"Sleigh Ride" is a

light Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 t ...

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

standard composed by Leroy Anderson. The composer had formed the original idea for the piece during a heat wave in July 1946, and he finished the work in February 1948. The original recordings were instrumental versions. The lyrics, about riding in a sleigh and other fun wintertime activities, were written by Mitchell Parish in 1950. Anderson also made arrangements for wind band and piano. The orchestral version was first recorded in 1949 by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra. "Sleigh Ride" was a hit record on RCA Victor Red Seal, and has become one of the orchestra's

signature song A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and often stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. The writer of a ...

s. The 45 rpm version was originally issued on red vinyl. The Pops have also recorded the song with

John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review '' WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...

, their conductor from 1979 to 1995, and Keith Lockhart, their current conductor.

The Ronettes The Ronettes were an American girl group from Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City. The group consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett (later known as Ronnie Spector), her older sister Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Talley. ...

recorded a cover of "Sleigh Ride" in 1963 for

Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...

's ''

A Christmas Gift for You ''A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector'' (originally released as ''A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records'') is an album of Christmas songs, produced by Phil Spector, and originally released as Philles 4005 in 1963. Spector treated ...

'', which was commercially successful in the United States and featured in various media. American singer and songwriter

Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include " Just a Girl", " Spiderweb ...

recorded a cover in October 2020 for the reissued deluxe edition of her fourth studio album, '' You Make It Feel Like Christmas''.

Details

American Homestead Winter - Currier and Ives

Leroy Anderson's own 1950 recording of "Sleigh Ride" on

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in We ...

reached ''Cashbox'''s bestsellers' chart when re-released in 1952. The main melody of "Sleigh Ride" was used, but without crediting Anderson, as the main theme of

Victor Young Albert Victor Young (August 8, 1899– November 10, 1956)"Victor Young, Composer, Dies of Heart Attack", ''Oakland Tribune'', November 12, 1956. was an American composer, arranger, violinist and conductor. Biography Young is commonly said to ...

's score for the 1949 Western '' Streets of Laredo.'' Mitchell Parish worked with Young at this approximate time, writing the lyrics for Young's version of Hoagy Carmichael's previously instrumental "

Stardust Stardust may refer to: * A type of cosmic dust, composed of particles in space Entertainment Songs * “Stardust” (1927 song), by Hoagy Carmichael * “Stardust” (David Essex song), 1974 * “Stardust” (Lena Meyer-Landrut song), 2012 * ...

." In 1950, The Andrews Sisters recorded the first vocal version of "Sleigh Ride", using the lyrics Parish had written. Although "Sleigh Ride" is often associated with

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

and appears on Christmas compilation albums, its lyrics do not mention any holidays. (Certain recordings, such as those by the Carpenters,

Walter Schumann Walter Schumann (October 8, 1913 – August 21, 1958) was an American composer for film, television, and the theater. His notable works include the score for '' The Night of the Hunter'' and the ''Dragnet'' Theme; the latter of which earned ...

, and Air Supply, substitute "Christmas party" instead of "birthday party" in the song's bridge.) The piece is noted for the sounds of a horse clip-clopping, and a whip used to get the horse moving. In most performances, a percussionist provides these sounds on temple blocks and a

slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such ...

, respectively. Toward the end of the piece, a trumpet imitates the sound of a horse whinnying. According to the

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

(ASCAP), "Sleigh Ride" consistently ranks as one of the top 10 most-performed songs written by ASCAP members. ASCAP named "Sleigh Ride" the most popular piece of Christmas music in the U.S. between 2009–2012 based on performance data from over 2,500 radio stations. Anderson's recording remains the most popular instrumental version, while

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...

's has become the most popular vocal version. Steve Metcalf says "'Sleigh Ride'... has been performed and recorded by a wider array of musical artists than any other piece in the history of Western music." "Sleigh Ride" is in seven-part rondo form. The first rondo episode utilizes an unusual, unprepared modulation to the

mediant In music, the mediant (''Latin'': to be in the middle) is the third scale degree () of a diatonic scale, being the note halfway between the tonic and the dominant.Benward & Saker (2003), p.32. In the movable do solfège system, the mediant note ...

, then the supertonic.

The Ronettes version

"Sleigh Ride" was covered by the American girl group

the Ronettes The Ronettes were an American girl group from Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City. The group consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett (later known as Ronnie Spector), her older sister Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Talley. ...

. The

-produced recording has become the most popular version outside the traditional pop standard genre, charting yearly in ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

''s Top Ten U.S. Holiday 100 and was #26 in 2018 in the

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

. After achieving a new peak of ten in 2021, it became the group's second-highest chart hit in the US after " Be My Baby". It features the well-known "Ring-a-ling-a-ling, ding-dong-ding" background vocals, and the clip-clop and whinny of a horse at its beginning and end. Both bridge sections were omitted from this version, leaving only the refrains intact.

Charts

Certifications and sales

Gwen Stefani version

Background and release

Stefani released her fourth studio album, '' You Make It Feel Like Christmas'' through

Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner ...

