Tag Archives: Johnny Marks

25 Days, 25 Songs — Day 17: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”

Johnny Marks contribution to the Christmas genre includes “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”, “A Holly Jolly Christmas”, “Silver and Gold”, and “Run Rudolph Run”, but his most famous composition was “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. Based on a coloring book commissioned by the Montgomery Ward company that was written by his brother-in-law Robert L. May, it has become an iconic Christmas character, loved by children since it was first released by Gene Autry in November 1949. In 1964, Rankin-Bass adapted the song into a Burle Ives (as Sam the Snowman) hosted tale of redemption and acceptance.

The song has been recorded by many of the biggest names in music over the years including Bing Crosby (1950), Spike Jones and his City Slickers (1950), Paul Anka (1960), Burle Ives (1964), Ringo Starr (1999), Lynyrd Skynyrd (2000) and Destiny’s Child (2004) to name a few. It has also been recorded in a mambo version by Billy May in 1953, doo-wop versions by The Cadillacs in (1957) and The Melodeers in 1960, in country versions by Ernest Tubbs (1964), Merle Haggard (1982), Dolly Parton (1990) and Allen Jackson (1996), and by several Motown artists including The Supremems (1965), The Tempatations (1968) and the Jackson 5 (1970).

Because of the many varied versions I decided to stick with the best-selling and first recorded version by Gene Autry & The Pinafores.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ara3-hDH6I

25 Days, 25 Songs — Day 8: “A Holly Jolly Christmas”

When Rankin and Bass decided to make a half-hour stop-motion animated version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, they enlisted the song’s composer, Johnny Marks, to write the other songs for the show. The two he came up with, “Silver Bells” and “Holly Jolly Christmas” became instant classics and were recorded, along with the show’s namesake, the next year by the show’s star and narrator Burl Ives. They were released as singles and on the album Have a Holly Jolly Christmas on Decca/MCA Records in October 1965.

Originally envisioned as a song for the character of Yukon Cornelius to sing, when Ives was recruited they rewrote the script to have Sam the Snowman sing the song. The version that is known and loved is actually a re-recording of the original that is a little more ‘pop’, enhancing the happy, almost goofy, lyric that is delivered with such conviction and warmth by Mr. Ives. When I hear this it brings the memories of a simpler time when I waited each year for the chance to see all the classic Rankin – Bass shows in the days before Christmas.