RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER

Created on 21/12/2007
Latest update on 26/12/2021

Artist: Gene Autry with The Pinafores
Author: Johnny Marks
Label: Columbia
Year: 1949

Apart from his singing cowboy career, this Yuletide champion also introduced Here Comes Santa Claus ('47) and Frosty The Snowman ('50). With over 8 million sold, Rudolph became his biggest hit, the pre 1955 best selling record after Bing Crosby's White Christmas.

Covers:

1950:

Spike Jones

1950:

Bing Crosby

1951:

Red Foley

1951:

Guy Lombardo

1953:

Homer & Jethro [as Rudolph The Flat-nosed Reindeer]

1954:

Jimmy Boyd

1956:

Cadillacs

1959:

Dean Martin

1960:

Chipmunks

1960:

Ella Fitzgerald

1963:

Crystals [on Phil Spector's Christmas album]

1965:

Supremes

1965:

Burl Ives

1968:

Temptations

1970:

Jackson 5

1973:

Elton John

1975:

John Denver

1979:

Paul McCartney & Wings [as The Red Nosed Reggae]

1979:

Willie Nelson

1982:

Merle Haggard

1985:

Ray Charles

1986:

Crystal Gayle

1993:

Fats Domino

1994:

Texas Tornados

1995:

Smithereens

1996:

Bellamy Brothers

1998:

Babyface

1999:

Ringo Starr

1999:

Jewel

2002:

Ronald Snijders [as Kerstfeest In Suriname]

2002:

Jack Johnson

2008:

Lonely Boys

2021:

Norah Jones

Originally Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer was a Christmas carol written in 1939 by songwriter Johnny Marks' brother-in-law Robert May for the Montgomery Ward department stores in Chicago to be distributed among children during holiday season. By the end of '46 up to 6 million copies of said story had been given away. Only then came the idea to turn it into a song. One of the reindeers at the Chicago zoo was named Rudolph and believe it or not, due to a wart on its snout, it was red-nosed in wintertime. The animal suffered but all the children loved it. Berlin polar bear Knut's popularity had nothing on him. However, it hasn't been cleared, not even in Chicago, whether Rudolph was named after the carol/song-character or vice versa. Fact is Denver Gillon, the illustrator of said original booklet, went to the local Lincoln Park Zoo to make some sketches of reindeers for inspiration, which makes there is a link for sure.

Contact


If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:

Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)

info@originals.be

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