gene Autry & The Pinafores | |
| B-side | "If It Doesn't Snow on Christmas" "Here Comes Santa" "Here Comes Santa Claus" |
| Released | September 1, 1949[1] |
| Format | 7", 10" |
| Recorded | June 27, 1949[1] |
| Genre | Christmas |
| Length | 3:10 |
| Label | Columbia 38610 Columbia MJV-56 Columbia 4-38610 Columbia 33165 Challenge 1010 Challenge 59030 |
| Writer(s) | Johnny Marks |
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is a song written by Johnny Marks based on the 1939 story Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer published by the Montgomery Ward Company.
Contents |
[edit] History
In 1939 Marks' brother-in-law, Robert L. May, created Rudolph as an assignment for Montgomery Ward and Marks decided to adapt the story of Rudolph into a song. Marks (1909–1985), was a radio producer who also wrote several other popular Christmas songs.
The song was sung commercially by crooner Harry Brannon on New York City radio in early November 1949,[citation needed] before Gene Autry's recording hit #1 in the U.S. charts the week of Christmas 1949. Autry's version of the song also holds the distinction of being the only number one hit to fall completely off the chart after hitting #1. The official date of its #1 status was for the week ending January 7, 1950, making it the first #1 song of the 1950s.[2] Autry's recording sold 2.5 million copies the first year, eventually selling a total of 25 million, and it remained the second best-selling record of all time until the 1980s.[3]
[edit] Other notable recordings
- 1950: The song was recorded by Bing Crosby. His version reached #6 on Billboard magazine's Best Selling Children's Records chart and number 14 on Billboard's pop singles chart that year.[4]
- 1950: Spike Jones and his City Slickers released a version of the song that peaked at #7 on Billboard magazine's pop singles chart and #8 on Billboard's Best Selling Children's Records chart.[5]
- 1951: Red Foley and The Little Foleys released a version of the song that peaked at #8 on willboard magazine's Best Selling Children's Records chart.[6]
- 1953: Billy May recorded a mambo version of the song titled "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Mambo" with vocals by Alvin Stoller.
- 1957: The Cadillacs released a doo-wop version of the song that peaked at #11 on Billboard magazine's Rhythm & Blues Records chart.[7]
- 1959: Dean Martin recorded the song for his album, A Winter Romance.
- 1960: Alvin and the Chipmunks released a novelty version of the song that peaked at #21 on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 singles chart and #15 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart.[7]
- 1960: The Melodeers released a doo-wop version of the song that peaked at #72 on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 singles chart.[8]
- 1960: Paul Anka released a version of the song that peaked at #104 on Billboard magazine's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.[9]
- 1963: The Crystals recorded the song for the rock 'n' roll holiday album A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records, which was produced by Phil Spector.
- 1964: Burl Ives recorded the song for the soundtrack of the holiday TV special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer .
- 1965: The Supremes recorded the song for their holiday album, Merry Christmas.
- 1968: The Temptations released a version of the song that peaked at # 12 on Billboard magazine's special, year-end, weekly Christmas Singles chart (this same version later got as high as # 3 on the same chart in December 1971).[10] Their version of the song was also included on the group's 1970 Christmas album, The Temptations Christmas Card.
- 1970: The Jackson 5 recorded the song for their holiday album, The Jackson 5 Christmas Album.
- 1982: Merle Haggard recorded the song for his holiday album, Goin' Home for Christmas.
- 1987: The California Raisins did a Motown pop-influenced rendition of the song for Will Vinton's A Claymation Christmas Celebration.
- 1990: Dolly Parton recorded the song for her holiday album, Home for Christmas.
- 1996: Alan Jackson released a version of the song that peaked at #56 on Billboard magazine's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.[11]
- 1996: The Wiggles recorded this song for their album, Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas. A year later, they sang it on their video, Wiggly Wiggly Christmas.
- 1996: Peach Hips, a group consisting of Kotono Mitsuishi, Aya Hisakawa, Rica Fukami, Emi Shinohara and Michie Tomizawa covered this song for a Christmas album coinciding with the fifth season of Sailor Moon.
- 1998: Babyface recorded the song for his holiday album, Christmas with Babyface.
- 1999: Jewel recorded the song for her holiday album, Joy: A Holiday Collection.
- 1999: Ringo Starr recorded the song for his holiday album, I Wanna Be Santa Claus.
- 2000: Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded the song for their holiday album, Christmas Time Again.
- 2002: Jack Johnson recorded the song for a various artists holiday album released by Nettwerk Records and titled Maybe This Christmas (this same version was also released on the 2008 various artists holiday album, This Warm December: Brushfire Holiday Volume 1, which was released on Johnson's record label Brushfire Records).
- 2004: Destiny's Child included the song on a reissue of their 2001 holiday album, 8 Days of Christmas.
- 2007: 1910 Fruitgum Company recorded the song for their Christmas album, Bubblegum Christmas.
- 2009: Barry Manilow included the song in the re-release of his third Christmas album, In the Swing of Christmas.
[edit] In popular culture
The lyric "All of the other reindeer" can be misheard in dialects with the cot–caught merger as the mondegreen "Olive, the other reindeer", and has given rise to another character featured in her own Christmas television special, Olive, the Other Reindeer. (Coincidentally, she mentions Rudolph by name to one of the reindeer, and the reindeer tells her Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer doesn't exist; it's all an urban legend.)
The song in its Finnish translation, Petteri Punakuono, has led to Rudolph's general acceptance in the mythology as the lead reindeer of Joulupukki, the Finnish Santa.
On the December 23, 2011 edition of WWE SmackDown, Booker T sang a capella the parody of the song, Cody the Red-Nosed Reindeer, with a reference to Cody Rhodes, in order to cost Rhodes the match against Zack Ryder.
[edit] References
- ASCAP Work ID: 480058686 (ISWC: T0701273995)
- ^ a b http://www.autry.com/musicmovies/musiccds/essentialgeneautry2.html
- ^ Casey Kasem American Top 40 8/4/1979
- ^ Kenneth T. Jackson, Karen Markoe, Arnie Markoe, The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives. Simon and Schuster, 1998, p.28
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc.. p. 31. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
- ^ Whitburn p. 43
- ^ Whitburn p. 36
- ^ a b Whitburn p. 25
- ^ Whitburn p. 49
- ^ Whitburn p. 18
- ^ Whitburn p. 61
- ^ Whitburn p. 42
| Preceded by "Mule Train" by Frankie Laine |
U.S. Billboard Best Sellers in Stores number-one single January 7, 1950 (Gene Autry) |
Succeeded by "I Can Dream, Can't I" by The Andrews Sisters |
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Christmas songs
- Gene Autry songs
- Bing Crosby songs
- Dean Martin songs
- Alvin and the Chipmunks songs
- Paul Anka songs
- The Crystals songs
- The Supremes songs
- The Temptations songs
- The Jackson 5 songs
- Lynyrd Skynyrd songs
- 1910 Fruitgum Company songs
- Barry Manilow songs
- Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients
