Kellie Pickler – “Santa Baby”
Songwriters: Joan Javits, Philip Springer, and Tony Springer.
“Santa Baby” is not recorded nearly as often as other Christmas standards like “The Christmas Song” and “Winter Wonderland,” and for good reason: Eartha Kitt’s purring 1953 rendition is so fantastically idiosyncratic that, more than fifty years later, it’s still difficult to imagine anyone else matching it.
Of all the the twentysomething mainstream starlets, Kellie Pickler would seem to stand the best chance of doing the song justice. Her public image is equal parts childlike innocence and va-voom sex appeal–the young country equivalent of Betty Boop–and she seems to have the right sense of humor and dramatic flair to put this quirky, seductive classic over the top.
Sadly, it’s a pairing that works better in theory than in practice.
The whole point of this song is that we’re supposed to believe that the singer is flirting with Santa, but Pickler plays it a little too straight and just ends up sounding like she’s singing a generic Christmas song to him in the usual Nashville style.
To her credit, she gets a bit more playful with her phrasing as the song proceeds, but she never fully masters the complex tone of the piece–alternately (and sometimes simultaneously) innocent and seductive, gentle and demanding. As a result, she is unable to maintain the right balance long enough to make the song feel like anything more than a collection of nice moments, many of which superficially echo bits from Kitt’s performance without really replicating their effectiveness in context.
The result? A performance that is proficient and even likable, but largely devoid of personality. Given the unique challenges posed by covering this particular Christmas classic, what Pickler delivers here is both all that can be expected and not nearly enough.
Listen: Kellie Pickler – “Santa Baby”
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December 23, 2008 at 10:34 am Permalink
I totally agree with the review on this one. Kellie Pickler has neither a strong singing voice nor a distinctive vocal style and for her to tackle this song in particular is a reach. Some iconic Christmas songs are best left alone. Now on the other hand I wouldn’t mind hearing Kellie sing “Shimmy Down The Chimney” to hear how she stacks up against Alison Krauss.
December 23, 2008 at 3:46 pm Permalink
“Her public image is equal parts childlike innocence and va-voom sex appeal–the young country equivalent of Betty Boop”
spot on man.
great review, as always, C.M.
December 23, 2008 at 4:59 pm Permalink
Honestly, i disagree with you. Kellie Pickler has one of the best personalities of they young crop of artist and she does have a strong voice. I thought she knocked it out of the park and so does radio since it is number two on the spincrease chart. I am proud of the artist she will become with time. She, in my opinion will be a legend just like her idol, Dolly Parton
December 23, 2008 at 5:37 pm Permalink
GDIGS, No one’s ever said that Betty Boop didn’t have much personality. In fact Betty Boop had so much personality they had to tone her down when the Hays “Production Code” of moral guidelines was applied to movies and cartoon characters starting in about 1930. Maybe if Kellie Pickler adopted more of Betty Boop’s vocal style she could differentiate herself more in the mainstream country marketplace! It worked for Madonna on her version of “Santa Baby”, so why not Kellie too? (lol)
December 23, 2008 at 8:49 pm Permalink
Reminds me of Michelle Branch’s version of “The game of love” after Tina turner did it. why will no one tell artists like Kellie, Taylor, etc when they can’t pull something off? It might hurt their feelings but they look more talented- not to mention intelligent- when they stick to things they can do. And what is with year and bad Christmas songs/albums? I haven’t met any that I really like yet.
December 24, 2008 at 1:42 pm Permalink
It’s an ok version of the song. I kind of agree with GDIGS on Kellie.
However, I’ve always hated this song because a little kid shouldn’t have to hear a song about some sexed up housewife trying to nail Santa.
Now if I were the Santa and came down a chimney to find Kellie Pickley wearing some little Santa outift- well my opinion would be different
December 25, 2008 at 10:08 pm Permalink
I just read today (Chritsmas Day) online that Eartha Kitt passed away today. At least she got to see Santa Baby one last time.. R.I.P. Eartha.
December 27, 2008 at 9:15 am Permalink
Somebody beat me to it; but yeah, a legend passed away.
RIP Eartha Kitt
Loved her as the voice of yzma in the emperor’s new groove.
December 27, 2008 at 11:33 am Permalink
me too, Yzma is one of my favorites! I’m very sad Eartha died…
December 27, 2008 at 1:49 pm Permalink
LeAnn Rimes does this song justice, and I could almost say the same about Julianne Hough.
December 28, 2008 at 11:59 am Permalink
I was never a big fan of Eartha Kitt BUT after she recorded “Santa Baby” there really wasn’t any need for anyone else to record the song. I’ve heard many subsequent recordings of the song, and NONE of them have come close to matching Eartha’s recording – it’s sort of like tring to cover Orbison’s “Blue Bayou” or “Crying” or Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” – a precious few have come close but none have equaled or surpassed the original
December 28, 2008 at 5:14 pm Permalink
Call me crazy, (sorry couldn’t resist the bad pun) but didn’t Willie Nelson write and record “crazy” first? I realize that it was a huge hit and one of Patsy’s defining songs, and no doubt she sings better than willie. i think the “crazy” comparison is more like Janis Joplin and “me and Bobby Mcgee.” Kris K. wrote it and had a version, but Janis’ is the most well known.
December 28, 2008 at 5:19 pm Permalink
I still can’t get to the popular Country California blog right now…going through withdrawals!
December 29, 2008 at 10:01 pm Permalink
I like kellie’s personality, and at least she is on key, unlike her BFF. But she is nothing special as a vocalist. She is not bad, but not really good either. Her personality is what got her famous, not her voice.
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