This song, written in 1934 by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie, has been recorded by over 200 artists. With a lot of versions to choose from, my favorite is the one done by Bruce Springsteen.

Bruce’s version was recorded on December 12, 1975 at C. W. Post College in Brookville, NY and has become a cult classic, played very often on the airwaves during the holiday season. Although his version was first released in 1981 as part of a compilation album and also as a promotional, radio-only single, the version I know and have on 45 is the one that was released as a B-side to “My Hometown”.

I love Bruce’s version because not only is he my favorite musician, his version is the most fun. You can just picture him and Clarence up on the stage, wearing their Santa hats, ho-ho-hoing, getting the crowd into it. To this day if you attend a Springsteen concert during November or December there’s a good chance you will be able to be a part of this holiday sing-a-long.