Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band’s performance of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” from 12/12/75 at C.W. Post College has been a holiday staple on radio playlists for decades.

Now, as the 2021 edition of what has become a pre-Christmas tradition of surprise releases from the Springsteen organization, the full show from C.W. Post College in Greenvale, NY has been released for immediate download or placing CD orders.

The “Santa” performance became an instant on-air classic not just for the music. An official in-concert track was a rarity once upon a time, but in this case, a little festive band-related banter as a glimpse into a BS&ESB show only increased its charm.

Eventually, the promo track first given to radio stations would land an official release in 1985 as the b-side to “My Hometown”.

Back to the present: A 24-track recording of a full show from 1975 — tapes treated to the modern Plangent Process for further sonic restoration — is a big deal in the context of Springsteen’s live archive release series and quite a holiday treat for fans.

(Hats off to Backstreets for beating me to the best available headline: “You Guys Know What Time Of Year It Is?”)