Singer Brenda Lee on her enduring Christmas classic

0:00It is almost Christmas and if you're celebrating, you almost certainly have music playing in the background. I don't want a lot for Christmas There is just one thing I need Good chance that Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas is You is on your playlist. It is arguably one of the most iconic Christmas songs of recent decades. There are other gems out there. Earth Kitts' 1953's Santa Baby. Santa Baby, just slip a sable under the tree for me.

0:41I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus by the Jackson 5.

0:59Maybe more modern ones. True Love by Ariana Grande.

1:14Or, representing a truly great era in music, you could go with Backstreet Boys singing Oh Holy Night.

1:32There is one Christmas hit, though, that has been around for decades. Rockin' around the Christmas tree at the Christmas party hall. Mistletoe hung where you can see every couple tries to stop. The 1958 classic by Brenda Lee, Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree. Let the Christmas spirit ring. Later we'll have some pumpkin pie and we'll do some caroling. And even though it flirted with the top spot on the Billboard Holiday 100 for years, it never made it until a couple years ago. That is when Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree got a new music video with a cameo from Trisha Yearwood and Tanya Tucker.

2:17I spoke to Brenda Lee shortly after she hit that milestone. We will hear that conversation coming up. From NPR, I'm Scott Detrow. Everyone dancing merrily in the new old-fashioned way.

2:37It's Consider This from NPR. Brenda Lee has been in the public eye ever since she recorded Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree. That song came out when Dwight Eisenhower was president. I talked to her when the song finally hit number one, just shy of her 80th birthday.

3:01Well, you know what? But that is still not connecting with my brain. I'm just so thrilled for the writer. I was very close to the writer, Johnny Marks. And I wish he was here to witness all this. But it's a great song. It's a wonderful song. And Lord, has it been good to me. I never thought that a Christmas song would be my signature song. But it is. And I'm proud of it. You know, there's always a moment to me every November where I'm in the store and I hear a Christmas song for the first time and I think, oh, all right, it's Christmas season. I'm wondering, do you have a moment each year where you hear yourself in a store or out there when you hear rocking around the Christmas tree for the first time for the season?

3:49And what does that feel like? It still feels pretty surreal. It really does. And when I say that, people say, oh, Brenda, good Lord, that thing came out when you were 12 or 13 or however old you were. I said, but you know what? It never gets old. Can we go back to when you first recorded it? Because you just mentioned right there you were 13 when the song came out. And I think this latest generation of fans have been surprised to learn you were so young because your voice sounds so full in the recording. You do not sound like a 13-year-old. I mean, what was going on in your life at that time? What do you remember about going into the recording studio and recording this song?

4:31Well, I remember that my great producer, Owen Bradley, he had the air conditioning turned to zero, because we recorded it, of course, in the summer. And he had a Christmas tree up, and we just had a great time doing it. You know, good songs are easy to do. And I think we did that one maybe in one rehearsal and one take.

5:10You know, this past few weeks, there's been so much attention. You've been climbing the charts. There's been this push to get this to number one. And of course, Mariah Carey is the other singer who in recent years has been so identified with the number one Christmas hit. Have you and her had any conversation in recent weeks, I'm wondering? No, but I'd love to. I love Mariah. I'm a big fan. Her Christmas song is great. You know, there's room for all of us. And if it's good, it's everything. Well, I listen to both of you a lot around this time of year, so I appreciate you both as well. I bet you do.

5:45I bet you get tired of us. Not for another few weeks. Well, that's big of you. Thank you so much.

6:04You mentioned before you are totally fine with the fact that this is the song that is in people's minds. But I wanted to talk about the rest of your career. if you're up for it for a few minutes? Absolutely.

6:24There's an anecdote that's floated around a lot of the profiles that mentions that there was one point in time where the Beatles opened for you. That's exactly right. I used to work with the guys when I first started going to England, touring over there, and just loved them. I was closest, I guess, to John. Knew they were going to be huge. Brought back a little acetate that they made for me, and I took it to my record company, and I said, I need you to hear these guys, and I need you to sign them. Well, they turned them down, and, of course, the next thing you know, it's all about the Beatles, so you just never know.

7:09but I knew they were good.

7:22You know, you had success so young and so many people who have success so young have a harder time in life. It seems like you've lived a really fulfilling, long life. It seems like things have worked out pretty well. What do you think the trick was to navigating being so famous early on in your teen years and coming out of it seemingly pretty okay? Well, I think the greatest thing was nobody ever told me I was famous. I loved what I did. I loved singing. I loved the whole scope of the industry. And I just wanted to be a part of it. I didn't have to be number one to be happy. And I think when you can get to that place in life and anything that you do, you're going to be successful.

8:13Of your other hits that people these days might not be as much familiar with, what's your favorite? What's one that we should make sure to include in this segment? Well, you need to include I'm Sorry. I'm sorry, so sorry That I was such a fool The early stuff, because that's really how I cut my teeth and learned what I was doing.

8:50I appreciate the songwriters that brought them to me. I appreciate the great A-team, the musicians, because they were like my big brothers and the Anita Kerr singers. It's just listening to all these great guys do their thing and share their talent with me. Love was blind and I was too blind to see. And it just don't get any better than that. Well, Brenda Lee, I've got to say, I get a sentimental feeling every time I hear your song, and it was truly wonderful to talk to you. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. Merry Christmas. You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear me. This episode was produced by Connor Donovan and Brianna Scott.

9:46It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigan. It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Scott Detrow.