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 326-350 of 357 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Edison | 9388 | 10-in. | 2/21/1924 | Not yet, Suzette! | Merry Sparklers | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Edison | 9403 | 10-in. | 3/5/1924 | Innocent eyes | Harry Raderman's Dance Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Edison | 9870 | 10-in. | 11/25/1924 | To-morrow's another day | Helen Clark ; Jack Stillman Orchestra ; Joseph A. Phillips | Jazz/dance band, with female-male vocal duet | composer | |
Edison | 10512 | 10-in. | 7/22/1925 | The promenade walk | Clover Gardens Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Edison | 10550 | 10-in. | 8/7/1925 | Why is love? | Million Dollar Pier Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Edison | 10796 | 10-in. | 1/27/1926 | The road of dreams | Arthur Hall ; Tennessee Happy Boys | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Edison | 11823 | 10-in. | 7/29/1927 | Eyeful of you | Arthur Fields ; Oreste Queensland Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Edison | 18727 | 10-in. | 9/15/1928 | 'Round evening | Collette Lyons | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
Edison | 18786 | 10-in. | 10/5/1928 | Doin' the raccoon | Billy Murray | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
Edison | 18857 | 10-in. | 11/8/1928 | Doin' the raccoon | 7 Blue Babies ; Billy Murray | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | composer | |
Edison | 18874 | 10-in. | 11/16/1928 | 'Round evening | Billy Murray ; Walter Scanlan | Male vocal duet, with orchestra | composer | |
Edison | 18956 | 10-in. | 12/20/1928 | A love tale of Alsace Lorraine | B. A. Rolfe Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Edison | 18990 | 10-in. | 1/7/1929 | A precious little thing called love | 7 Blue Babies | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Edison | 19084 | 10-in. | 3/7/1929 | A precious little thing called love | Helen Clark ; Walter Scanlan | Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra | composer | |
Edison | 19108 | 10-in. | 3/16/1929 | A precious little thing called love | Golden Gate Orchestra [California Ramblers] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Edison | 19138 | 10-in. | 4/2/1929 | I'm thirsty for kisses—hungry for love | Melville Morris ; Piccadilly Players | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet | composer | |
Edison | 19248 | 10-in. | 6/12/1929 | Just another kiss | Hawaiian Troubadours | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Edison | N-432 | 12-in. | 9/15/1928 | 'Round evening | Collette Lyons | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
Edison | N-484 | 10-in. | 10/5/1928 | Doin' the raccoon | Billy Murray | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
Edison | N-555 | 10-in. | 11/8/1929 | Doin' the raccoon | 7 Blue Babies ; Billy Murray | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | composer | |
Edison | N-569 | 10-in. | 11/16/1929 | 'Round evening | Billy Murray ; Walter Scanlan | Male vocal duet, with orchestra | composer | |
Edison | N-647 | 10-in. | 12/20/1928 | A love tale of Alsace Lorraine | B. A. Rolfe Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Edison | N-681 | 10-in. | 1/7/1929 | A precious little thing called love | 7 Blue Babies | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Edison | N-775 | 10-in. | 3/7/1929 | A precious little thing called love | Helen Clark ; Walter Scanlan | Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra | composer | |
Edison | N-799 | 10-in. | 3/16/1929 | A precious little thing called love | Golden Gate Orchestra [California Ramblers] | 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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