Holiday ditty is music to my ears

Composer Johnny Marks

In the holiday season, I sometimes take a load of grief from others concerning my position as a skeptic, and lack of holiday cheer. In efforts to counter that image, I offer the following: 

 Who wrote "Run, Run Rudolph?"

By Rob Carrigan, robcarrigan1@gmail.com

One of my favorite Christmas songs is the Chuck Berry rendition of "Run Rudolph Run." It sounds like it was made for Berry. 

Most sources say it was written by Johnny Marks and Marvin Brodie, but there is some debate regarding authorship. Published by St. Nicholas Music (ASCAP,) the song was first recorded by Berry in 1958 and released as a single on Chess Records. The song is a 12-bar blues, musically similar to Berry's very popular and recognizable song "Johnny B. Goode," and melodically identical to his song "Little Queenie", the latter of which was released shortly after, in 1959. Marks owned and managed St. Nicholas Music.

The original record credited authorship to Berry's music company (Chuck Berry Music, Inc.) and Brodie. Only in subsequent releases did the writing credits go to Marks and Brodie (and even then, this was not always the case, as multiple later releases by the label credited the song simply to Berry). Marks was the songwriter of the thematically similar, but musically different, song Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. All cover versions of Run Rudolph Run by other artists have since credited the song to Marks and Brodie (as published by Marks's St. Nicholas Music (ASCAP)).  In it, the song never listed Marks or Brodie as a songwriter, only Berry's music company.

For comparison purposes:

 

Little Queenie

 

I got the lumps in my throat
When I saw her coming down the aisle
I gets the wiggles in my knees
When she looked at me and sweetly smiled

There she is again standing over by the record machine
Oooh, she's looking like a model on the cover of a magazine
Why she's too cute to be a minute over seventeen

Meanwhile, I was thinking
She's in the mood
No need to break it
I got the chance
I oughtta take it
She can dance
We can make it
Come on Queenie
Let's shake it

Go, go, go, Little Queenie
Go, go, go, Little Queenie
Go, go, go, Little Queenie

Won't ya tell me who the queen's
Standing over by the record machine
Why she's looking like a model
On the cover of a magazine
Yeah she's too cute to be a minute over seventeen

Meanwhile, I was still thinkin'
If it's a slow song, we'll omit it
If it's a rocker, that'll get it
If it's good, she'll admit it
Come on Queenie, lets get with it

Go, go, go, Little Queenie
Go, go, go, Little Queenie
Go, go, go, Little Queenie

 

And ...

Run, Rudolph, Run

Out of all the reindeers you know you're the mastermind
Run, run Rudolph, Randolph ain't too far behind

Run, run Rudolph, Santa's gotta make it to town
Santa, make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down
Run, run Rudolph 'cause I'm reelin' like a merry-go-round

Said Santa to a boy child, "What have you been longin' for?"
"All I want for Christmas is a rock 'n' roll 'lectric guitar"
And then away went Rudolph, whizzin' like a shootin' star

Run, run Rudolph, Santa has to make it in town
Santa, make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down
Run, run Rudolph, reelin' like a merry-go-round

Run, run Rudolph, Santa's gotta make it to town
Santa, make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down
Run, run Rudolph, I'm reelin' like a merry-go-round

Said Santa to a girl child, "What would please you most to get?"
"A little baby doll that can cry, sleep, drink and wet"
And then away went Rudolph, whizzin' like a Saber jet

Run, run Rudolph, Santa's gotta make it to town
Santa, make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down
Run, run Rudolph, I'm reelin' like a merry-go-round

Probably foremost in Marks' many works is "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer," which was based on a poem of the same name, written by Marks' brother-in-law, Robert L. May, Rudolph's creator. A television film based on the story and song first aired in 1964, with Marks composing the score. 

Though he was Jewish, Marks specialized in Christmas and holiday songs and was born in Mount Vernon, New York. A graduate of McBurney School in New York, NY, and Colgate University and Columbia University, Marks later studied in Paris. He earned a Bronze Star and four Battle Stars as a Captain in the 26th Special Service Company during World War II.  

In addition to his songwriting, he founded St. Nicholas Music in 1949, and served as director of ASCAP from 1957 to 1961. In 1981, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Marks appeared as an imposter on the December 11, 1961 episode of the game show To Tell The Truth. Impersonating the owner of a herd of reindeer, he did not receive any votes. After the true contestant was revealed, Marks identified himself as the composer of "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer".

 Christmas songs by Johnny Marks

• Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer – 1949 (inspired by a poem by Robert L. May, Marks's brother-in-law)
• I Don't Want a Lot for Christmas - 1950
• When Santa Claus Gets Your Letter – 1952
• The Night Before Christmas Song – 1952
• An Old-Fashioned Christmas – 1952
• Everyone's a Child at Christmas – 1956
• I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day – 1956 (words by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, adapted by Marks)
• Run Rudolph Run - 1958
• Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree – 1958
• A Merry, Merry Christmas to You – 1959
• The Santa Claus Parade – 1959
• A Caroling We Go - 1966
• Joyous Christmas - 1969

From the 1964 NBC/Rankin-Bass TV Production Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer

• A Holly Jolly Christmas – 1965 (separate single release), 1964-65**
• Jingle, Jingle, Jingle – 1964
• The Most Wonderful Day of the Year – 1964
• Silver and Gold – 1964-65**
• We Are Santa's Elves – 1964
• There's Always Tomorrow - 1964
• The Island of Misfit Toys - 1964
• We're a Couple of Misfits - 1964

Burl Ives released "A Holly Jolly Christmas" and "Silver and Gold," two songs he sang as his character Sam the Snowman, as singles for the 1965 holiday season, the year after the TV production. 

Blues legend Chuck Berry.