Earlier this month, Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Round The Christmas Tree” topped the Billboard Scorching 100 chart, 65 years after its launch. We revisit her dialog with NPR’s Scott Detrow.
SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
And I am Scott Detrow with a Christmas story 65 years within the making.
(SOUNDBITE OF BRENDA LEE SONG, “ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE”)
DETROW: It begins when an up-and-coming rock-and-roll prodigy named Brenda Lee steps right into a Nashville studio and data this monitor.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE”)
BRENDA LEE: (Singing) Rockin’ across the Christmas tree on the Christmas social gathering hop. Mistletoe hung…
DETROW: It wasn’t an instantaneous hit, however within the years since, the music has grow to be a vacation basic. For years it is made the Billboard charts every December, scratching the itch for anybody chasing that sentimental feeling.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE”)
LEE: (Singing) …Voices singing, let’s be jolly. Deck the halls with boughs of holly. Rockin’ round…
DETROW: However for all that success, the music had by no means managed to hit No. 1 till this yr. This month, with a promotional push from Brenda Lee’s label, it lastly topped the Billboard Scorching 100 chart. We will revisit my earlier dialog with Lee, who, by the way in which, is an entire lot greater than that one vacation hit. After we spoke, she may nonetheless barely imagine that she had a brand new No. 1.
LEE: Effectively, you realize what? That’s nonetheless not connecting with my mind. I am simply so thrilled for the author. I used to be very near the author, Johnny Marks, and I want he was right here to witness all this. However it’s an amazing music. It is a fantastic music, and, Lord, has it been good to me. I by no means thought {that a} Christmas music could be my signature music.
DETROW: Yeah.
LEE: However it’s, and I am pleased with it.
DETROW: You realize, there’s at all times a second to me each November the place I am within the retailer and I hear a Christmas music for the primary time, and I feel, oh, all proper, it is Christmas season. I am questioning – do you might have a second every year the place you hear your self in a retailer or on the market, whenever you hear “Rockin’ Round The Christmas Tree” for the primary time for the season? And what does that really feel like?
LEE: It nonetheless feels fairly surreal. It actually does. And after I say that, folks say, oh, Brenda, good Lord. That factor got here out whenever you had been 12 or 13 or nonetheless previous you had been. I mentioned, however you realize what? It by no means will get previous.
DETROW: Can we return to whenever you first recorded it? – since you simply talked about proper there you had been 13 when the music got here out, and I feel this newest era of followers have been stunned to be taught you had been so younger as a result of your voice sounds so full within the recording. You don’t sound like a 13-year-old. I imply, what was occurring in your life at the moment? What do you bear in mind about going into the recording studio and recording the music?
LEE: Effectively, I do not forget that my nice producer, Owen Bradley – he had the air-con turned to zero as a result of we recorded it, in fact, in the summertime. And he had a Christmas tree up, and we simply had a good time doing it. You realize, good songs are straightforward to do, and I feel we did that one possibly in a single rehearsal and one take.
(SOUNDBITE OF BRENDA LEE SONG, “ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE”)
DETROW: You realize, this previous few weeks, there’s been a lot consideration. You’ve got been climbing the charts. There’s been this push to get this to No. 1. And, in fact, Mariah Carey is the opposite singer who, lately, has been so recognized with the No. 1 Christmas hit. Have you ever and her had any dialog in latest weeks, I am questioning?
LEE: No, however I would like to. I like Mariah. I am…
DETROW: Yeah.
LEE: …A giant fan. Her Christmas music is nice. You realize, there’s room for all of us, and…
DETROW: Yeah.
LEE: …If it is good, it is every part, so…
DETROW: I – properly, I hearken to each of you numerous round this time of yr, so I recognize you each as properly.
LEE: I guess you do. I guess you get bored with us.
DETROW: No, not for one more few weeks (laughter).
LEE: Effectively, that is large of you. Thanks a lot (laughter).
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE”)
LEE: (Singing) …Within the new old school method.
DETROW: You talked about earlier than you’re completely positive with the truth that that is the music that’s in folks’s minds, however I needed to speak about the remainder of your profession, in case you’re up for it, for a couple of minutes.
LEE: Completely.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “DUM DUM”)
LEE: (Vocalizing). (Singing) Oh, yeah.
DETROW: There’s an anecdote that is floated round a whole lot of the profiles that mentions that there was one cut-off date the place The Beatles opened for you.
LEE: That is precisely proper. I used to work with the fellows after I first began going to England, touring over there and simply liked them. I used to be closest, I assume, to John, knew they had been going to be large, introduced again slightly acetate that they made for me. And I took it to my document firm, and I mentioned, I want you to listen to these guys, and I want you to signal them. Effectively, they turned them down. And, in fact, the following factor you realize, it is all about The Beatles, so that you simply by no means know. However I knew they had been good.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “DUM DUM”)
LEE: (Singing) A-music’s candy. The lights are low, enjoying a music on the radio.
DETROW: You realize, you had success so younger, and so many individuals who’ve success so younger have a more durable time in life. It looks like you have lived a very fulfilling, lengthy life. It looks like issues have labored out fairly properly. What do you suppose the trick was to navigating being so well-known early on in your teen years and popping out of it seemingly fairly OK?
LEE: Effectively, I feel that the best factor was no person ever informed me I used to be well-known. I liked what I did. I liked singing. I liked the entire scope of the trade, and I simply needed to be part of it. I did not must be No. 1 to be pleased. And I feel when you may get to that place in life, in something that you simply do, you are going to achieve success.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “I’M SORRY”)
LEE: (Vocalizing).
DETROW: Of your different hits that folks today won’t be as a lot acquainted with, what’s your favourite? What’s one which we must always ensure to incorporate on this phase?
LEE: Effectively, you should embody “I am Sorry.”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “I’M SORRY”)
LEE: (Singing) I am sorry, so sorry, that I used to be such a idiot.
The early stuff ‘trigger that is actually how I minimize my tooth and discovered what I used to be doing.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “I’M SORRY”)
LEE: (Singing) Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, sure.
I recognize the songwriters that introduced them to me. I recognize the good A Staff, the musicians, as a result of they had been like my large brothers and the Anita Kerr Singers. It is simply listening to all these nice guys do their factor and share their expertise with me.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “I’M SORRY”)
LEE: (Singing) Love was blind, and I used to be too blind to see. Sorry.
And it simply do not get any higher than that.
DETROW: Effectively, Brenda Lee, I’ve bought to say I get a sentimental feeling each time I hear your music. And it was actually fantastic to speak to you. Thanks a lot for becoming a member of us.
LEE: Thanks. Merry Christmas.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE”)
LEE: (Singing) You’ll get a sentimental feeling whenever you hear voices singing, let’s be jolly. Deck the halls with boughs of holly. Rockin’ across the Christmas tree – have a contented vacation. Everybody dancing…
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