It took detective work to suss out whether a songbook companion to the classic 1964 Rankin/Bass Christmas TV special, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” even existed. Every once in awhile I’d get this look — a furrowed brow and a determined sideways gleam in my eye: surely there must have been a songbook!
Among my web search complications: the Johnny Marks song — a modern essential — is included in so many songbooks. When I searched for “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Johnny Marks songbook,” I got a mother lode of contemporary holiday songbooks and digital sheet music but (like Yukon Cornelius in his fruitless quest for silver and gold) “nothin’” of the vintage songbook variety. Adding the phrase “Rankin Bass” didn’t help matters either.
The break in this case came when I learned that in its debut year, “Rudolph” aired as an NBC special sponsored by General Electric. Before the partnership of Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass became a beloved brand synonymous with stop-motion holiday specials, their production company operated as Videocraft International, and in early years they called their animation technique Animagic. Hence this songbook refers not to Rankin/Bass but to “a Videocraft TV musical spectacular featuring the voice of Burl Ives.”
Once I added “Videocraft” to my searches, I found references to this songbook and I even found an affordable copy on eBay. In the words of Yukon Cornelius: “Wahoo!”
I’ve since come across a few editions of “Songs and Background Music for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” all of which were released by St. Nicholas Music, the publishing company that Johnny Marks founded. There’s big note piano, organ, and vocal selections. And the back of the songbook mentions a couple more folios — for guitar and accordion.
Sheet music arrangements for most of the songs in this “Rudolph” book are now available in anthologies or online — even Clarice’s tender and once hard-to-find ballad, “There’s Always Tomorrow” (here’s a simple version on MusicNotes). So seeking out the original vintage songbook is more about tapping into a grand, nostalgic delight. And it does warm my heart to page through and see the black and white stills from “Rudolph,” and to play songs like the bouncy “We Are Santa’s Elves” and “The Most Wonderful Day of the Year,” with its tremulous opening where the chorus of Misfit toys sing of their plight.
The background music in this collection includes arrangements of other Johnny Marks tunes that made it into “Rudolph” as instrumentals. For instance, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” which plays as we get our first glimpse of the reindeer games.
Isn’t it high time for a Rankin/Bass songbook collection? And while I’m talking classic Christmas specials, it’s not a Rankin/Bass show, but if only there would have been an official songbook for “Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas”! Because I would love to play the score for that TV special straight through.
Where to find it: “Songs and Background Music from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (Vocal Selections)”
Music and lyrics by Johnny Marks
VINTAGE SONGBOOK: search for the rare songbook on Amazon, on eBay, on AbeBooks, and on Biblio.com. Or use WorldCat to look for the songbook at a library.
Publisher: St. Nicholas Music, Incorporated (1964)
Status (2023): Out of Print
DIGITAL DOWNLOADS: browse the “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” section on MusicNotes, which includes arrangements for a variety of instruments.
FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION: Here’s a Spotify playlist for the original “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” soundtrack. And check out The Enchanted World of Rankin/Bass website, which showcases a treasure trove of Rankin/Bass stories, images, and memorabilia.
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