It’s time for Frazz’s annual extra-extra-long “everyone-else-in-town-is-sound-asleep-and-I’m-running-in-the-dark-in-the-snow-on-Christmas-morning-so-ain’t-I-the-swellest-thing-ever!” jog, right?
Nice article about the creation of the song. The Real Story Behind Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer : How a young Jewish girl inspired the most loved Christmas song of all time. https://www.cbc.ca/documentarychannel/features/the-real-story-behind-rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer
Montgomery Ward in the 1930’s would give out coloring books and crayons to kids shopping in their department stores. In 1939 they decided to go ‘in house’ and create a book instead of buying them elsewhere. Rudolph was the story line. It was 1949 before the song was written and Autry recorded it. Fun fact Rudolph was the B side of a 45 rpm disc. But became more popular than the traditional carol on the A side. PBS ran a special “Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas” explaining the origins of 7 of the most popular Christmas songs, all written by Jewish songwriters.
The story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer began in 1939 with a Jewish Chicago copywriter named Robert May. May worked in the ad department of Montgomery Ward, a department store chain second only to Sears as America’s largest retailer. Every year, they purchased and gave away free Christmas colouring books, but they decided that year to create their own. They gave the task of writing it to May with the instructions: make it about an animal.
snip
Marks had first become aware of the story of Rudolph when it was published in 1939 and had begun jotting notes in a notebook he kept for working on songs. The year after his marriage into the May family, he began adding music and quickly felt sure he had a hit. He asked Gene Autry to record it and although Autry did not like the song, his wife did and persuaded him to put it out as a “B” side. The “B” side became the second-biggest selling Christmas song of all time, behind only White Christmas.
Erse IS better almost 2 years ago
I’m not real fond of the Rudolph story, not to mention the song. Particularly at this time of year.
pschearer Premium Member almost 2 years ago
Rudolph isn’t real!! Unlike Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen. And Santa.
seismic-2 Premium Member almost 2 years ago
It’s time for Frazz’s annual extra-extra-long “everyone-else-in-town-is-sound-asleep-and-I’m-running-in-the-dark-in-the-snow-on-Christmas-morning-so-ain’t-I-the-swellest-thing-ever!” jog, right?
eced52 almost 2 years ago
Thought Gene Autry was responsible for that song.
sandpiper almost 2 years ago
Frazz spoke true. Like it or not, it’s a good song for the day just because of the lessons it teaches about being kind to others.
MayCauseBurns almost 2 years ago
Won what?
tdl3366 almost 2 years ago
Nice article about the creation of the song. The Real Story Behind Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer : How a young Jewish girl inspired the most loved Christmas song of all time. https://www.cbc.ca/documentarychannel/features/the-real-story-behind-rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer
Kidon Ha-Shomer almost 2 years ago
Montgomery Ward in the 1930’s would give out coloring books and crayons to kids shopping in their department stores. In 1939 they decided to go ‘in house’ and create a book instead of buying them elsewhere. Rudolph was the story line. It was 1949 before the song was written and Autry recorded it. Fun fact Rudolph was the B side of a 45 rpm disc. But became more popular than the traditional carol on the A side. PBS ran a special “Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas” explaining the origins of 7 of the most popular Christmas songs, all written by Jewish songwriters.
T Smith almost 2 years ago
No, dude’s brother in law may have written the song, but it was Gene Autry (the singing cowboy) who recorded it and made it a hit.
Flatlander, purveyor of fine covfefe almost 2 years ago
Rudolph is Jewish!!
The story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer began in 1939 with a Jewish Chicago copywriter named Robert May. May worked in the ad department of Montgomery Ward, a department store chain second only to Sears as America’s largest retailer. Every year, they purchased and gave away free Christmas colouring books, but they decided that year to create their own. They gave the task of writing it to May with the instructions: make it about an animal.
snip
Marks had first become aware of the story of Rudolph when it was published in 1939 and had begun jotting notes in a notebook he kept for working on songs. The year after his marriage into the May family, he began adding music and quickly felt sure he had a hit. He asked Gene Autry to record it and although Autry did not like the song, his wife did and persuaded him to put it out as a “B” side. The “B” side became the second-biggest selling Christmas song of all time, behind only White Christmas.
https://www.cbc.ca/documentarychannel/features/the-real-story-behind-rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer
prrdh almost 2 years ago
“The greatest meliorator of the world is selfish, huckstering Trade.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
hmofo813 Premium Member almost 2 years ago
I don’t often completely disagree with Edwin, but this time, just no. The world would be a better place without that song.
TLH1310 Premium Member almost 2 years ago
Do we really care about a song referring to a Russian weatherman anyway?
Cozmik Cowboy almost 2 years ago
Sorry, Frazz, but we all lost big-time with that drivel.
(It’s even worse if your grade-school classmates find out your middle name is Rudolph……..)
xtc45688 almost 2 years ago
What I want to know is which one ran over Grandma?
rugeirn almost 2 years ago
What I want to know is, who got the royalties?
FGWaiss almost 2 years ago
Tsk! Frazz, the correct grammatical response is “we,” not “us.”
Odd Dog Premium Member almost 2 years ago
Merry Christmas to all who observe and happy holidays and best wish’s to those that observe something else!