THE BEACH BOYS - LITTLE SAINT NICK

LITTLE SAINT NICK

THE BEACH BOYS

SONGWRITERS: BRIAN WILSON & MIKE LOVE

COUNTRY: U. S. A.

ALBUM: LITTLE SAINT NICK

LABEL: CAPITOL RECORDS

GENRE: CHRISTMAS

YEAR: 1963

 

           The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by their vocal harmonies, adolescent-oriented themes, and musical ingenuity, they became one of the most influential acts of the rock era. They drew on the music of older pop vocal groups, 1950s rock and roll, and black R&B to create their unique sound, and under Brian's direction, often incorporated classical or jazz elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways.

           One of the first self-contained rock groups, the Beach Boys began as a garage band, managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, and with Brian as composer, arranger, producer, and de facto leader. In 1963, they had their first national hit with "Surfin' U.S.A.", beginning a string of top-ten singles that reflected a southern California youth culture of surfing, cars, and romance, dubbed the "California sound". They were one of the few American rock bands to sustain their commercial standing during the British Invasion. Starting with 1965's The Beach Boys Today!, they abandoned beachgoing themes for more personal lyrics and ambitious orchestrations. In 1966, the Pet Sounds album and "Good Vibrations" single raised the group's prestige as rock innovators. After scrapping the Smile album in 1967, Brian gradually ceded control of the group to his bandmates.

       In the late 1960s, the group's commercial momentum faltered in the US, and despite efforts to maintain na experimental sound, they were widely dismissed by the early rock music press. Carl took over as the band's musical leader; records from this period later enjoyed a cult following among fans. In the mid-1970s, as their concerts drew larger audiences, the band transitioned into na oldies act. Dennis drowned in 1983 and Brian soon became estranged from the group. Following Carl's death from lung cancer in 1998, the band granted Love legal rights to tour under the group's name. In the early 2010s, the original members briefly reunited for the band's 50th anniversary. As of 2021, Wilson and Jardine do not perform with Love's edition of the Beach Boys, but remain official members of the band.

              The Beach Boys are one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful bands of all time, selling over 100 million records worldwide. They helped legitimize popular music as a recognized art form and influenced the development of music genres and movements such as psychedelia, power pop, progressive rock, punk, alternative, and lo-fi. Between the 1960s and 2010s, the group had 36 songs reach the US Top 40(the most by an American band), with four topping the Billboard Hot 100. In 2004, they were ranked number 12 on Rolling Stone's list of the greatest artists of all time. The founding members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

           "Little Saint Nick" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys first released as a single on December 9, 1963. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, the Christmas song applies hot-rod themes to Santa Claus and his sleigh.

         The single peaked at number 3 on Billboard magazine's special seasonal weekly Christmas Singles chart. Its B-side was an a cappella version of "The Lord's Prayer". In November 1964, an alternate mix of "Little Saint Nick" appeared as the opening track on The Beach Boys' Christmas Album.

Oo oo oo

Merry Christmas Saint Nick

Christmas comes this time each year

Oo-oo

 

Well a way up north where the air gets cold

There's a tale about Christmas that you've all been told

There's a real famous cat all dressed up in red

And he spends the whole year working out on his sled

 

It's the little Saint Nick (little Saint Nick)

It's the little Saint Nick (little Saint Nick)

 

Just a little bob sleighed we call it old Saint Nick

But she'll walk a toboggan with a four speed stick

She's candy apple red with a ski for a wheel

And when Santa hits the gas man just watch her peel

 

It's the little Saint Nick (little Saint Nick)

It's the little Saint Nick (little Saint Nick)

Run run reindeer

Run run reindeer (oh-oh-oh-oh)

Run run reindeer

Run run reindeer

He don't miss no-one

 

And haulin' through the snow at a frightenin' speed

With a half a dozen deer with the a-rudy to lead

He's gotta wear his goggles 'cause the snow really flies

And he's cruisin' every pad with a little surprise

 

It's the little Saint Nick (little Saint Nick)

It's the little Saint Nick (little Saint Nick)

Oo oo oo

Merry Christmas Saint Nick

Christmas comes this time each year, oo

Merry Christmas Saint Nick

Christmas comes this time each year, oo.