The Story Behind The Classic…”Santa Clause Is Coming To Town”

Below is the first known recording of the song which came only days after it debuted. “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” was first performed by Eddie Cantor on his radio show in November 1934. The next day, there were orders for 100,000 copies of sheet music and 400,000 copies sold by Christmas of that year.

As the story goes, James “Haven” Gillespie was a vaudevillian-turned-songwriter who’d fallen on hard times, both financially and personally. Gillespie got the call to pen a Christmas tune for Cantor just after learning his brother had died.

Initially, he rejected the job, feeling too overcome with grief to consider penning a playful holiday ditty. But a subway ride recollecting his childhood with his brother and his mother’s warnings that “Santa was watching” changed his mind. He had the lyrics in 15 minutes, then called in composer John Coots to make up the music that would become a huge hit within 24 hours of its debut. Enjoy, share and sing along! -Bobby Ellerbee

http://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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