The first commercial recording of this song appears to be by Burl Ives, recorded on 17 FEB 1949 for Decca (Decca 38445). It reached #21 on the hit record charts. Vaughn Monroe had the biggest hit ever, staying a #1 from 14 MAY through 23 Jul 1949. The Vaughn Monroe version was recorded 14 MAR 1949 for RCA, about one month after the Burl Ives version.