Mr. Sandman
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- For the popular video game character from the Punch-Out!! series, see Mr. Sandman (Punch-Out). For the Metallica song, see Enter Sandman
Mr. Sandman is a popular song.
It was written by Pat Ballard and published in 1954. Some time later, Ballard also rewrote the lyrics for Christmas use as "Mr. Santa", though this version is rarely heard today.
The recorded version by The Chordettes reached #1 on the Billboard United States charts and #11 on the United Kingdom charts in 1954. The Four Aces recorded a version that charted even higher in the UK, reaching #9. That same year, a version by Max Bygraves reached #16 on the UK charts. On the Cash Box magazine charts in the US, where all versions were combined, the song also reached #1.
The song has an interesting music theoretical aspect, as the chord progression follows the circle of fifths for 6 chords in a row in the chorus.
Chet Atkins covered this song for his first hit.
The song was recorded by Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt in 1978, originally for a planned trio album that never was completed, though it was eventually included on Harris' Evangeline album in 1981. The song was released as a single, though neither Parton nor Ronstadt's record companies would allow their artists' vocals on the single, so Harris rerecorded it, singing all three parts herself; the Harris single reached the US country top ten, and crossed over to the US pop top forty in early 1981.
The song was also popularly featured in the openings of Halloween II and Halloween: H20 films. As well as in Back To The Future, The Long Walk Home and Philadelphia.
The videogame Stubbs the Zombie: Rebel Without A Pulse also features this song performed by Oranger when the player reaches the game's main menu (one of the few songs that are randomly played).
The song is featured in an episode of The Simpsons entitled The Blunder Years. The young versions of Homer, Lenny, and Carl are singing the song while walking down a path (a parody of the film Stand By Me).
"Mr. Sandman" was also featured in one episode of The Golden Girls. Dorothy (Bea Arthur), Rose (Betty White) and Blanche (Rue McClanahan) sing the song to an infant whom they are baby-sitting, to get the child to sleep. Before long, the ladies are having so much fun singing the song that they forget all about the baby and start dancing while they sing. Then Sophia (Estelle Getty) enters the room, the singing and dancing abruptly stops, and Sophia opines, "Boy, you guys really stink."
[edit] Recorded versions
- The Andrews Sisters
- Chordettes
- Oranger
- Acoustic Guitar Summit
- Jamey Aebersold
- Chet Atkins
- Baldwin and the Whiffles
- Banjomania
- Chuck Berry
- Roberto Carlos
- Blind Guardian
- Bess Bonnier
- Buckingham Banjos
- Max Bygraves
- Mocedades
- Chipmunks
- Jim Coleman
- The Crusaders
- Rick Eldridge
- The Four Aces
- Marvin Gaye
- Golden Hammond
- Steve Grossman
- Mary Cleere Haran
- Bob Harris
- Emmylou Harris
- Ondrej Havelka
- Homer Haynes
- Al Hirt
- Bob Kames
- London Starlight Orchestra
- Magic Organ
- Jose Melis
- The Mills Brothers
- Mocedades
- Vaughn Monroe
- Anita O'Day
- Les Paul and Mary Ford
- The Pfister Sisters
- Dewey Redman
- Linda Ronstadt
- Mary Stahl
- Gob
- Linda McCartney
- The Puppini Sisters
[edit] External links
| Preceded by: I Need You Now |
Cash Box magazine best selling record chart #1 record December 4, 1954–December 11, 1954 |
Succeeded by: Let Me Go, Lover! |
| Preceded by: Let Me Go, Lover! |
Cash Box magazine best selling record chart #1 record December 25, 1954–January 1, 1955 |
Succeeded by: Let Me Go, Lover! |
| Preceded by: Let Me Go, Lover! |
Cash Box magazine best selling record chart #1 record January 15, 1955–January 29, 1955 |
Succeeded by: Melody of Love |
