"Jingle Bell Rock" is the name of a popular Christmas song first released by Bobby Helms in 1957. It has received frequent airplay in the United States during every Christmas time since then. "Jingle Bell Rock" was written by Joe Beal (1900–1967), a Massachusetts-born public relations man, and Jim Boothe (1917–1976), a Texas writer in the advertising business.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
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Helms recordings
It has been performed by many, but Helms' version is the best-known. Its title and some of its lyrics are takeoffs on the old Christmas standard, "Jingle Bells". It also makes brief references to other popular songs of the 1950s, such as "Rock Around the Clock", and mentions going to a "Jingle hop". An electric guitar played by Hank Garland can be heard playing the first notes to the chorus from the aforementioned "Jingle Bells".
Despite being titled a Jingle Bell "Rock", Helms' version of the song was performed in the crossover style known as rockabilly, and to modern ears it sounds a lot more "country" than it does "rock and roll". Example lyrics:
- What a bright time
- It's the right time
- To rock the night away
- Jingle bell time is a swell time
- To go glidin' in a one-horse sleigh
- Giddy-up, Jingle Horse, pick up your feet
- Jingle around the clock
- Mix and a-mingle in the jinglin' beat 1
- That's the Jingle Bell Rock
Bobby Helms original version on Decca 9-30513 from 1957, was re-recorded by him on Kapp K-719 in 1965 and yet again in 1967 on Little Darlin' LD-0038. Then in 1970 Helms recorded an entire album titled "Jingle Bell Rock" on Certron C-7013, releasing from the album the title track on Certron C-10021 with a picture sleeve. In yet another re-recording Helms released on Ashley AS-4200, (year unknown). In 1983 Bobby Helms was back in the recording studio and released his last recording of "Jingle Bell Rock" on Black Rose 82713.
Other recordings
A notable cover version of the song was recorded by Bill Haley & His Comets (coincidentally the originators of the referenced "Rock Around the Clock") in 1968 for United Artists records. Intended for a seasonal single release, it was decided not to release the recording, and it was considered lost for nearly 30 years until it was finally issued in the mid-1990s.
Brenda Lee also released a version of "Jingle Bell Rock" which made the Billboard Christmas singles chart in both 1964 and 1967.
Other artists to have covered the song include:
- Aly & AJ
- Arcade Fire
- Ashanti
- Chet Atkins
- Avant
- Bond
- The Brian Jonestown Massacre
- Max Bygraves
- Chris Brown
- Chubby Checker with Bobby Rydell
- The Chipmunks
- Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem
- Hilary Duff
- The Fall
- Billy Gilman
- Girls Aloud
- Amy Grant
- Bill Haley & His Comets
- Hall & Oates
- I Declare War
- Jillian Hall
- Geri Halliwell
- Hollyridge Strings
- Taylor Horn
- Julianne Hough
- Billy Idol
- Jelly
- Jonas Brothers
- Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
- K.D. Lang
- Brenda Lee
- Lindsay Lohan
- Los Campesinos!
- Perla Meneses
- Kylie Minogue
- Geoff Moore and the Distance
- Mitchel Musso
- NewSong
- Wayne Newton
- Konrad Pawlik
- The Platters
- Point of Grace
- Eddie Rabbitt
- Lou Rawls
- Rascal Flatts
- Gina Rene
- Brian Setzer
- George Strait
- Connie Talbot (2008)
- Thousand Foot Krutch
- Aaron Tippin
- Ashley Tisdale
- Randy Travis
- Bobby Vee
- The Ventures
- Mary Wells
- John Williams & the Boston Pops Orchestra
- Tatsuro Yamashita
- Vanessa Hudgens
In popular culture
- The recording by Bobby Helms features in the film Cookie (1989).
- Heard as background music to an act in a Havana casino in Cuba (1979).
- Played in the background of Home Alone: Lost in New York.
- In the Lindsay Lohan comedy Mean Girls the song is performed by Cady Heron, Regina George, Gretchen Weiners and Karen Smith in their annual Christmas talent show. Janis Ian earlier remarks "Everyone in the English speaking world knows that song."
- Opening theme for the movie "Lethal Weapon"
- Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem performed the song in an episode of The Muppet Show
- Jingle Bell Rock is also an animated Christmas special first seen in 1995 on ABC, produced by DIC Enterprises. Milton Berle was one of the voice actors.
Footnotes
1Transcribers of the lyrics disagree on whether Helms is saying "beat" or is redundantly repeating the word "feet" from the earlier line.
References
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2009) |
- ^ Joseph Carleton Beal, in: Ancestry.com. Biography & Genealogy Master Index (BGMI) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2009.
- ^ Joseph Mills Carleton Beal, in: Ancestry.com. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.
- ^ Ancestry.com. Social Security Death Index [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2009.
- ^ Dale V. Nobbman, Christmas Music Companion Fact Book, Hal Leonard Corporation, 2000, p. 101. ISBN 9781574240672.
- ^ U.S. Census, 1910, State of Massachusetts, County of Norfolk, enumeration district 1083, p. 23-A, family 578.
- ^ "Historical Sacrilege Issue", The Evening Standard (Uniontown, Pennsylvania), 3 October 1963, p. 14.
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