Brenda Lee Shares Her Unusual Experience Recording ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ at 13

Brenda Lee.
Credit:

David Redfern/Redferns; Jason Kempin/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Brenda Lee’s hit “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” was recorded during the summer.
• Producer Owen Bradley decorated the studio for the session, complete with a Christmas tree and band members in Santa suits.
• The song, recorded in 1958, remains a beloved holiday classic.

Brenda Lee reflects on the unusual experience of recording her iconic 1958 holiday single “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” at just 13 years old. The notable twist? She was in a summer recording session.

In an interview with Woman’s World, Lee remarked, “You know, you record your Christmas stuff in the summer. So that’s always, like, weird.” Despite the off-season timing, the ambiance in the studio captured the holiday spirit, thanks to Bradley’s festive decorations.

Lee, an inductee in both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame, recalled, “It was a lot of fun… The warmth of the studio, the laughter, the magic—it all just took hold that day.”

In 2023, Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” achieved a milestone by reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time, making her the oldest artist to top the chart at age 78. The song also set records for the longest time taken to reach No. 1 from its initial release—65 years.

Lee shared insights about the song’s creation, revealing that songwriter Johnny Marks found inspiration while resting on a New York beach. “I was laying on the beach in New York, and pine trees were over to this side… I woke up and I was facing the pine trees, and they were just kind of swinging like this,” she recalled. This moment led to the birth of a holiday classic.

Although recorded in the late 1950s, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” gained significant traction after being featured in the beloved holiday film Home Alone. Lee remembers the moment she learned her song was part of the movie’s soundtrack: “Brenda! Brenda! There’s a movie out. It’s called Home Alone, and your song’s all over it,” she was told during a phone call. “And I said, ‘Which song? What are you talking about?’ They said, ‘Rockin,’ it’s all over it.’ Well, it just went from there.”

Discussing the song’s enduring popularity, Lee noted its simplicity. “It’s such a well-crafted song. You can hear it once and almost immediately sing along—you don’t have to puzzle over the lyrics. It’s just effortless and catchy, and that’s why it lasts,” she commented.

Brenda Lee.

Gems/Redferns