“Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” is one of those instant classics. It made its debut on a radio show in November 1934 and within a day, orders for 30,000 records and an astonishing 500,000 copies of the sheet music flooded in. The song has been an indispensable part of the Christmas repertoire ever since. Even when it’s being performed by professionals, audience members can’t restrain themselves from singing some of the lyrics (“you’d better be good for goodness sake”) and in some cases, the whole thing! Speaking of professionals, the song has been performed by hundreds of big names, starting with Tommy Dorsey in 1935. Perry Como’s 1951 version was especially memorable and also a huge hit. The Jackson Five brought us a Motown interpretation in 1970. We could name many more: Frank Sinatra, Cyndi Lauper, Dolly Parton, Bruce Springsteen, Justin Bieber…
Another famous Canadian who has recorded “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” is Michael Bublé. When he was only 2 years old, Bublé was already dreaming of becoming a famous singer. Christmas music played a role in his early musical development, as it happens. When he was 5, an interest in jazz was sparked when his family put Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” on the stereo. Eight years later, a 13 year-old Bublé was singing “White Christmas” on a long car ride: his family started taking his singing seriously when they heard how powerfully he sang the line “may your days be merry and bright.” After a few twists and turns, he embarked on a successful singing career, with over 50 million albums sold!
Bublé of course included “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” in his 2011 album “Christmas.” As you’ll hear in the video we’ve posted below, he brought a unique jazzy, big band flavor to the number.
Did Michael Bublé’s version of “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” get you in the Christmas spirit? Let us know in the Facebook comments and don’t forget to like and share!