, on October 6, 2017, a collection of six original songs and six cover versions of Christmas standards. The album was preceded by the release of lead single " You Make It Feel Like Christmas", a duet with her boyfriend, American singer Blake Shelton. According to Stefani, the album's initial release generated a positive response, allowing her to return to the studio with collaborators

busbee Michael James Ryan Busbee (June 18, 1976 – September 29, 2019), known professionally as Busbee, was an American songwriter, record producer, publisher, record label executive, and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his work in both po ...

and Justin Tranter. The following year, ''You Make It Feel Like Christmas'' was reissued with five new bonus tracks and a proper music video for the title track was released. In 2019, Stefani duetted with Shelton again on " Nobody but You", a new track recorded for his compilation album, '' Fully Loaded: God's Country''. The song was released as a single and distributed to US

country radio Country radio refers to radio stations that play country music. Most country radio stations are commercial radio stations. Most country radio stations usually play only music which has been officially released to country radio by record labels. Th ...

outlets on January 21, 2020. It became a hit, topping ''

''s

Country Airplay Country Airplay is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States since January 20, 1990. This chart lists the 60 most-listened-to records played on 150 mainstream country radio stations across the country as monitored ...

and

Digital Songs The Digital Songs or Digital Song Sales chart (previously named Hot Digital Songs) ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by '' Billboard'' magazine. Although it originally star ...

charts and becoming Stefani's highest-charting effort on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 since 2007. In late 2020, rumors of new solo music from Stefani circulated after it was announced she would be returning as a judge to the American television series '' The Voice''. Stefani then confirmed plans to release new music during a promotional advertisement made for the show. Her cover of "Sleigh Ride" was announced as a surprise to her fans on October 12, 2020, the day before its scheduled release. It is expected to appear as the eighteenth track on an upcoming reissue of ''You Make It Feel Like Christmas'', due for release later in 2020. "Sleigh Ride" was produced by American musicians Brent Kutzle and Brandon Collins. It is the first track from ''You Make It Feel Like Christmas'' that was not produced by busbee or Eric Valentine; busbee had previously co-written all of the original songs on the parent album with Stefani and Tranter, but passed away in September 2019 after a battle with

glioblastoma Glioblastoma, previously known as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), is one of the most aggressive types of cancer that begin within the brain. Initially, signs and symptoms of glioblastoma are nonspecific. They may include headaches, personality ...

. Stefani's cover of "Sleigh Ride" credits Anderson and Parish as composers. The song was released to music retailers for digital download and

streaming Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content i ...

on October 13, 2020 through Interscope Records. A promotional audio video of the song was uploaded to Stefani's

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

channel the same day of its release. It serves as first solo release since the rest of ''You Make It Feel Like Christmas''. Alongside the release of "Sleigh Ride", Stefani teased that there was "more to come" the following week.

Composition

Stefani's version of "Sleigh Ride" has been described as a holiday-themed song with a "lushly"-arranged orchestra. American musician, Ryan Tedder, contributes as a vocal producer of the song, and Stefani is accompanied by American singer Laura Cooksey for background vocals.

Critical reception

Sophie Smith from the entertainment website ''uDiscover Music'' was positive about Stefani's cover, calling it a "cheery" and "festive" new track. A contributor to WSRW felt that Stefani got "in the holiday spirit" with her cover, but felt that it was released too early before the holiday season.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

. * Gwen Stefaniprimary artist * Brandon Collinsproducer, strings contractor * Brent Kutzleproducer, keyboards * Leroy Andersoncomposer * Mitchell Parishcomposer * Ryan Teddervocal producer * John Nathanielvocal producer, mixing * Grant Pittmanengineer, keyboards * Doug Sarrettengineer * Tyler Spryengineer * Mike Wilsonengineer * Chris Gehringermastering engineer * Laura Cookseybackground vocals * Luke Sullivantacoustic guitar, electric guitar * Matt Meltonbass * Paul Nelsoncello * Jon Hyrkasdrums * Betsy Lambviola, violin * David Angellviolin * David Davidsonviolin

Charts

Release history

Other recordings

* 1949 – Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops. The original hit recording, this version has never been available on CD. Other Boston Pops recordings have been made under conductors Fiedler (1959, 1970, 1972, and 1976),

(1991), and Keith Lockhart (1998, 2004, and 2011). * 1950 – Leroy Anderson. The Decca Gold Label Series singles (#16000, both 45 and 78 rpm) referenced above were not issued as individual records. Still, they were part of the four-disc set ''Leroy Anderson Conducts His Own Compositions''. This version is played mostly during the holiday season and has appeared in various compilations. Anderson re-recorded "Sleigh Ride" in stereo for the 1959 Decca LP ''Leroy Anderson Conducts Leroy Anderson''. * 1950 – The Andrews Sisters (the first vocal version) * 1958 –

– ''

Merry Christmas The Christmas season or the festive season (also known in some countries as the holiday season or the holidays) is an annually recurring period recognized in many Western and other countries that is generally considered to run from late Novemb ...

