Six different versions of Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer is of course one of the most well known Christmas Songs. Interesting also because the invention of the song is so closely linked to the commercial side of Christmas celebration. The poem was printed in a book that was distributed to customers visiting Montgomery Ward, a big American warehouse, 1939. The author was a copy writer named Robert L.May.

A few years later May came up with the idea of composing a melody and asked his brother in law who was a composer, Johnny Marks. The record was an immediate success; 2 million copies were sold more or less at the same time as the records hit the stores. The first Swedish versions appeared in 1950.

I share six versions of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and as a bonus you also get a different Swedish song about a Reindeer:

• “Rudolf med röda mulen”, Lou Sandy, the first Swedish version from 1950.

• “Rudolf med röda mulen”, Alice Babs, famous and brilliant singer, also recorded during the 50ties.

• “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”, Melodeers, recorded at the dance hall Nalen in Stockholm during the mid 50ties.

• “Rudolf med röda mulen”, recorded for Indiska, a Swedish chain of shops selling clothes and other stuff from India, a modern instrumental version with traditional Indian instruments.

• “Rudolf med röda mulen”, Janne Andersson, Swedish popstar. The song is from the album “Glitter, Glögg and Rockn’roll” (Glitter, Glühwein and Rockn’roll) recorded during the 70’s as a Swedish answer to Phil Spectors legendary Christmas Records. The result? Judge for yourselves!

• "Rudolf med röda mulen", Micke B Tretow, legendary producer that used to work with ABBA. This is a strange experimental version that might amuse somebody. I don't think it was ever sold in ordinary records stores.

• “Rolf Ren” with Torsson, a different song about a reindeer by a slightly ironic but very charming band from southern Sweden. The story is basically that the reindeer has too short legs but in the end of the song they will still bring him along because they need someone to carry the youngest son of Father Christmas. From the middle of the 80ties.