New York has been the backdrop to many holiday traditions that we’ve come to enjoy, including hosting the nation’s first public Christmas tree lighting in Madison Square Park and where Clement Clarke Moore wrote “A Visit From Saint Nicholas.” The city has also left its mark on some of your favorite holiday songs. Here are five that all started here in New York.
“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”
While Saks Fifth Avenue is known for its luxury shopping, it is less known for its contribution to our Christmas playlist. It is because of the department store that we have the song “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.”
In the 1950s, English songwriter Tommie Connor received a request from Saks Fifth Avenue to write a song promoting the store’s yearly Christmas card. Cononor was credited for writing a number of hit songs in the 1930s and 1940s.
He accepted the offer and wrote “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.” When the store’s Christmas card was released, the lyrics of the song were printed next to a drawing from renowned artist Perry Barlow. The cartoon drawing showed a young woman kissing Santa Claus next to a Christmas tree with bags of gifts thrown across the floor.
The song was first recorded in 1952 by 13-year-old Jimmy Boyd. It became a hit and reached number one on Billboard’s pop singles chart in December 1952, and sold two and half million records in its first week.
One of the most famous covers of the song was done by The Jackson 5 in 1970.
Saks Fifth Avenue
611 Fifth Avenue
“Santa Baby”
The sounds of pianos, drums and singers once filled the Brill Building, which was at the center of the American music industry in the 1950s and 1960s with its assembly line pop. A number of legendary singers and songwriters came through this building, including Phil Springer, Joan Javits and Eartha Kitt. The trio were behind the 1953 hit “Santa Baby.”
RCA Victor Records wanted to record a Christmas song with the popular Broadway and movie star Eartha Kitt. She was becoming a big star, whose career started on Broadway in the 1940s and then gained popularity with an appearance in News Faces of 1952 on Broadway. The sultry singer was once called the most exciting women in the world by Orson Welles.
Phil Springer, who was already an accomplished songwriter, jumped at the opportunity along with his new writing partner Joan Javits. The two were sitting in an office inside the Brill Building with some music executives trying to figure out what song to write for Kitt.
Javits jumped up and said “Santa Baby” and everyone in the room loved it. Springer and Javits went to work on the song and Springer wrote the melody in 10 minutes, but Javits wrote the lyrics in about three weeks.
“Santa Baby” became the best-selling Christmas song in 1953.
The Brill Building
1619 Broadway
“We Need A Little Christmas”
The Winter Garden Theatre hauled out the holly for the 1966 production of the musical Mame because it was during that time the world first heard the song “We Need A Little Christmas.” The song was composed by Jerry Herman and performed by Angela Lansbury, who won a Tony Award for her role as Mame Dennis.
The musical was based on the 1955 novel, “Auntie Mame” by Patric Dennis. It focuses on the eccentric and fabulous life of Mame in New York City who ended up taking care of her nephew after her brother passed away.
In the show, the song was performed after the stock market crashed in 1929. Mame lost her big fortune, and decides that she along with her nephew Patrick and two housekeepers need a little Christmas right now to cheer them up.
It was also in the movie adaptation of the musical, but this time it was performed by Lucille Ball instead of Angela Lansbury.
Winter Garden Theatre
1634 Broadway
“Silent Night”
Trinity Church solidified itself in holiday history with being the location where Silent Night was first translated to English and performed.
The original version was written in German in 1816 by Joseph Mohr shortly after the Napoleonic Wars. The young priest went for a walk and was inspired to see the town at peace, which is when he wrote “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht.”
Mohr first performed it on Christmas Eve in 1818 with organist Franz Gruber at a church. The song was then used by two traveling music families around Northern Europe and one of the families came to the United States and sang it in front of Trinity Church in 1839 in German.
It was not until the 1850s when Trinity Church’s assistant minister John Freeman Young started to translate Christian hymns. In 1859, He published a 16-page pamphlet called “Carols for Christmastide” and included his translation of Mohr’s “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht,” which is known as “Silent Night! Holy Night!”
Young only translated 3 of the 6 verses written by Mohr. The melody is also a little different. The English version has a slower more meditative melody, whereas Gruber’s melody was a little normal speed.
Trinity Church
“Christmas Wrapping”
Electric Lady Studios is connected to one of the biggest names in rock music. Jimi Hendrix opened the studio in 1970 and after his death many musicians recorded hit songs here, including Led Zeppelin,Stevie Wonder and Taylor Swift.
The Waitresses recorded the song “Christmas Wrapping” at the studio during the summer of 1981. The president of ZE Records wanted musicians on their roster to create and record their own Christmas songs, including The Waitresses.
The group’s lead singer Chris Butler did not want to write a song, but he put together unused melodies. He finished the lyrics in a taxi on the way to the recording studio.
“Christmas Wrapping” follows a woman who is busy with her life and tired from the Christmas season. She talks about potential relationships that never happened because she was always busy. On Christmas Eve, she goes to the grocery store and bumps into the man she has been thinking about and has a happy ending to her year.
Butler said he was not a big fan of Christmas because everyone is always running around and there is no joy, but every time he hears it playing it is a signal for him to slow down and enjoy the season.
Despite the last minute rush writing the song, “Christmas Wrapping” has been ranked as one of the best holiday pop tunes ever.
Electric Lady Studios
52 West Eighth Street
John Friia is the content creator behind Here in New York. You can learn more about NYC history and hidden gems by following him on Instagram @Here_In_NY
