Im posting a story and video of a favorite Christmas song each day from Dec. 1 through Christmas Day. — Kevin # 24: HERE COMES SANTA CLAUS Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane), is a classic Christmas song written by Gene Autry and Oakley Haldeman. Autry got the idea for the song after riding his horse in the 1946 Santa Claus Lane Parade — now the Hollywood Christmas Parade — in Los Angeles during which he heard crowds of spectators chanting, Here comes Santa Claus. This inspired him to write a song that Haldeman then set to music. A demo recording was made by singer/guitarist Johnny Bond, whose recording made use of ice cubes to mimic the sound of the jingling sleigh-bells. This inspired the use of real sleigh-bells in Autrys own recording of the song. Autry first recorded the song in 1947; released as a single by Columbia Records, it became a #5 country and #9 pop hit. Autry performed the song in his 1949 movie, “The Cowboy and the Indians.” He rerecorded it again for Columbia in 1953, and once more for his own Challenge Records label in 1957. Elvis Presley recorded another popular version of the song for “Elvis Christmas Album” in 1957. Other artists to record the song include Doris Day, 1949; Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters, 1950; the Ray Conniff Singers, 1959; Alvin and the Chipmunks, 1961; Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, 1963; Hank Thompson, 1964; Willie Nelson, 1979; The Wiggles, 1997; Billy Idol, 2006; Bob Dylan, 2009; Mariah Carey, 2010; Chicago, 2011; and the cast of Glee, 2013. Here Comes Santa Claus was featured in “Very Merry Christmas Songs” which is part of the Disney Sing Along Songs collection. It also appears in the 1989 Christmas classic, “National Lampoons Christmas Vacation,” the 1974 television special “The Year Without a Santa Claus” and the 2007 Christmas film “Fred Claus.” About the video: Theres just no improving on the Singing Cowboys perfect rendition of the song. Trivia Question: What special privilege was Gene Autry given as an Army officer serving during World War II?
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 06:30:47 +0000
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