| "Frosty the Snowman" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Gene Autry & The Cass County Boys | |
| Released | December 14, 1950 |
| Genre | Christmas song |
| Label | Columbia Records |
| Writer | Jack Rollins and Steve Nelson |
"Frosty the Snowman" is a popular song written by Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson, and first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950.[1] It was written after the success of Autry's recording of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" the previous year; Rollins and Nelson shipped the new song to Autry, who recorded "Frosty" in search of another seasonal hit. Like "Rudolph," "Frosty" was subsequently adapted to other media including a popular television special. The song was originally titled "Frosty the Snow Man."
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The song is about a snowman who comes to life by the placement of a magical hat found by some children, with whom he shares playful adventures before he has to "hurry on his way" (likely a quaint reference to melting, and the ephemeral nature of snowmen). At the end of their adventures together, the children are saddened by Frosty's leaving, however, he reassures them by exclaiming, "I'll be back again some day."
Some versions of the song change the last line to "on Christmas Day!" It has been covered by many artists over the years, including The Jackson 5, The Ronettes, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Larry Groce, Ray Conniff, Cocteau Twins, Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Beach Boys, Leon Redbone with Dr. John, Red Foley (and his daughters), Fiona Apple, Connie Talbot (2008 and 2009), 1910 Fruitgum Company, Michael Bublé, The Partridge Family, and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh (as his character Major Monogram from Phineas and Ferb. Also sings it as Perry Saves Christmas.) and countless other musical acts (including a 2005 recording of the song by actor Burt Reynolds).
Jimmy Durante has recorded two versions, one with the earlier alternative lyric, and another for a television special of the same name (see below).
"Frosty" was recorded by Ella Fitzgerald on her 1960 Verve release Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas.[2]
The Canadian Brass are known for a version that is both jazzy and darkly humorous ("One more time!"… "you know what happens when Frosty gets hot!").
| Gene Autry version | |
|---|---|
| Chart (1950) | Peak position |
| US Pop Singles | 7 |
| Perry Como version | |
|---|---|
| Chart (1957) | Peak position |
| US Pop Singles | 74 |
| Johnny Mathis version | |
|---|---|
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
| US Adult Contemporary | 29 |
| Kimberley Locke version | |
|---|---|
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
| US Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian Adult Contemporary | 40 |
| Billboard Top AC Songs of 2008 | 46 |
In 1950, Little Golden Books published Frosty the Snow Man as a children's book, adapted by Annie North Bedford and illustrated by Corinne Malvern.
In 1954, the UPA studio brought "Frosty" to life in a three-minute animated short which appears regularly on WGN-TV. This production included a bouncy, jazzy a cappella version of the song and a limited animation style reminiscent of UPA's Gerald McBoing-Boing. The short, filmed entirely in black-and-white, has been a perennial WGN-TV Christmas classic, and was broadcast on December 24 and 25, 2005, and every year since, as part of a WGN-TV children's programming retrospective, along with their two other short Christmas classics, "Suzy Snowflake" and "Hardrock, Coco and Joe."
The three cartoons are also a tradition on WJAC-TV in Johnstown, PA, which not only broadcasts the cartoons on their station, but also make it available on their website.
In 1969, the Rankin-Bass company, in association with Mushi Production of Japan, produced a thirty-minute animated television special of Frosty the Snowman that featured the voices of comedians Jimmy Durante as narrator and Jackie Vernon as the title character. This was a story based on the discovery of Frosty the Snowman. Three sequels were produced, Frosty's Winter Wonderland (based upon the song "Winter Wonderland") in 1976, in which Frosty got married, and Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July in 1979, followed by The Legend of Frosty the Snowman in 2005. A derivative work, Frosty Returns, was broadcast on CBS in 1992.
In 2003, the unofficial/official Frosty the Snowman page at Myspace.com was created. What started out as a simple Myspace hobby has turned into a place where children of all ages from all over the world can write to their favorite snowman. The page has received the blessing of a few of the Rankin-Bass artists.
The version performed by The Ronettes is featured in the film Goodfellas, after the Lufthansa heist scene.
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