Johnny Moore's Three Blazers - Merry Christmas Baby

First performance: 28/12/1980

Coverinfo

Bruce covered the song 20 times:
 

2025-12-14 Stone Pony (The), Asbury Park, NJ
Springsteen joins Little Steven & The Disciples Of Soul on stage to close out the Hungerthon Benefit Concert, celebrating fifty years of the Harry Chapin-founded organization WhyHunger. Shortly after they launched into "I Don't Want To Go Home", a fire alarm went off. The lights came on, and the amplified music stopped. Although there was a lot of surprise onstage, as no one really knew what to do, the audience began a singalong of various songs, with band members gradually starting to jam along to the beat of the alarm; after observing what was happening, Bruce joined Anthony Almonte in drumming along on the congas while crowd sang "Having A Party". After five or so minutes, the alarm was turned off, the stage amplification was turned back on, and the band started over with "I Don't Want To Go Home", with Bruce and Stevie sharing the vocals. After Steve sang the line "I know it's time to go, but I don't want to go home," Bruce replied, "I don't care if that fucking fire alarm goes off!" They continued, after a false start, with a short rendition of "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out". The show closed with "Merry Christmas Baby" and "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town". The evening's other performers include Garry Tallent, Sameer Gadhia & Eric Cannata from Young The Giant, Yola, Amy Helm, Jim Babjak and Dennis Diken of The Smithereens, Dixie Dregs, Jimmy Vivino with Mark Barden, and Steve Chapin & The Original Harry Chapin Band featuring Tom Chapin & Jen Chapin, Randy C. Moore, and an appearance by Danny Clinch.
 
Bruce performs at the 27th Rainforest Fund Concert. Springsteen's set is comprised of three songs backed by the house band that includes a large symphony, opening with "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" while walking in from the back of the theatre. Bruce remains on stage for the closing numbers, but doesn't provide lead vocals. Other artists at Sting's biennial fundraiser include Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector, James Taylor, Idina Menzel, Vittorio Grigolo, Jennifer Nettles, and Sting himself.
  
 
 
2009-11-22 HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY
Final show of the 'working on a dream' tour, the longest at 34 songs and nearly three-and-a-half hours. Bruce's first album Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ is performed in its entirety, dedicated to Mike Appel.

2008-12-22 Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ
Bruce makes an unscheduled appearance at Bobby Bandiera's Hope Concert. On the bill are Bobby Bandiera's Jersey Shore Rock-N-Soul Revue, Jon Bon Jovi, Southside Johnny, Gary U.S Bonds, Brian Fallon, Nicole Atkins and Tim McLoone and the Shirleys.
 
2004-12-19 Harry's Roadhouse, Asbury Park, NJ (Late)
Holiday Shows. Bruce Springsteen & Friends performing two shows; one at 4:30pm and another at 8:30pm.

2003-12-08 Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ

2002-12-11 Rockefeller Center, GE Building, Studio 6A, New York City, NY
With no Asbury Park Holiday shows planned that year, Bruce Springsteen made a guest appearance on Late Night With Conan O'Brien on 11 Dec 2002. The taping took place in Studio 6A in the GE Building of the Rockefeller Center. Backed by the E Street Band, and with some help from the show's house band the Max Weinberg 7, he delivered one of his best television performances.
 
2001-12-15 Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
Guest appearance with Tim McLoone's Holiday Express. Also present are Joe Piscopo, Bobby Bandiera, and Gary U.S. Bonds.

2001-12-08 Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ
2001-12-07 Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ
2001-12-06 Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ
2001-12-04 Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ
2001-12-03 Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ
2000-12-18 Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ
2000-12-17 Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ

1997-12-16 McLoone's Rum Runner, Sea Bright, NJ
Bruce's annual Christmas party. Bobby Bandiera was hired for the entertainment but Bruce played for two hours.
 
1994-12-20 Tradewinds, Sea Bright, NJ
With Tim McLoone's Holiday Express. Tim McLoone is a restaurant proprietor and founder of Holiday Express, a volunteer, non-profit and non-sectarian organisation dedicated to bringing music, gifts and holiday cheer to those less fortunate.

1980-12-31 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
This live 31 Dec 1980 version of the song was released in November 1986 as the B-side to the WAR . The song was played in its E Street Band arrangement.

1980-12-29 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY

1980-12-28 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY 
The premieres of the R&B Christmas standard "Merry Christmas Baby".
 

Songinfo

"Merry Christmas Baby" is an R&B Christmas standard credited to Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore and originally recorded in 1947 by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, featuring the singer and pianist Charles Brown. Charles Brown tells the story this way: "Leon René had Exclusive Records. They needed a song; Bing Crosby had "White Christmas". Lou Baxter, who was a songwriter and used to hang around Johnny Moore and the Blazers, said 'Charles, I want you to do one of my songs because I need money.' He had to have an operation on his throat, he had throat cancer. If we did one of his numbers they would give him a $500 advance. So I looked in the satchel, I took the satchel (of songs) home that night and I looked in there, I looked at all them things, and it didn’t impress me. I saw "Merry Christmas Blues", but the idea struck me. I said this would be a good idea, but it wasn’t like what he had written. I wrote the title "Merry Christmas Baby", and I wrote the words, how I was going to sing it, and I mapped it out, played the piano, and I presented it to Johnny Moore. We didn’t know it was going to be a great big hit, but I thought it was unique. Leon Rene said put the celeste on it. I had never played one. He said it's just like the piano, put it on the side of the piano. 'Cause they didn’t have all these synthesizers. He said just play it (on the intro) like you play the piano then get back to the piano. Exclusive never paid copyrights. Hollywood Records took over, lawyers for creditors said artists would get their money, but it never happened. Don Pierce [Hollywood Records] never paid a nickel. Charles lost his letter. When Exclusive Records was sold, the artists/creditors got nothing. Leon Rene promised the artists the money would come. Never happened." And Johnny Moore did the deal with Lou Baxter and put his own name on it as well, apparently. Johnny Moore's Three Blazers was one of the hottest blues attractions on the West Coast when their recording of "Merry Christmas Baby" reached number 3 on Billboard's R&B Juke Box chart during the Christmas season of 1947. Moore, a guitarist, was accompanied by Brown, bassist Eddie Williams and guitarist Oscar Moore (Johnny's brother, then a member of the King Cole Trio).
 
 
 

Bruce on the artist

2020-12-16 SiriusXM Studio, New York City
Bruce plays the song during his 16 th episode of 'From My Home To Yours'. The episode was titled "Hits Of The Week"

Lyrics

Merry Christmas, baby, you really did treat me nice
Merry Christmas, baby, you really did treat me nice
Gave me a diamond ring for Christmas, now I'm living in paradise
Well, I'm feelin', mighty fine, I got good music on my radio
Well, I feel so fine, I got good music on my radio
Yes, I want to hug and kiss you baby
While you're standing beneath the mistletoe
Santa came down the chimney, 'bout a half past three
Left all these pretty presents that you see before me
Merry Christmas baby, you really been good to me.
I will always love you baby
Now I'm happy as I can be