Peter Cottontail (song)
"Here Comes Peter Cottontail" is a popular Easter song composed in 1949, by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins. They also wrote "Frosty the Snowman" in 1950 .[1] Mervin Shiner was the first person to record the song, on Decca Records in 1950. It reached #8 on Billboard Hot 100 [2]
Due to the immense popularity of Gene Autry's Christmas songs "Here Comes Santa Claus" and "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer", Nelson and Rollins asked Autry to record their song. His 1950 version was on the Columbia label and peaked at number 3 on the U.S Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[3]
Nelson and Rollins also wrote non-Easter lyrics to the tune that later appeared on the 1963 Walt Disney Records Peter Cottontail Plus Other Funny Bunnies and their Friends.
It is often regarded as one of the most popular Easter songs of all time. It is often used for TV commercials around the Easter period.
Chart performance
Gene Autry
| Chart (1950) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 5 |
Jimmy Wakely
| Chart (1950) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 26 |
Johnnie Lee Wills
| Chart (1950) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 7 |
References
- ↑ http://www.discogs.com/artist/780983-Jack-Rollins
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwu8vnM6gnE&feature=youtu.be
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.