"Santa Claus Is Back in Town" is a Christmas song written in 1957 by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, and first recorded that year by Elvis Presley[1] as the opening track on Elvis' Christmas Album, the best-selling Christmas/holiday album of all time in the United States. The song has become a rock and roll Christmas standard.
| "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Song by Elvis Presley | ||||
| from the album Elvis' Christmas Album | ||||
| Language | English | |||
| Published | Elvis Presley Music, Inc. | |||
| Released | October 15, 1957 | |||
| Recorded | September 7, 1957 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:25 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Leiber-Stoller | |||
| Producer(s) | Leiber-Stoller | |||
| Elvis Presley singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Santa Claus Is Back in Town" was paired with "Santa, Bring My Baby Back to Me" and was issued as a UK single concurrently with the album's release in 1957. The single reached #7 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1957. RCA rereleased the song as a 45 vinyl 7" single in 1985, PB-14237B, paired with "Merry Christmas, Baby". In 1980, the song reached #41 on the UK singles chart in December in a six-week chart run.[2]
In 1965 the single "Blue Christmas"/"Santa Claus is Back in Town" reached the # 4 position on the Billboard Top Christmas Singles.[3]
The "Blue Christmas"/"Santa Claus is Back in Town" single was certified Platinum by the RIAA in 1999.[4]
Synopsis
editThe song, set in a basic twelve-bar blues layout with three verses, consists of an elaborate double entendre in which the singer, identifying himself as Santa Claus but having no sleigh, reindeer or sack of toys, promises to arrive in "a big black Cadillac" with the intent of "coming down (a young woman's) chimney" Christmas Eve.[5]
Album appearances
editThe song appeared on the original RCA Victor LP, Elvis' Christmas Album, the 1958 reissue, the 1970 RCA Camden reissue, the UK release of the Camden version, CDS 1155, the 1975 Pickwick reissue, and the 1985 RCA Special Products rerelease. The song also appeared on the 1982 RCA Memories of Christmas compilation, the 1994 BMG album If Every Day Was Like Christmas[6] the 2003 BMG Christmas Peace collection, and the 2006 BMG Elvis Christmas album. The song was featured on the 2008 Presley album Christmas Duets in a duet with Wynonna Judd.
The song is the opening track on the 2017 album Christmas with Elvis and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Personnel
edit"Santa Claus Is Back In Town" was recorded on September 7, 1957, at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California. The musicians on the session were:
- Elvis Presley – vocals
- Scotty Moore – guitar
- Bill Black – bass
- D. J. Fontana – drums
- Dudley Brooks – piano
- Millie Kirkham and The Jordanaires (Gordon Stoker, Neal Matthews Jr., Hoyt Hawkins, and Hugh Jarrett) – backing vocals
Covers
editMany musical artists have covered the song. Notably, Dwight Yoakam featured the song on his 1997 Christmas album Come On Christmas and released it as a single. The single reached #60 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
The song was covered by Nashville band, The Royal Court of China and featured, along with Floyd Cramer, Elvis Presley's original band, D. J. Fontana, Scotty Moore, Jimmy "Orion" Ellis, and The Jordanaires on MWC America Records. This was the last recording the original members appeared on together.
Another notable version was by Robert Plant and The Honeydrippers, as performed on Saturday Night Live on December 15, 1984.[7] Jonny Lang covered it on 1997's A Very Special Christmas 3.[8] Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul covered the song for the 2018 film The Christmas Chronicles.[9][10]
Lainey Wilson performed the song live on the NBC holiday TV special Christmas at Graceland, which aired on Wednesday, November 29, 2023.[11]
Chart performance
editThe recording was a top ten hit on the UK Singles Chart and a top five hit on the Billboard Christmas Singles chart. The single was certified Platinum by the RIAA.[12]
Elvis Presley recording
edit| Chart (1957) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart[13] | 7 |
| Chart (1965) | Peak position |
| U.S. Billboard Christmas Singles[3] | 4 |
1980 Elvis Presley re-release
edit| Year | Single | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | ||
| 1980 | "Santa Claus Is Back in Town"[14] | 41 |
Dwight Yoakam recording
edit| Year | Single | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country | ||
| 1997 | "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" | 60 |
Movie appearances
edit- Iron Man 3 (2013)
- Fred Claus (2007)
- Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
- C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005)
- The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
- Bad Santa 2 (2016)
- The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
References
edit- ^ "Blue Christmas/Santa Claus Is Back In Town (rehearsal)". Elvis Presley Official Site (in European Spanish). Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- ^ "Song artist 2 - Elvis Presley". Tsort.info. Archived from the original on November 7, 2007. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ a b "Billboard December 16, 1966 - Pag 15" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on May 19, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
- ^ "Gold and Platinum Data". RIAA. Archived from the original on February 3, 2015. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ Elvis Presley – Santa Claus Is Back In Town, archived from the original on November 9, 2021, retrieved June 17, 2024
- ^ Presley, Elvis. "If Every Day Was Like Christmas". discogs.com.
- ^ "SNL Season 10 Episode 09 - Eddie Murphy, Robert Plant and the Honeydrippers". NBC. Archived from the original on December 1, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ "A Very Special Christmas, Vol. 3 | A Very Special Christmas". Averyspecialchristmas.org. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
- ^ Saunders, Mike (July 9, 2021). "Disciples of Soul Interviews". Backstreets Magazine. Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
- ^ Daly, John (November 26, 2018). "Kurt Russell Sings The Blues as Santa Jailed with Little Steven in 'Christmas Chronicles'". California Rocker. Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
- ^ "Beifuss, John. "NBC's 'Christmas at Graceland': The show's top moments, from Lana Del Rey to Post Malone." Memphis Commercial Appeal, Thursday, November 30, 2023. Retrieved 30 November, 2023". Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart on 13/12/1957". Official Charts. December 16, 2023. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
- ^ "SANTA CLAUS IS BACK IN TOWN". Official Charts. December 6, 1980. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
Sources
edit- Guralnick, Peter. The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete 50's Masters, insert booklet. RCA 66050–2, 1992.
- Guralnick, Peter. From Nashville to Memphis: The Essential '60s Masters, insert booklet. RCA 66160–2, 1993.
- Guralnick, Peter (1994). Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley. Little Brown GBR. ISBN 978-0-316-91020-0.
- Hopkins, Jerry (1971). Elvis: A Biography. ISBN 978-0-671-20973-5.
- Wolfe, Charles. Elvis Presley: If Every Day Was Like Christmas, liner notes. BMG Australia Limited, 7863664822, 1994.