If you’re a fan of the holiday classic “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” you might be wondering who sings the catchy opening song that sets the tone for the movie. Well, wonder no more! We’ve got all the details on who performed this festive tune.
First things first – the song in question is called “Christmas Vacation,” and it was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. The track was specifically created for the film and appears in both the opening credits and later on during a pivotal moment when Clark Griswold (played by Chevy Chase) finally gets his Christmas lights to work.
So, who actually sings “Christmas Vacation”? The vocals are provided by a group called Mavis Staples & The Staple Singers. This gospel group had been around since the 1950s, but they gained mainstream success in the 1970s with hits like “I’ll Take You There” and “Respect Yourself.”
Mavis Staples herself takes lead vocals on “Christmas Vacation,” with her powerful voice bringing an extra dose of holiday cheer to the already-festive tune. If you’re not familiar with her work beyond this movie, we highly recommend checking out some of her other tracks – she’s an incredible talent with a distinctive voice that’s sure to impress.
Now that you know who sings “Christmas Vacation,” you might be interested in learning more about how this song came to be part of the movie. As mentioned earlier, it was written specifically for the film, so it wasn’t something that Mavis Staples & The Staple Singers had recorded previously.
In fact, according to an interview with songwriter Cynthia Weil, they were asked to write a song for “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” after one of the producers heard their work on another movie soundtrack. After coming up with some initial ideas, they settled on “Christmas Vacation” as a fitting title and theme for the film.
From there, Mann and Weil wrote the lyrics and melody, which were then recorded by Mavis Staples & The Staple Singers. The end result is a catchy, upbeat song that perfectly captures the joyful spirit of the holiday season.
So there you have it – “Christmas Vacation” is performed by Mavis Staples & The Staple Singers, and it was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil specifically for the movie. Now every time you watch “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” you can impress your friends with your knowledge of this fun fact!