Who Started The Other Style Of 'santa Claus Is Coming To Town?, Sung by the Jackson Five, Springsteen, etc. Options

[PaulDA]

Who started this version of 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' where they sing:
"SAAAAAAnta Claus is coming to town?"

I normally like when people change songs but in this case it annoys me. First of all, many are jumping on the bandwagon and copying the one who changed it first.

The Springsteen version is OK, but the beginning is the best where he is talking to his band.

The Jackson Five and other versions like this completely aggravate me.
I heard a country version in December on a Christmas radio station and they sang it the same way!

Who started this change from the original way of singing it, which was:
"Santa Claus is coming to town", and not "SAAAAAnta Claus is co ming to town"?????

[Remy266]

Not that it bothers me, but I've always wondered this myself as well. Though for the record I think Springsteen's version is quite possibly the worst Christmas song ever.

[Dr. Tom]

I believe I remember it first in the early '60's, by one of the somewhat interchangable girl groups of the era - (Chifons, Crystles, Dixie Cups, etc.) This usually meant that Darlene Love was the lead singer and it was produced by Phil Spector.