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Rockin' Little ChristmasRockin' Little Christmas (1986) is an unpretentious little gem that sat in my collection for several years before its pure beauty finally struck me. Sure, Rockin' Little Christmas has just 12 songs - all from the MCA (later Universal) family of labels, including Decca, Dot, Chess, and Coral. And, it is packaged rather, um, economically. But, each and every one of those 12 songs qualifies as essential in my book (see below). Ultimately, I chose four of them for my Top 100 and placed the album in my Top 20. Plus, the slim liner notes include track annotation (which is rare for a budget album) and a personal note from Brenda Lee, the unofficial Queen Of Rock 'n' Roll Christmas - who says the CD is especially dedicated to me!

Anyway, the 12 songs in question cover a wide range of rock 'n' roll styles starting more than a decade before the Beatles changed everything - from both doo woppin' sides of a 1953 Moonglows single to the Gems' 1964 single, "Love For Christmas," a late girl group platter that presaged soul music (and features a young Minnie Riperton, by the way). Not to be overlooked, though, are three records that - while overplayed and commonly collected - are hugely important: Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock" (1957), Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" (1958), and Chuck Berry's "Run Rudolph Run" (1958). As a bonus, Rockin' Little Christmas also includes the b-side of Berry's single, his deep blue take on Charles Brown's "Merry Christmas," and Brenda Lee's earlier, country-flavored single, "I'm Gonna Lasso Santa Claus," recorded in 1956 when she was just 11 years old.

Brenda LeeRarity Is In The Eye Of The Collector

Simply by their presence on Rockin' Little Christmas - a well-distributed album (pressed on LP, cassette, and CD) now available for download and streaming - none of these tracks can be considered rare, per se. A few of them, however, appear almost nowhere else, and several others are often overlooked. Foremost among these are two gnarly surf songs from the early 60'. The Surfaris' "A Surfer's Christmas List" (1963) is a wholesome vocal number (sung by drummer Ron Wilson) from a group most famous for crazed instrumentals like "Wipe Out." So, what does a surfer want for Christmas?" Well, a surfboard, natch, plus "some baggies and a customized woody." That's pretty red-blooded stuff but, to curry favor with Santa, Ron promises that he'll "give up the honeys and the parties, too." That doesn't sound like the surfers I know...

Way weirder is Lord Douglas Byron's "Surfin' Santa," released as a Dot single in 1964, after which Lord Byron was never heard from again. In all likelihood, the performer is actually California wunderkind Gary Paxton, who is credited as cowriter and arranger. "Surfin' Santa" doesn't sound remotely like a surf song, and it's sung in a goofy drawl - not unlike "Alley Oop," the 1960 hit by the Hollywood Argyles produced and sung by - wait for it - Gary Paxton. But, it crams a lot of surfin' buzz words into a two-minute single, transparently hoping to ride the fading surf craze all the way to the bank. Unsurprisingly, the single flopped, but we're left with the enduring image of a Santa who "wears bright red baggies," has two reindeer named "Jan and Dean," and leaves the kiddies "autographed pictures of those Beach Boys." But, in good news for the Surfaris, he also brings "bright colored surfboards and shiny new woodies."

Bobby HelmsPlus, Rockin' Little Christmas includes Dodie Stevens' "Merry, Merry Christmas Baby" (1960), which was adapted from the Tune Weavers' "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby" (1957), which was arguably lifted by songwriters Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield for Joann Campbell's "Happy New Year Baby" (1958). That's quite a chain of custody... And finally, we get the Enchanters' 1957 doo wop classic that later lent its name to a very different, even more fascinating collection, Rhino Records' Mambo Santa Mambo: Christmas From The Latin Lounge.

The Bottom Line

Together, these twelve songs make a helluva CD - one that might arguably be the first rock Christmas CD you should buy (if you haven't already started), though certainly not the last. What makes Rockin' Little Christmas great, though, isn't necessarily the music (and it damn well isn't the packaging). It's the way that, within its brief program, the album communicates so well what makes Christmas rock 'n' roll special - the energy, the humor, the fuck-all optimism in the face of harsh reality. Whether facing pimply adolescence or impending nuclear doom - and teenage record buyers in the late 50's and early 60's faced both every day - these songs made our lives brighter and our trials easier to bear. And that, not flying reindeer or decorated evergreens, is what Christmas (and rock 'n' roll) is all about. [top of page]

Albums Albums

SongsEssential Songs

  • Hey Santa Claus (Moonglows, 1953) Top 100 Song
  • I'm Gonna Lasso Santa Claus (Brenda Lee, 1956)
  • Jingle Bell Rock (Bobby Helms, 1957) Top 100 Song
  • Just A Lonely Christmas (Moonglows, 1953)
  • Love For Christmas (Gems, 1964)
  • Mambo Santa Mambo (Enchanters, 1957)
  • Merry Christmas Baby (Chuck Berry, 1958)
  • Merry Merry Christmas Baby (Dodie Stevens, 1960)
  • Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree (Brenda Lee, 1958) Top 100 Song
  • Run Rudolph Run (Chuck Berry, 1958) Top 100 Song
  • A Surfer's Christmas List (Surfaris, 1963)
  • Surfin' Santa (Lord Douglas Byron, 1964)

Further ListeningFurther Listening

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