J. Fred Coots
John Frederick Coots (May 2, 1897 – April 8, 1985) was an American songwriter. He composed over 700 popular songs and over a dozen Broadway shows. In 1934, Coots wrote the melody with his then chief collaborator, lyricist Haven Gillespie, for the biggest hit of either man's career, "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town." The song became one of the biggest sellers in American history. In 1934, when Gillespie brought him the lyrics to "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", Coots came up with the outline of the melody in just ten minutes. Coots took the song to his publisher, Leo Feist, who liked it but thought it was "a kids' song" and didn't expect too much from it. Coots offered the song to Eddie Cantor who used it on his radio show that November and it became an instant hit. The morning after the radio show there were orders for 100,000 copies of sheet music and by Christmas sales had passed 400,000. |
Birth and Death Data: Born May 2, 1897 (New York City), Died April 8, 1985 (New York City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1920 - 1950
Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, songwriter, tenor vocal, lyricist, piano
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 226-250 of 357 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Columbia | 150040 | 10-in. | 2/27/1930 | You can't stop me from falling in love with you | Arthur Fields ; Golden Gate Orchestra [California Ramblers] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Columbia | [W]150447 | 10-in. | 5/20/1930 | Sharing | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Kate Smith | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | composer | |
Columbia | W150675 | 10-in. | 7/25/1930 | I still get a thrill (Thinking of you) | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | composer | |
Columbia | W150758 | 10-in. | 9/3/1930 | I still get a thrill (Thinking of you) | Carmen Lombardo ; Guy Lombardo ; Royal Canadians | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Columbia | [W]150760 | 10-in. | 9/4/1930 | I still get a thrill (Thinking of you) | Ed Kirkeby Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Columbia | [W]150765 | 10-in. | 9/5/1930 | I still get a thrill (Thinking of you) | Delivery Boys | Male vocal ensemble, with piano | composer | |
Columbia | [W]150932 | 10-in. | 11/5/1930 | I miss a little miss (Who misses me in sunny Tennessee) | Jack Albin ; Hotel Pennsylvania Music [Jack Albin Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Columbia | W151117 | 10-in. | 12/12/1930 | I miss a little miss (Who misses me in sunny Tennessee) | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal ensemble | composer | |
Columbia | W151186 | 10-in. | 12/15/1930 | I miss a little miss (Who misses me in sunny Tennessee) | Seger Ellis | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
Columbia | W151301 | 10-in. | 2/10/1931 | The kiss that made a fool out of me | Oscar Grogan | Male vocal solo | composer | |
Columbia | W151773 | 10-in. | 9/4/1931 | Love letters in the sand | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | composer | |
Columbia | W151796 | 10-in. | 9/18/1931 | Love letters in the sand | The Radiolites | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Columbia | W151834 | 10-in. | 9/30/1931 | Red-headed baby | Arthur River's Novelty Orchestra [Fred Hall and his Sugar Babies] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Columbia | W151894 | 10-in. | 11/27/1931 | I wonder who's under the moon with you tonight | The Cavaliers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Columbia | W152134 | 10-in. | 3/16/1932 | Strangers | "Kassels-in-the-Air" Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Columbia | W152469 | 10-in. | 8/18/1933 | This time it's love | George Olsen and his Music ; Joe Morrison | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Columbia | W152473 | 10-in. | 8/24/1933 | Sweetheart of sweet sixteen | Joe Morrison | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | composer | |
Columbia | W152505 | 10-in. | 9/26/1933 | So this is Susie? | Ben Bernie and All the Lads | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Columbia | W152507 | 10-in. | 9/21/1933 | I want to ring bells | Harry Reser’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Columbia | W152553 | 10-in. | 11/14/1933 | One minute to one | Enric Madriguera Orchestra ; Tony Santos | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Columbia | W152619 | 10-in. | 7/10/1934 | For all we know | Hal Kemp Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Columbia | W152716 | 10-in. | 2/13/1934 | I knew you when | Enric Madriguera Orchestra ; Tony Sacco | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Columbia | W100350 | 10-in. | 12/9/1929 | Why? | Perley Stevens and his Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
Columbia | W113192 | 10-in. | November 1931 | 'Diay baybay naminsan nagsursurattaman (Love letters in the sand) | Pedro A. Ramajo | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
Columbia | W351137 | 10-in. | 11/23/1931 | I wonder who's under the moon with you tonight? | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Coots, J. Fred," accessed October 16, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106489.
Coots, J. Fred. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 16, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106489.
"Coots, J. Fred." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 16 October 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: J. Fred Coots
Discogs: J. Fred Coots
Allmusic: J. Fred Coots
IMDb: J. Fred Coots
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Coots, J. Fred, 1897-1985 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n92014476
Wikidata: J. Fred Coots - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1284588
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/5196885
MusicBrainz: J. Fred Coots - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/3bcb90e6-c8d9-463d-870a-3cc1e480a060
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