There has been many versions of this song but this one is the one I listen to the most. The dynamics in this version is great.
This Dec 31st, 1980 performance of Merry Christmas Baby was recorded at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY, during The River Tour. The song was played in its E Street Band arrangement. It was released in November 1986 as the B-side to WAR. This was the lead single from the Live/1975-85 box set.
Although Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley covered “Merry Christmas Baby” before Bruce did, it sounds like he based his version on Otis Redding’s 1968 version.
Lou Baxter wrote this song but it was called “Merry Christmas Blues” and Charles Brown took it home to work it out. He rewrote it with the new title. Baxter wanted Charles Brown to record it the way Charles rewrote it and it became a big hit with Brown singing with Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers.
Then the music business struck again…The company promised Charles he would have a co-writer credit but of course, it didn’t happen and Johnny Moore had his name listed on the song instead. Charles never got paid royalties for the song. It was originally released in 1947 and peaked at #3 in the Charts.
Moore died, largely unknown, in the 1960s. Brown, meanwhile, became renowned as a pioneer of the laid-back, piano-driven style of West Coast blues and was recognized as an early influence on Ray Charles; he had a renaissance in the 1990s, touring with Bonnie Raitt.
Charles Brown was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 but died before the induction.
It was also on a complication album A Very Special Christmas of various artists released in 1987.
Merry Christmas Baby
Bring it down, band!
Now, I just came here tonight to say…
I just wanna say…
I just wanna say…
Merry Christmas baby, you surely treat me nice
Come on, merry Christmas baby, you surely treat me nice
I feel just like I’m living, living in paradise
Now listen
Now you see, I feel real good tonight
And I got music on the radio
And I feel real good tonight
And I got music on the radio
And the boys in the band are playing pretty good!
Now, I feel just like I wanna kiss you
Underneath my mistletoe
But now listen
Santa came down chimney, half past three
With lots of nice little presents for my baby and me
Merry Christmas baby, you surely treat me nice
And I feel like I’m living, just living in paradise
Come on boys!
Well now, Santa came down chimney, half past three
With lots of nice little presents for my baby and me
Merry Christmas baby, you surely treat me nice
I feel like I’m living, I’m living in paradise
And I just came down to say
Merry Christmas baby
I just wanna say, merry Christmas baby
I just wanna say, merry Christmas baby
I just wanna say, merry Christmas baby
And happy New Year, too!
Oh yeah!
Play it boys, go!
Merry Christmas
Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-happy New Year
Ohhhh!
Oh yeah!
Merry Christmas baby!
Well, $ 500 million from Sony should be a nice Christmas present for Springsteen!
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Yea I read about that. It surprised me that he let that many rights go. He was the last one I expected.
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The offer to make a lot of money while he was still alive must have been tempting. Springsteen also made promotion for Jeep early this year. Born to drink, born to drive. Would be a good song.
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Yea I remember that now….for some reason Dylan didn’t surprise me.
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Yes, Dylan made the same deal, but he got “only” $ 300 million.
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He got ripped off! lol. I can’t imagine.
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I first heard this on the “A Very Special Christmas” cd. I still have my copy too. Lots of good performances on there including this one!
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This one isn’t as worn out as some of the others…the first time I heard it I loved it.
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Springsteen’s still seems like the best version of it, but that ’40s one was interesting, sounded vaguely summery or tropical to me.
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Tropical is a good word and different. Bruce takes charge of the song with the first line.
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Safe to say this song wasn’t included in the 500 million dollar sale last week!! lol
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LOL… man that is a lot of money!
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no kidding and ZZ sold there’s for 50 mill. The Boss is the Boss lol
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Yea damn…Dylan only got 300 million…ripped off! lol
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haha…
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This is pretty good – unlike lots of Christmas stuff, at least it has some grit.
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Like this and Moore’s original is very cool. I kinda like Otis’s version also.
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I meant to add his version since I mentioned him in the article…next year so it will be!
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Good record and song i much prefer it to the springsteen xmas regular that got played today on radio 2 – santa claus is coming to town.
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Yep that one is great…this one doesnt get played as much.
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Bruce nailed it.
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