Classic Pop Icons

We get into the Christmas spirit by selecting the Ronettes’ “Sleigh Ride” as Song of the Week on Classic Pop Icons. “Sleigh Ride” was released in November 1963 on the classic Christmas album “A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector”.

“Sleigh Ride” had already been recorded multiple times before the Ronettes’ version was released in 1963. It was composed as an instrumental by Leroy Anderson in 1946, with lyrics added by Matthew Parish in 1950.

Phil Spector’s lavish production (his so-called “wall of sound”), Ronnie Spector’s (then Bennett) distinctive lead vocals, the memorable “Ring-a-ling-a-ling-ding-dong-ding” backing vocals, and the atmosphere-building key changes all come together to create an enduring Christmas classic and one of the strongest recordings on the “A Christmas Gift For You” album.

The Ronettes other contributions to the album were “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” “Frosty the Snowman,” and “Silent Night,” with the latter featuring all artists on the album.

“A Christmas Gift for You” was released on the day of the assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963, which might account for its poor initial sales. The uplifting nature of the music was out of step with the somber mood of the nation.

The popularity and reputation of the album grew over time and to this day the songs on it, notably “Sleigh Ride,” receive widespread airplay during the Christmas period.

In 2003, “A Christmas Gift For You” was ranked at number 142 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Just this week, Rolling Stone placed the album at number one in its list of the 25 greatest Christmas albums of all time.

“Sleigh Ride” – The Ronettes

Authorship

“Sleigh Ride” was composed by Leroy Anderson in 1946, with lyrics added four years later by Michael Parish.

Anderson wrote many popular light orchestral pieces, including “Blue Tango” and “The Syncopated Clock,” both of which Parish also added lyrics to.

Other classic songs with lyrics by Parish include “Sweet Lorraine,” “Star Dust, and “Volare”.

Recording date/location

“Sleigh Ride” was recorded in the summer of 1963 at Gold Star recording studio, Los Angeles.

Musicians

The Ronettes were Ronnie Bennett (later Ronnie Spector) on lead vocals, with her sister Estelle Bennett and cousin Nedra Talley on backing vocals.

The Ronettes at Gold Star with Phil Spector and Larry Levine

The following musicians played on the “A Christmas Gift For You” album sessions:

• Tommy Tedesco – guitar
• Bill Pitman – guitar
• Irv Rubins – guitar
• Nino Tempo – guitar
• Leon Russell – piano
• Don Randi – piano
• Al Delory – piano
• Ray Pohlman – bass
• Jimmy Bond – bass
• Hal Blaine – drums
• Frank Kapp – percussion
• Sonny Bono – percussion
• Jack Nitzsche – percussion
• Steve Douglas – saxophone
• Jay Migliori – saxophone
• Roy Caton – trumpet
• Lou Blackburn – horns
• John Vidor – strings.

The sessions were engineered by Larry Levine.

Chart performance

“Sleigh Ride” was not released on single. The album on which it appeared, “A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector,” failed to breach the Billboard Album Chart when first released, despite going on to become one of the most highly regarded Christmas albums of all time.

A 1972 reissue of the album on Apple, titled “Phil Spector’s Christmas Album,” reached number six on Billboard’s special Christmas Albums sales chart.

Notable versions

“Sleigh Ride” – Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra

The first recording of the 1946 composition was by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra in 1949. This became the model for many subsequent instrumental versions.

“Sleigh Ride” – The Andrews Sisters

The Andrews Sisters’ 1950 recording was the first to include Parish’s lyrics. Their trademark close harmony is used to good effect on this traditional arrangement, which includes the “Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, let’s go!” and “There’s a birthday part at the home of Farmer Gray” bridges that are omitted from the later Ronettes’ recording.

“Sleigh Ride” – KT Tunstall

KT Tunstall included a lively version of “Sleigh Ride” on her 2007 Christmas EP “Have Yourself a Very KT Christmas”. Three years later she performed a fun live version (complete with loop pedal) as part of a Radio 2’s Christmas link-up to the Archbishop of York’s house.

There will be a new Song of the Week on December 24.

The Ronettes’ “Sleigh Ride” appears on many Christmas compilations, and the original “A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector” album, which was reissued on CD and vinyl in 2009.

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