Little Saint Nick

1963 single by the Beach Boys

"Little Saint Nick"

Single by the Beach Boys

B-side

"The Lord's Prayer"

Released

December 9, 1963

Recorded

October 20, 1963

Studio

Western, Hollywood

Genre

Christmas
hot rod rock

Length

2:00

Label

Capitol

Songwriter(s)

Brian Wilson
Mike Love

Producer(s)

Brian Wilson

The Beach Boys singles chronology

"Be True to Your School"
(1963)

"Little Saint Nick"
(1963)

"Fun, Fun, Fun"
(1964)

Music video

"Little Saint Nick" on YouTube

Audio sample

file
help

"Little Saint Nick" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys first released as a single on December 9, 1963. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, the Christmas song applies hot-rod themes to Santa Claus and his sleigh.^[1]

The single peaked at number 3 on Billboard magazine's special seasonal weekly Christmas Singles chart.^[2] Its B-side was an a cappella version of "The Lord's Prayer".^[3] In November 1964, an alternate mix of "Little Saint Nick" appeared as the opening track on The Beach Boys' Christmas Album.

Background

"Little Saint Nick" was recorded on October 20, 1963, at Western Studio in Hollywood.^[4] The idea for the song was partly inspired by record producer Phil Spector's plans to record a Christmas album. Wilson recalled: "I wrote the lyrics to it while I was out on a date and then I rushed home to finish the music."^[1] Some of its rhythm and structure derives from the group's "Little Deuce Coupe", also co-written by Wilson and released as a single six months earlier.^[5] Love was not originally listed as the co-writer of "Little Saint Nick". His credit was awarded after a 1990s lawsuit.^[1]^[6]

Variations

"Little Saint Nick" reappeared on The Beach Boys' Christmas Album in 1964, with the stereo pressings of the album containing a new mix that removes the overdubbed sleigh bells, celeste and glockenspiel. This was done so that it would fit better with the sound of the album's first side, which was recorded in a hurry with basic instrumentation.^[6] Another version of the song, utilizing the melody and backing track later used for the All Summer Long song "Drive-In", was recorded during the album sessions in June 1964, but remained unreleased until a 1991 CD reissue.^[5]

Charts

Chart performance for "Little Saint Nick"
Chart (2019–2024)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[7]	39
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)^[8]	28
France (SNEP)^[9]	158
Global 200 (Billboard)^[10]	34
Ireland (IRMA)^[11]	52
Netherlands (Single Tip)^[12]	5
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[13]	39
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)^[14]	6
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[15]	58
UK Singles (OCC)^[16]	43
US Billboard Hot 100^[17]	25
US Holiday 100 (Billboard)^[18]	22
US Rolling Stone Top 100^[19]	25

Certifications

Certifications for "Little Saint Nick"
Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)^[20]	Gold	15,000^‡
United Kingdom (BPI)^[21]	Gold	400,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c Murphy, James B. (2015). Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963. McFarland. p. 317. ISBN 978-0-7864-7365-6.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920-2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 20. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
^ Badman, Keith. The Beach Boys. The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band: On Stage and in the Studio Backbeat Books, San Francisco, California, 2004. ISBN 0-87930-818-4 p. 45
^ Doe, Andrew G. "GIGS63". Bellagio 10452. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
^ ^a ^b Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 116. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0.
^ ^a ^b Hickey, Andrew (2018-02-10). The Beach Boys On CD vol 1: The 1960s. Lulu.com. p. 58. ISBN 978-1-4475-4233-9.
^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. January 2, 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
^ "The Beach Boys Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
^ "Top Singles (Week 52, 2023)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
^ "The Beach Boys Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
^ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
^ "Dutch Single Tip 30/12/2023" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. January 2, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 52, 2023". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
^ "The Beach Boys – Little Saint Nick". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
^ "The Beach Boys Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
^ "Holiday 100 (Week of December 31, 2022)". Billboard. December 31, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
^ "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. December 24, 2019. Archived from the original on December 31, 2019. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
^ "New Zealand single certifications – Beach Boys – Little Saint Nick". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
^ "British single certifications – Beach Boys – Little Saint Nick". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 6, 2024.

