Colonel Tom Parker Questioned Why 1 Elvis Song Took 15 Minutes to Write
Colonel Tom Parker questioned why one Elvis Presley song took all of 15 minutes to write. Elvis was a big fan of the track. It’s a lot dirtier than other tunes of the same genre.
Elvis Presley released a Christmas song that was a lot dirtier than most
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller co-wrote a number of Elvis hits such as “She’s Not You,” “Bossa Nova Baby,” and “Jailhouse Rock.” During a 2022 interview with Variety, Stoller noted he and Leiber wrote Elvis’ Christmas classic “Santa Claus Is Back in Town” on the spur of the moment.
“Yeah, we did that in a hurry,” he said. “He was doing a Christmas album, and we wrote it in another room during the recording session. I remember we went out — it probably took about 15 minutes — and we came back in and performed it for them. And the Colonel said, ‘What took you so long?'”
Stoller looked back fondly at “Santa Claus Is Back in Town,” which he felt was dirty for a Christmas tune. “It’s the blues!” he said. “Elvis loved it … because it was typical of blues, of rhythm and blues songs of that period, or even an earlier period.” While its title evokes sadness, the blues genre was often focused on sex.
Mike Stoller revealed what was ‘fabulous’ about Elvis Presley
On top of writing for Elvis, Leiber and Stoller worked on songs such as The Drifters’ “Save the Last Dance for Me,” Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me,” and Peggy Lee’s “I’m a Woman.” Stoller discussed what it was like to work with so many stars. “Well, they were a lot of fun,” he said. “And I mean, we enjoyed being in the studio with Elvis; we enjoyed being in the studio with The Drifters, with Ben E. King, with Peggy Lee.”
Stoller discussed his feelings about Elvis in particular. “I got to really appreciate Elvis,” he revealed. “He was a fabulous singer, fabulous performer, and very special … and he’s very hot, again, still.”
The song appeared on the biggest Christmas album in the history of the United States
“Santa Claus Is Back in Town” never charted on the Billboard Hot 100. As far as Elvis’ Christmas songs go, it has been commercially eclipsed by “Blue Christmas.” The latter reached No. 24 and stayed on the chart for eight weeks. It might be the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll‘s most popular song today.
“Santa Claus Is Back in Town” and “Blue Christmas” were part of Elvis’ Christmas Album. That record reached No. 68 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 29 weeks. The record debuted in 1957, before the Billboard 200 existed, so its chart position is deceiving. According to Billboard, Elvis’ Christmas Album is the highest-selling Yuletide record in the United States, having sold over 10 million copies. The second highest-selling Yuetide record, Kenny G’s Miracles: The Holiday Album, sold over 7.3 million albums.
“Santa Claus Is Back in Town” became part of a juggernaut album even if Parker wanted it done sooner.
