20 December 2010

"Run Rudolph Run": 'Tell [Santa] He Can Take the Freeway Down'

Chuck Berry

As I noted in the preceding post, I've got two favorite Christmas songs. My last post discussed the first runner-up, but my all time favorite is Chuck Berry's 1958 recording of Run Rudolph Run. I first discovered the song when Keith Richards covered it on his first solo single in 1978. But once I found Chuck Berry's version, I was hooked. It's a rockin' little song with great 50s Christmas lyrics and trademark Chuck Berry vocals and guitar. So "Merry Christmas, baby."

[Editor's Note: Keith Richards re-released his '78 cover of Run Rudolph Run on Itunes this December.]

Chuck Berry Run Rudolph Run (1958)

3 comments:

whiteray said...

Brilliant, indeed. Good choice.

luminous muse said...

"All I want for Christmas is a rock-and-roll electric guitar." Classic Chuck poetry. Great to hear him sounding sounding so young.

Paco Malo said...

I should have mentioned this in the main post, Luminous Muse, but to my surprise it turns out Chuck Berry did not write Run Rudolph Run.

This number was written by Johnny Marks -- a well known Christmas song writer of the day -- and Marvin Brodie. It was Chuck who first popularized the song with his recording.