Forgive me if I can’t pin down the original recording of today’s cover tune, but you try figuring out the earliest recording of the most-published Christmas hymn in North America.
“Joy to the World” happens to be celebrating its tricentennial this year–it was written by Isaac Watts exactly 300 years ago in 1719. Here’s the oldest recording I could find, from 1926.
Bruce covered it once and only once–at Sting and Trudie Styler’s Rainforest Fund holiday concert in December 2016.
And he wasn’t alone: Bruce was joined by the assembled array of artists–including Sting, Lisa Fischer, Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector, James Taylor, Idina Menzel, Jennifer Nettles, and Vittorio Grigolo–for an all-star Christmas Carol encore.
This is the first time Bruce was known to have officially performed this perennial seasonal classic… but I suspect that he unofficially covered it long, long before he ever picked up a guitar.
Happy Holidays, however you celebrate them, and may the holiday season bring you peace and joy.
Joy to the World
First performed: December 14, 2016 (New York City, NY)
Last performed: December 14, 2016 (New York City, NY)
Peace and joy to you as well, Ken. MS