• Writers: J. Moore and Al Baxter
• Producers: Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau and Chuck Plotkin
• Recorded: December 1980 at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York
• Released: October 1987
• Players:
  Bruce Springsteen — vocals, guitar
  Clarence Clemons — saxophone
  “Miami” Steve Van Zandt — guitar
  Garry Tallent — bass
  Roy Bittan — piano
  Danny Federici — organ
  Max Weinberg — drums
• Album: A Very Special Christmas (A&M, 1987)
• An R&B chestnut originally recorded by Charles Brown, “Merry Christmas, Baby” joined the Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band holiday staple “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” during his three-show stand December 28th, 29th, and 31st, 1980, at the Nassau Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, during the tour supporting The River.
• The song opened the December 28th show.
• The New Year’s Eve show, which closed the stand, is the longest known Springsteen show ever, clocking in at four hours and 38 minutes.
• “Merry Christmas, Baby” first appeared as a bonus track on a 12-inch single of “War” from the Live/1975-85 album.

FAST FORWARD:

• Springsteen dismissed the E Street Band in 1989, reunited with them briefly in 1995, and did world tours with them in 1999-2000 and 2002-2003.
• Weinberg has a steady job for the downtime between projects with Springsteen — he’s the leader of the Max Weinberg 7, the house band for NBC’s Late Night With Conan O’Brien.
• Springsteen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1999.
• Springsteen dismissed the E Street Band in 1989, although he reunited with them, briefly, in 1995, and for world tours in 1999-2000 and 2002-2003. This year they have released a new album, Magic, and are now on tour again.