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 76-100 of 357 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BS-75412 | 10-in. | 3/19/1933 | Two tickets to Georgia | Ben Pollack Orchestra ; Hilton Lamare | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-75553 | 10-in. | 3/22/1933 | The sidewalk waltz | Harold Stern Hotel Biltmore Orchestra ; Bill Smih | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-76161 | 10-in. | 5/19/1933 | Campin' on your door-step | The Sizzlers | Male vocal trio, with piano | composer | |
Victor | BS-76232 | 10-in. | 5/29/1933 | At the bottom of the hill | Jan Garber Orchestra ; Lew Palmer | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-76453 | 10-in. | 6/14/1933 | Charlie's home | Bert Lown Orchestra ; Eddie Farley | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-76733 | 10-in. | 7/24/1933 | Good luck, sweetheart | Isham Jones Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-76791 | 10-in. | 8/28/1933 | This time it's love | Isham Jones Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-77167 | 10-in. | 12/2/1933 | One minute to one | Edgewater Beach Hotel Orchestra ; Harry Sosnik | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-77555 | 10-in. | 8/28/1933 | I want to ring bells | Maurice Cross ; Don Bestor Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-77806 | 10-in. | 9/12/1933 | I want to ring bells | Williams' Washboard Band | Washboard band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-77812 | 10-in. | 9/12/1933 | I want to ring bells | Tinsley's Washboard Band | Washboard band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-77842 | 10-in. | 10/3/1933 | Goodbye again | Isham Jones Orchestra ; Joe Martin | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-78081 | 10-in. | 10/4/1933 | I hear my heart saying you're mine | Neil Buckley ; Don Bestor Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-78085 | 10-in. | 10/4/1933 | This time it's love | Victor Arden ; Gordon Graham ; Phil Ohman | Piano duet, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-78153 | 10-in. | 10/11/1933 | That's me without you | Neil Buckley ; Don Bestor Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-78800 | 10-in. | 11/27/1933 | One minute to one | Reggie Childs ; Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra ; Don Howard | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-81396 | 10-in. | 2/15/1934 | I knew you when | Edith Caldwell ; Ted Black Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-81795 | 10-in. | 3/7/1934 | I knew you when | Isham Jones Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-82569 | 10-in. | 5/29/1934 | Dancing and dreaming | Henry King Orchestra ; Joseph Sudy | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-83179 | 10-in. | 7/16/1934 | For all we know | Isham Jones Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-83360 | 10-in. | 7/3/1934 | The moonlight parade | Anthony Trini ; Village Barn Orchestra [Anthony Trini] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-83392 | 10-in. | 7/18/1934 | For all we know | Central Park Casino Orchestra ; Ernie Holst ; Norman Moon | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BVE-83914 | 10-in. | 8/10/1934 | Better for both of us | Mack Rogers Orchestra ; Paul White | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-84971 | 10-in. | 11/13/1934 | Santa Claus is comin' to town | George Hall ; Hotel Taft Orchestra ; Sonny Schuyler | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-88614 | 10-in. | 2/11/1935 | Things might have been so diff'rent | Richard Himber ; Joey Nash ; Ritz-Carlton Hotel 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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