'' * 1959 - Andre Kostelanetz (as Andre Kostelanetz and His Orchestra) recorded his particularly galloping version in 1959. It appeared on his own 1963 "Wonderland of Christmas" LP. This version is noted for its lovingly hectic holiday spirit and infectious bouncing energy, topped off with a loud trumpet-blasted vividly realistic horse's neigh. This version could be found on several

compilation albums sold throughout the 1960s and early 1970s at various drug stores, grocery stores (found on the 1970 A&P "Christmas Greetings Vol.1" compilation LP) and even in

Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is an American multinational tire manufacturing company founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling and based in Akron, Ohio. Goodyear manufactures tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, motorcycles, ...

's tire stores (released in 1961 on "The Great Songs of Christmas Vol. 1" compilation LP). Uploads of this version are commonly uploaded to

in varying stages of audio quality. * 1960 –

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

– ''

Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas ''Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas'' is a 1960 album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, recorded in the summer of 1960, with a studio orchestra arranged and conducted by Frank DeVol. The tracks are all secular Christmas seasonal ...

''; this version was later featured in the 2003 film '' Elf''. * 1965 –

Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...

– ''

'' * 1965 - The Ventures arranged an instrumental version of the song in the style of their hit recording of "Walk: Don't Run!" and made it, "Sleigh-ride" the leadoff track on their popular LP, ''The Ventures Christmas Album''. It was also released as a Ventures 45RPM record and was then, still is, a mainstay in seasonal radio music. Later, at least two other popular versions that are inspired by The Ventures have been recorded, by

Los Straitjackets Los Straitjackets is an American instrumental rock band that formed in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, in 1988. Originally comprising guitarists Danny Amis (formerly of the Raybeats), Eddie Angel and drummer L. J. "Jimmy" Lester under the ...

, and by Jon and the Nightriders. * 1978 – The Carpenters – '' Christmas Portrait'' * 1983 – Amy Grant – '' A Christmas Album'' * 1987 – Air Supply – '' The Christmas Album'' * 1993 – TLC recorded a version of the song for the 1992 film '' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'' that was later included on the 1993 holiday album, ''A LaFace Family Christmas'', featuring them and other artists signed to the LaFace Records label. Their version features a rap written and performed by Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes. * 1996 –

Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and ...

recorded a version of the song, which appeared as a B-side for 2 Become 1 and also featured on the 1998 film, ''Jack Frost'', soundtrack. * 2002 – S Club Juniors, the junior spin-off of S Club 7, released their version as part of a double-a-side with their version of Paul Anka's "

Puppy Love Puppy love, also known as a crush, is an informal term for feelings of romantic love, often felt during childhood and early adolescence. It is an infatuation usually developed by someone's looks and attractiveness at first sight. Such feelings f ...

". Reaching #6 in December of that year, it is still the only version of the song to have charted in the UK. * 2012 -

Sufjan Stevens Sufjan Stevens ( ; born July 1, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has released nine solo studio albums and multiple collaborative albums with other artists. Stevens has received Grammy and Academy Award nom ...

released a version of the song as part of the ninth volume of the '' Silver & Gold'' Christmas box set. * 2015 -

Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...

and Bill Murray performed the song together in the Christmas musical comedy ''

A Very Murray Christmas ''A Very Murray Christmas'' is a 2015 American Christmas musical comedy film directed by Sofia Coppola and co-written by Bill Murray, Mitch Glazer, and Coppola. The film features an ensemble cast including Bill Murray, George Clooney, Paul Shaff ...

''. * 2019 – Idina Menzel – '' Christmas: A Season of Love'' * 2020 - Tori Kelly – ''

A Tori Kelly Christmas ''A Tori Kelly Christmas'' is the first Christmas music, Christmas album and the fourth studio album, by American singer Tori Kelly. It was released on October 30, 2020, through School Boy Records, Schoolboy and Capitol Records. It is Kelly's firs ...

'' * 2020 - Meghan Trainor – '' A Very Trainor Christmas''

Mariah Carey version

In 2020, American singer-songwriter

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the w ...

recorded a cover of "Sleigh Ride" for her second soundtrack album, ''

Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special ''Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special'' is a Christmas special starring Mariah Carey that premiered on December 4, 2020, on Apple TV+. It was directed by Hamish Hamilton and Roman Coppola and executive-produced by Hamilton, Coppola, Carey, ...

'' (2020).

Charts

Ella Fitzgerald version

Charts

Certifications

References

External links

Sleigh Ride
on the Leroy Anderson Foundation webpage
Lyrics
to Sleigh Ride
Performance
by the

United States Navy Band The United States Navy Band, based at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., has served as the official musical organization of the U.S. Navy since 1925. The U.S. Navy Band serves the ceremonial needs at the seat of government, performi ...

{{Authority control 1948 songs 2020 singles American Christmas songs Articles containing video clips Songs with lyrics by Mitchell Parish Songs with music by Leroy Anderson Air Supply songs Amy Grant songs Andy Williams songs Ella Fitzgerald songs Glen Campbell songs Gwen Stefani songs Johnny Mathis songs Mariah Carey songs Percy Faith songs The Carpenters songs The Ronettes songs Song recordings produced by Phil Spector Song recordings with Wall of Sound arrangements Compositions in B-flat major Philles Records singles Interscope Records singles