Good Morning!
Today we’re listening to “Merry Christmas, Baby” by Otis Redding
Today we’re spinning one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs. It never seems to get enough airplay during the holidays, and I’m not even sure I’ve heard it on the radio (or in a store) this year.
I’m doing my part to try and change that.
Many artists have tried to play this song (seriously, I think it’s something like 80), but this one is the clear frontrunner. Bruce Springsteen’s take is a close second.
Wherever this weekend finds you, and however you choose to celebrate, I hope it’s a time of wonder and one filled with joy.
And good music, of course.
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More:
“Merry Christmas, Baby” rose to No. 3 on Billboard’s Jukebox R&B chart, and quickly became an American Christmas standard. More than 80 artists have covered it, from Elvis to Springsteen, Otis Redding to Billy Idol, Christina Aguilera to CeeLo Green. Jeff Beck and Frankie Valli joined forces for a version released just last fall.
Yet this particular holiday gift has always been wrapped in doubt. It was, and remains, credited to Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore. But it was the performance of Charles Brown, the Three Blazers’ pianist and vocalist, that defined the song—and he insisted that he wrote it, too. In the postwar music industry, such intellectual-property disputes were as common as mediocre B sides, but I’ve uncovered evidence that Brown’s claim was legitimate.
You can read more about the song’s controversial origin story here.
Listen:
“Merry Christmas, Baby” by Otis Redding| The Otis Redding Story, 1987
Click the record to listen on your platform of choice.
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this track! Do you have a favorite version?
Thanks for being here,
Kevin—
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My favourite version of 'Merry Christmas Baby' is probably Elvis' from 1971. Recorded completely off-the-cuff and with such a slow boil of a groove, it's probably one of his most spontaneous, unguarded performances. Redding's version is up there too, of course!
Merry Christmas to you and your family, Kevin and thank you for all you do for the community of Substack music writers.