October 24, 1934…”Santa Clause Is Coming To Town”, Recorded

Until broadcast radio and talking pictures came along, there hadn’t really been any “popular” or secular Christmas songs…most were still traditional, religious carols.

The first recorded version of the song was by banjoist Harry Reser and his band, and was done on October 24, 1934 featuring Tom Stacks on vocals. In 1925, Reser found fame as the director for NBC’s Clicquot Club Eskimo Orchestra, continuing with that weekly half-hour until 1935. At the same time, he also led other bands, including Harry Reser and His Six Jumping Jacks, with vocals by Tom Stacks. They were the zany forerunners to comedy bands like Spike Jones and tune was right up Harry’s alley.

“Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”, was first heard live on Eddie Cantor’s NBC radio show in November 1934. It was said that Cantor agreed to introduce this new song (by songwriters J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie), because other well-known artists of the time had rejected as being “silly” and “childish.” Cantor liked it, and after the broadcast, the song had overnight orders for 100,000 copies of sheet music, and had sold 400,000 copies by Christmas of that year.

Here it the original version! Enjoy, and let me be the first to wish you a Merry Christmas! -Bobby Ellerbee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbePb9xNNII

By John Frederick Coots & Haven Gillespie. The first recording of this song. Oct. 24, 1934. New York. from A Vintage Christmas Cracker. Living Era CD AJS 275…

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