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 276-300 of 357 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brunswick | E28600 | 10-in. | 10/30/1928 | Round evening | Kenn Sisson Orchestra ; Eddy Thomas | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) | composer | |
Brunswick | E29128 | 10-in. | 1/17/1929 | A precious little thing called love | Danny Shawn | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
Brunswick | E29289 | 10-in. | 2/15/1929 | I’m thirsty for kisses—hungry for love (Lonely, with only, just me) | Clevelanders | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; with scat vocal (take G) | composer | |
Brunswick | E29564 | 10-in. | Mar. 1929 | Just another kiss | Frank Munn ; Regent Club Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) | composer | |
Brunswick | E30024 | 10-in. | June 1929 | Out where the moonbeams are born | Ben Bernie ; Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) | composer | |
Brunswick | E30072 | 10-in. | June 1929 | Out where the moon beams are born | Chester Gaylord | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | songwriter | |
Brunswick | E30097 | 10-in. | June 1929 | Pretty little maid of old Madrid | Arnold Johnson Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) | songwriter | |
Brunswick | E30315 | 10-in. | 7/8/1929 | You’re just another memory | Eddy Thomas | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
Brunswick | XE30706 | 12-in. | 8/23/1929 | Bremer-Tully broadcast record no. 7 | Bremer-Tully Orchestra | Orchestra, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Brunswick | XE30955 | 12-in. | 9/16/1929 | Brunswick brevities program G [part unknown] | Abe Lyman’s California Orchestra | Radio transcription disc : Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Brunswick | E30983 | 10-in. | Sept. 1929 | I’m only making believe | Abe Lyman’s California Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with vocal; without vocal (take G) | songwriter | |
Brunswick | E31023 | 10-in. | Oct. 1929 | Another night (Within your arms) | Abe Lyman’s California Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with vocal; without vocal (take G) | composer | |
Brunswick | XE31117 | 12-in. | 10/7/1929 | Brunswick Brevities program L [part unknown] | Six Jumping Jacks ; Tom Stacks | Radio transcription disc : Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Brunswick | E33530 | 10-in. | Aug. 1930 | I still get a thrill (Thinking of you) | Chester Gaylord | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
Brunswick | E33964 | 10-in. | Aug.1930 | I still get a thrill (Thinking of you) | Chester Gaylord | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
Brunswick | E34117 | 10-in. | 8/28/1930 | I still get a thrill thinking of you | Ozzie Nelson Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Brunswick | E34906 | 10-in. | 10/21/1930 | I miss a little miss | Roy Smeck Vitaphone Trio | Jazz/dance trio, with vocal | composer | |
Brunswick | E35108 | 10-in. | Nov. 1930 | I’m proud of you | All Star Californians | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Brunswick | E35405 | 10-in. | 11/15/1930 | I miss a little miss (Who misses me in sunny Tennessee) | Crooning Troubadours ; Nick Lucas | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Brunswick | E37183 | 10-in. | 9/4/1931 | Love letters in the sand | Anthony Trini Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Brunswick | E37206 | 10-in. | 9/16/1931 | Love letters in the sand | Brunswick Orchestra [Brunswick Studio Orchestra] ; Scrappy Lambert ; Victor Young | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Brunswick | E37371 | 10-in. | 11/23/1931 | She’s so nice | Benny Krueger’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Brunswick | E37425 | 10-in. | 11/24/1931 | I wonder who’s under the moon with you tonight | Abe Lyman's California Orchestra [Brunswick Studio Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Brunswick | E37427 | 10-in. | 11/25/1931 | Mary (I’m in love with you) | Ozzie Nelson Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Brunswick | E2087-E2090 | 10-in. | 1/8/1926 | The road of dreams | Colonial Club Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | 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
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
Feedback
Send the Editors a message about this record.