The Beach Boys singles

1960s

1961	"Surfin'" / "Luau"
1962	"Surfin' Safari" / "409" "Ten Little Indians" / "County Fair"
1963	"Surfin' U.S.A." / "Shut Down" "Surfer Girl" / "Little Deuce Coupe" "Be True to Your School" / "In My Room" "Little Saint Nick" / "The Lord's Prayer"
1964	"Fun, Fun, Fun" / "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" "I Get Around" / "Don't Worry Baby" "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" / "She Knows Me Too Well" "Dance, Dance, Dance" / "The Warmth of the Sun" "The Man with All the Toys" / "Blue Christmas"
1965	"Do You Wanna Dance?" / "Please Let Me Wonder" "Help Me, Rhonda" / "Kiss Me, Baby" "California Girls"/ "Let Him Run Wild" "The Little Girl I Once Knew" / "There's No Other (Like My Baby)" "Barbara Ann" / "Girl Don't Tell Me"
1966	"Sloop John B" / "You're So Good to Me" "Wouldn't It Be Nice" / "God Only Knows" "Good Vibrations" / "Let's Go Away for Awhile"
1967	"Then I Kissed Her" / "Mountain of Love" "Heroes and Villains" / "You're Welcome" "Wild Honey" / "Wind Chimes" "Darlin'" / "Here Today"
1968	"Friends" / "Little Bird" "Do It Again" / "Wake the World" "Bluebirds over the Mountain" / "Never Learn Not to Love"
1969	"I Can Hear Music" / "All I Want to Do" "Break Away" / "Celebrate the News"

1970s

1970	"Add Some Music to Your Day" / "Susie Cincinnati" "Cottonfields" / "The Nearest Faraway Place" "Slip On Through" / "This Whole World" "Tears in the Morning" / "It's About Time"
1971	"Cool, Cool Water" / "Forever" "Wouldn't It Be Nice" (live) / "The Times They Are a-Changin'" (by Merry Clayton) "Long Promised Road" / "Deirdre" "Long Promised Road" / "'Til I Die" "Student Demonstration Time" / "Don't Go Near the Water" "Surf's Up" / "Don't Go Near the Water"
1972	"You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone" / "Cuddle Up" "Marcella" / "Hold On Dear Brother"
1973	"Sail On, Sailor" / "Only with You" "California Saga/California" / "Funky Pretty"
1974	"Surfin' U.S.A." / "The Warmth of the Sun" "Child of Winter (Christmas Song)" / "Susie Cincinnati"
1975	"Sail On, Sailor" / "Only with You"
1976	"Rock and Roll Music" / "T M Song" "It's O.K." / "Had to Phone Ya" "Everyone's in Love with You" / "Susie Cincinnati"
1977	"Honkin' Down the Highway" / "Solar System"
1978	"Peggy Sue" / "Hey Little Tomboy"
1979	"Here Comes the Night" / "Baby Blue" "Good Timin'" / "Love Surrounds Me" "Lady Lynda" / "Full Sail" "It's a Beautiful Day" / "Sumahama"

1980s

1980	"Goin' On" / "Endless Harmony" "Livin' with a Heartache" / "Santa Ana Winds"
1981	"The Beach Boys Medley" / "God Only Knows" "Come Go with Me" / "Don't Go Near the Water"
1985	"Getcha Back" / "Male Ego" "It's Gettin' Late" / "It's O.K." "She Believes in Love Again" / "It's Just a Matter of Time"
1986	"Rock 'n' Roll to the Rescue" / "Good Vibrations" (live) "California Dreamin'" / "Lady Liberty"
1987	"Happy Endings" (with Little Richard) / "California Girls" (live)
1988	"Kokomo" / "Tutti Frutti" (Little Richard)
1989	"Still Cruisin'" / "Kokomo"

1990s

1990	"Somewhere Near Japan" / "Kokomo" "Problem Child" / "Problem Child (Instrumental)"
1992	"Hot Fun in the Summertime" / "Summer of Love"
1996	"I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" / "Wouldn't It Be Nice" / "Here Today"

2010s

2011	"Good Vibrations" / "Heroes and Villains" "Don't Fight the Sea" / "Friends"
2012	"That's Why God Made the Radio" / "That's Why God Made the Radio" (instrumental) "Isn't It Time" / Live in Chicago

Category

The Beach Boys' Christmas Album

Songs

Side one	"Little Saint Nick" "The Man with All the Toys" "Santa's Beard" "Merry Christmas, Baby" "Christmas Day" "Frosty the Snowman"
Side two	"We Three Kings of Orient Are" "Blue Christmas" "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" "White Christmas" "I'll Be Home for Christmas" "Auld Lang Syne"