Bruce Springsteen-"Santa Claus Is..."

I remember my local AM Top 40 station first playing the live version of
Bruce Springsteen's "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town", in December of
1975. (The one we all know, recorded on 12/12/1975, at C.W. Post
College, in Long Island, NY.) I've long wondered what the station used as
its audio source, but, like a dummy, I'd never remembered to ever
research it - until now! As a college freshman myself, I was not yet
working in radio, so I had no "inside info" on it. My reference books all
showed its first vinyl release, of any kind, to be on the Various Artists
children's album, "In Harmony 2", in 1981. By then, I was in radio, and we
did receive in a 7" promo 45 for it (AE7 1332) for it. (Additionally, the
springsteenlyrics.com site also both notes and provides a label scan for a
1981 promo 12" single release (AS 1329), which I did not previously know
about.)
     Well, that same site has also given me my answer, as to the actual
1975 audio source that radio used. It turns out that Columbia had sent
out a promo reel-to-reel tape copy of it. (And Columbia obviously wasted
*no* time getting this tape out to radio, as the take they used was
recorded less than two weeks before Christmas Day 1975!!) The site says
these reels were sent to "rock radio stations." However, my local Top 40
station happened to be very early to add "Born To Run" a few months
earlier, and it was a far bigger hit there than it was nationally. The local
Columbia rep no doubt remembered that fact, and clearly made sure they
also received a reel-to-reel promo copy of it. (Both my experience and my
gut tells me that Columbia would've done the exact same thing for any
other Top 40 stations who'd had good success with "Born To Run" - it's
just good business.) Besides, for years, Columbia would send us *far*
more promo, reel-to-reel audio than any other record label did. (Even as
late as 1987, when promo CD singles were starting to trickle in to us,
Columbia sent us their "family friendly version" of George Michael's "I
Want Your Sex" (as "I Want Your Love") on a promo reel-to-reel, and that
we did play some as a current.)
     As I've mentioned before on here, these "official" reel-to-reel tape
promos being sent to radio was not at all an uncommon practice, from the
70s until the mid-80's, and have sometimes become a "fly in the
ointment" for us, in regard to some past queries about official, label-
released versions. In some cases, our station would even have to request
a reel-to-reel copy of a song from the labels, 100% for sound quality
purposes. (Mostly from Motown. While their promo 45 copies used far
better quality vinyl than their commercial 45s did, their quality was still
pretty "iffy" at times. For example, we could *never* have gotten either of
the ultra-soft ballads, "Three Times A Lady" or "Still" by the Commodores,
to sound un-crackly from their promo 45s. And though Motown would
complain whenever we asked/demanded one, they did come always come
through for us.)
    So, whenever I come across a case where it involves a familiar song,
and a reel-to-reel tape was the only "official" label source (like with
Bruce's holiday song here), I try to post its details here. Hey, does anyone
else recall when they started hearing this track on the radio? And exactly
how familiar had it become (if at all) in the "radio listener consciousness",
before its "official" release in 1981? Or is that actually when most of the
country first became aware of the song? Springsteen was surely a
successful artist up until 1981, but I wouldn't say he was yet a legit
"superstar." Around 1979, I was able to finally obtain a 12" bootleg, that
did include the song, for my own collection. I've never seen a station
happen to list or chart the track on their surveys back in the 70's, so to
me, it's overall pre-1981 public impact is near-impossible to currently
discern. Therefore, all feedback/memories are welcome!


Edited by jimct

I wish I could recall when I first heard it. I didn't seriously get into pop music until 1979, several years after the recording was first released. However, I listened to Cleveland radio, which might have been second only to New Jersey in terms of Springsteen support. I'm sure WMMS got a promo copy and played it around the time it was released. I bought In Harmony 2 when I was in college (somewhere between 1981 and 1985), before the recording was released on the flip side of "My Hometown". It always brings a smile to my face, especially the part about Santa bringing Clarence a new saxophone. RIP, Big Man.

With Long Island's close proximity to Jersey, needless to
say Springsteen was already a huge FM staple from his
first album. I definitely heard "Santa Claus..." thru the
late 70's .. i don't remember if it started in '75 as i
wasn't paying attention right then - but since it was
recorded there, i have no doubt all the local rock
stations had it immediately.
By the time "In Harmony" came out, it was already classic
in LI radio so i thought "it's about time" when i bought
it.
MM

Great info Jim,

See below link which has a scan of what looks to be the reel to reel that you
are talking about (5th photo from the top).

www.montibeton.com/lostintheflood/reel-to-reel/r2rmain.htm#r trsanta

Edited by Fetta