Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 17 Dec 2006 8:51 pm

Brenda Lee Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Certainly a standard part of xmass audiage!

So who played that great Tenor sax solo?
King Curtis maybe?
I bet it was Carol Kaye on bass.

I had a truely dissacociative moment,
with my morning coffee this AM,
Listening to Nat King Cole, Bing, Brenda, Sinatra, Kate Smith, Peryy Como, Andrews Sisters
and a host of other classic Xmass music,
while sitting, with the paper and coffee,
on the front porch,
sweating looking at coconut palm trees and ferns.

White Christmas, Let It Snow, Christmas Song, When Christmas comes to Town, Winter Wonderland, God rest Ye Merry gentlemen, I'll Be Home for Xmas, Sant Claus is Coming, Tannenbaum, Here Comes Santa etc, etc, etc.

It was a REALY weird moment. No doubt to be repeated for the rest of the week.
Chach LOVES this iTunes cd.

Chris L. Christensen · Post by **Chris L. Christensen** » 17 Dec 2006 8:59 pm

While I've always loved both Brenda Lee & Christmas, "Rockin'around the Christmas Tree" has been so grossly over-played that hearing it again is enough to turn anyone into a Scrooge!

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 17 Dec 2006 9:04 pm

10 years in europe and almost 2 in asia,
doesn't expose me to the same effect!
It's nosatalgia from a past life for me.

Actually it is very well produced.
Not sure if this was early Phil Spector.

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 18 Dec 2006 12:27 am

It was recorded in Nashville, producer was Owen Bradley and I'm pretty sure it's Boots Randolph on sax. [This message was edited by Jussi Huhtakangas on 18 December 2006 at 12:28 AM.]

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 18 Dec 2006 12:51 am

Who played the guitar?

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Warning: I have a telecaster and I'm not afraid to use it.
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Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 18 Dec 2006 3:11 am

Since it was a Decca recording and Owen producing, most likely Hank Garland or Grady Martin or both.

Don Walters · Post by **Don Walters** » 18 Dec 2006 9:01 am

Heard it 3 times yesterday ... Wal-Mart, Safeway, and my dentist's ... enough until next year

Mark Ardito · Post by **Mark Ardito** » 18 Dec 2006 10:36 am

She was 13 years old when she cut that tune in Nashville!

Yes, it was cut with Owen Bradley, but I'm not sure who played on the session....I am curious also....I bet Hank Garland played guitar on it. One of my favorite tunes at Christmas time also!

Cheers!
Mark Ardito
[This message was edited by Mark Ardito on 18 December 2006 at 10:42 AM.]

Petr Vitous · Post by **Petr Vitous** » 18 Dec 2006 11:56 am

Here is credits for Brenda's Rockin' Around Tthe Christmas Tree

Session:

Oct 19/1958, Bradley Film & Recording Studio, Nashville,, Produced by Owen Bradley

Hank Garland, Grady Martin - guitar
Harold Bradley - bass guitar
Bob Moore - bass
Douglas Kirkham - drums
Floyd Cramer - piano
Boots Randolph - sax
Vocals:
The Jordanaires (Hoyt Hawkins, Neal Matthews, Gordon Stoker, Raymond Walker)

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Petr http://www.lpdiscography.com/

[This message was edited by Petr Vitous on 18 December 2006 at 11:58 AM.]

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 18 Dec 2006 9:46 pm

Thanks Per.
Guess it wasn't Carol Kaye,
but it sure had her sound.

I think of Boots more as an alto player,
but this tenor solo was great.

It has been juxtapositioned between,
Sinatra, Bing, Andrews Sisters and Nat King Cole on this cd.
So her singing isn't quite as 'smooth'.
But it is nice and fits there.

It's clear Mr. Bradley could produce in any direction
he could hear and example of.

Randy Mason · Post by **Randy Mason** » 19 Dec 2006 12:49 pm

I want to make one correction on that list..Buddy Harman is playing drums on that song. I was just at his house and we talked about that song. He even said he just got a check in the mail for it. He also played on "Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms.

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 19 Dec 2006 1:46 pm

It's not steel, but here's my solo ukulele version of 'Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree'.

Buon Natale

Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Solo Uke!

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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association

[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 19 December 2006 at 01:47 PM.]

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 19 Dec 2006 8:46 pm

Randy, Thanks for the addition.
Gerald, very nice version.

Merry Christmas

Pretty much hearing it every morning now...[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 19 December 2006 at 08:47 PM.]

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 19 Dec 2006 9:35 pm

David,I may be wrong,butI never remember seeing Boots playing alto horn,always tenor,and always saw Ace playing alto.

Dayna Wills · Post by **Dayna Wills** » 20 Dec 2006 1:07 am

Anyone know why Boots was called Boots? I don't, just wondering. I sang "Rockin' around the Christmas Tree" just today for the seniors.

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Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 20 Dec 2006 2:24 am

According to his bio, his real name was Homer, as was his father's. To avoid confusion at home his brother started calling him Boots.

Petr Vitous · Post by **Petr Vitous** » 20 Dec 2006 9:57 am

Randy, yeah, Buddy Harman worked with Brenda on her Christmas album "Merry Christmas From Brenda Lee" (Decca DL-74583) on sessions June 12/1964, June 13/1964 and June 23/1964, but on the song the story's about is drummer Doug Kirkham.

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Petr http://www.lpdiscography.com/

Petr Vitous · Post by **Petr Vitous** » 20 Dec 2006 10:10 am

Here is the song:

Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree (Brenda Lee, 1958)

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Petr http://www.lpdiscography.com/

Randy Mason · Post by **Randy Mason** » 20 Dec 2006 4:54 pm

Petr, Buddy knows of this post, and told me to tell you that he is on that song...period.

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 20 Dec 2006 8:28 pm

Buddy must know if he played on it,
better than the writers looking through old album jackets....
It would be a song hard to forget about!

I played with a guy who bought Boots's Alto.
He was offered it for $900,
but gushed and blabbered and talked it UP
so much, that he finally paid $3,200... kid was a putz.
Maybe he sold it because he was playing more tenor.

Petr Vitous · Post by **Petr Vitous** » 20 Dec 2006 10:45 pm

Okay Randy, I acknowledge a mistake. Going to correct my specifications.
Say hello to Mr Buddy, he is the greatests !

Merry Christmas y'all !!!

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Petr http://www.lpdiscography.com/

Randy Mason · Post by **Randy Mason** » 20 Dec 2006 11:27 pm

I will tell him. Merry Christmas to you.
Randy

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 22 Dec 2006 7:09 pm

What's not to like about this song?

I just love it.

It always brings me back to a much sweeter and gentler world, when I was younger, naiver, stupider, and filled with hope and trust.

A lot now sorely missing, today, in my life.

SKMA[This message was edited by CHIP FOSSA on 22 December 2006 at 07:11 PM.]

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 24 Dec 2006 2:46 am

Yeah fun tune. It's in rotation at
Radio Free Donald,
here on the island.

Last night the band did a Christmas song,
I didn't even know we did one, it just appeared,
still we had 3 part harmonies by the end of it.
Now if I could only remember it's name... zzzzhhh

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 24 Dec 2006 7:06 am

Well said, Chip. Merry Christmas in spite of it all ...