Petit Papa Noel

Album: Noel (1946)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Petit Papa Noel" is a French name for Santa Claus.
  • This song was written by Raymond Vincy and Henri Martinet in 1946 and was originally recorded the same year by the French cabaret tenor Tino Rossi (1907-1983) for the movie Destins. "Petit Papa Noel" became a perennial Christmas favorite of children throughout the French speaking world and as a result of being re-released every Christmas, it has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide.
  • Corsican born, Rossi capitulated to fame in the 1930s with his image of a sultry Latin lover. For over 50 years he was a major box office attraction in France, appearing in over 25 films and recording over 1,000 songs selling over 300 million records. He is said to be the second-most famous person to come from Corsica after Napoleon.
  • Tino Rossi's recording is the all-time best selling single in France with total sales of over 5.7 million.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

Song Titles That Inspired Movies

Song Titles That Inspired MoviesSong Writing

Famous songs that lent their titles - and in some cases storylines - to movies.

Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds

Jim McCarty of The YardbirdsSongwriter Interviews

The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.

Ian Gillan of Deep Purple

Ian Gillan of Deep PurpleSongwriter Interviews

Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan explains the "few red lights" in "Smoke On The Water" and talks about songs from their 2020 album Whoosh!

Superman in Song

Superman in SongSong Writing

Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.

Rick Astley

Rick AstleySongwriter Interviews

Rick Astley on "Never Gonna Give You Up," "Cry For Help," and his remarkable resurgence that gave him another #1 UK album.