Countdown to Christmas: Ten Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Songs About Santa Claus
By Bill Kopp
The enduring myth of Santa Claus has been a part of Western culture for centuries. The modern concept of Santa was captured on “Must Be Santa,” the 1960 novelty single by Mitch Miller: “cap on head, suit of red, special night, beard that’s white.” But that modern image had settled into the popular mindset decades earlier when the Coca-Cola Company included depictions of Santa in its print advertising.
As a ubiquitous and beloved character in pop culture, it was inevitable that Santa Claus would find his way into one of the 20th century’s foremost vehicles for arts and entertainment: rock ‘n’ roll. In celebration of the season, Rock On takes a chronological look at ten rock ‘n’ roll classics featuring jolly old Saint Nick (plus a mischievous bonus track that pokes fun at the holiday music subgenre). And as our Christmas gift to you, a Spotify playlist with these songs can be found at https://tinyurl.com/rocknrollsanta
#10
“Little Saint Nick” – The Beach Boys (single, 1963)
An American institution, the Beach Boys released their first single in 1961. By ‘63 they were one of the most popular groups in the nation. Bassist, primary songwriter and leader Brian Wilson was still coming into his role as one of pop music’s most important figures when the group made The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album, their seventh long-player. Released as a single from that LP, “Little Saint Nick” (backed with non-album track “The Lord’s Prayer”) made it to #25 on Billboard’s singles chart in December 1963.
#9
“Sock it to Me Santa” – Bob Seger & the Last Heard (single, 1966)
Detroit rocker Bob Seger enjoyed his most widespread success beginning in the mid 1970s, with blockbuster albums Night Moves, Stranger in Town and Live Bullet. But Seger was no overnight success: he worked hard in the studio and onstage for years before his big break. In the 1960s he released a number of catchy singles including the satirical “Ballad of the Yellow Beret.” With his band the Last Heard, he released five singles including this somewhat overlooked (and non-charting) holiday-themed tune.
#8
“Back Door Santa” – Clarence Carter (single, 1968)
A funky blues with a deep groove and soulful horns, “Back Door Santa” is a swaggering tune filled with sly double entendres, exploring the metaphorical meanings in words like chimney and the phenomenon of “coming but once a year.” Blind since birth, the Alabama-born singer, guitarist and producer chalked up two dozen charting singles including 1968’s “Slip Away” (pop #6, r&b #2) and “Patches (pop #4, r&b #2).
#7
“I Believe in Father Christmas” – Greg Lake (single, 1975)
Emerson Lake & Palmer were renowned for their progressive rock pyrotechnics and virtuoso musicianship. Lead vocalist, guitarist and bassist Greg Lake was also a top-notch lyricist, with a sonorous voice. This acerbic look at the holidays features some of his best lyrics, including the memorable couplet, “Hallelujah noël / be it Heaven or Hell / the Christmas we get we deserve.” “I Believe in Father Christmas” was released as a Greg Lake single, but it was also included on ELP’s 1977 album Works Vol. 2.
#6
“Father Christmas” – The Kinks (single, 1977)
Led by brothers Ray and Dave Davies, London-based band the Kinks went through several phases during their time together (1963-1997). Starting off as a hard-driving, r&b based group, they blossomed into a sophisticated and literate outfit featuring Ray’s superb and insightful lyrics. By the late ‘60s and early ‘70s they had moved toward conceptual works, but by the mid-to-late ‘70s they were back in hooky, hard-rocking territory and mainstream success. Their holiday-themed 1977 single combines all of the band’s best attributes: humor, wit and melody.
#5
“Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” – Bruce Springsteen (single, 1981)
“Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” is the oldest song on this list. First published in 1934, the tune was first popularized by singer Eddie Cantor. The song quickly became a standard, covered in performance and in recordings by more than 200 artists representing most every musical genre. In 1981, The Boss himself released his own version, recorded live onstage six years earlier at C.W. Post College on Long Island, New York. The track also appeared on In Harmony 2, an all-star compilation of children’s music.
#4
“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” – John Mellencamp (from A Very Special Christmas, 1987)
Dating from the early 1950s, the romantic and easy listening “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” has been recorded countless times. Wacky bandleader Spike Jones was one of the first to cover it; his 1952 version was a Top Ten single. The Ronettes’ Phil Spector-produced recording was a highlight of their 1962 LP A Christmas Gift For You. Pop royalty the Jackson Five covered the song on their own Christmas album, released at the height of their popularity in 1970. Heartland rocker John Mellencamp waxed his own version for a late ‘80s all-star compilation benefiting the Special Olympics.
#3
“Here Comes Santa Claus” – Los Straitjackets (from ‘Tis the Season for Los Straitjackets, 2002)
Nashville’s Los Straitjackets have carved out a unique corner of the rock world all their own, breathing new life into the surf-instrumental rock genre. Clad in Mexican luchador wrestling masks, the foursome write top-flight songs, but they also turn classics on their heads while remaining faithful to the musical values that made the songs special. A nod to their heroes the Ventures – who made a classic Christmas album of their own in 1965 – Los Straitjackets’ reading of “Here Comes Santa Claus” is full of sparkle, spirit and verve.
#2
“The Man With All the Toys” – Husky Team (from Christmas in Memphis, 2003)
This classic first appeared on The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album (see above), but 40 years later some of rock’s most inventive artists revived the tune. In the hands of Husky Team – a who’s-who assemblage led by Smithereens drummer Dennis Diken and producer/multi-instrumentalist Dave Amels – “The Man With All the Toys” and other classics are recast as inventive instrumentals that brilliantly reference classics from Memphis legends like Sam & Dave, Booker T & the MGs, the Box Tops and more.
#1
“Santa Make Me Good” – The Grip Weeds with Mark Lindsay (from Under the Influence of Christmas, 2011)
Named after Private Gripweed, John Lennon’s character in the 1966 black comedy How I Won the War, New Jersey’s Grip Weeds have been making original music since 1988. Combining Who-like energy with the allure of classic psychedelia and the immediacy of power pop, the group has been turning out album after album of memorable, melodic rock. In 2011 they took a bit of a turn, making a holiday-themed album featuring special guest stars. “Santa Make Me Good” found the band working with Mark Lindsay, the legendary, powerful-voiced and ponytailed front man of Paul Revere and the Raiders.
Bonus
“Christmas With the Devil” – Spin̈al Tap (from Break Like the Wind, 1992)
Subjects of the groundbreaking 1984 “mockumentary,” the group featuring actor-musicians Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer wrote and performed their own music. Like the film itself, those songs were knowing parodies of countless rock tropes, especially ones – like bad taste, for example – associated with heavy metal. Six years after the film, the band returned with Break Like the Wind, an album showcasing this riotous inversion of holiday cheer and featuring jokey lyrics like “Silent night, violent night!” It was all in good fun, of course.