VA: Funky Christmas

Funky Christmas: this album looks great in concept but none of the tracks ever did much for me. It's fine as a collection of soul tracks but, despite the lyrics, it doesn't feel like a Christmas album. That said, a lot of people seem to like it and it's hard to find so it's worth a post.

If you're looking for more Christmas music, take a look in the archives for my posts from last year.

1. Luther - May Christmas Bring You Happiness
2. John Edwards - The Christmas Song
3. Willis Jackson - I'll Be Home For Christmas
4. Margie Joseph - Christmas Gift
5. Lou Donaldson - Jingle Bells
6. Impressions - Silent Night
7. Impressions - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
8. John Edwards - White Christmas
9. Lou Donaldson - What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?
10. Luther - At Christmas Time
11. Margie Joseph - Feeling Like Christmas
12. Willis Jackson - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Esquivel: Merry Xmas from the Space-Age Bachelor Pad

Merry Xmas: As much as I love Esquivel, I don't think this is among his best work. If you're looking for great lounge Christmas music, your best bet is the "Ultra-Lounge -Christmas Cocktails" series. I'd post them here but they are still in print. You can, however, buy them here.
1. Jingle Bells (Greetings From Esquivel!)
2. White Christmas
3. Here Comes Santa Claus
4. Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers
5. The Christmas Song
6. Frosty The Snowman
7. Snowfall
8. Sun Valley Ski Run
9. Blue Christmas
10. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
11. I Feel Merely Marvelous
12. Auld Lang Syne (Adios From Esquivel!)

Christmas Remixed, Vol. 2

Christmas Remixed, Vol. 2:
1. Jingle Bells (Bombay Dub Orchestra Mix) - Joe Williams
2. The Christmas Song (Tonal Remix) - Jimmy McGriff
3. Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer (John Beltran Remix) - Bing Crosby
4. White Christmas (King Kooba Remix) - Charlie Parker
5. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (MNO Remix) - Rosemary Clooney
6. Frosty The Snowman (Rondo Brothers Remix) - Patti Page
7. Good King Wenceslas (Patrick Krouchian Remix) - CSSR State Philharmonic
8. I'll Be Home For Christmas (Ohmega Watts Remix) - Charles Brown
9. White Christmas (Kaskade Remix) - Bing Crosby
10. Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy (Red Baron Remix) - Berlin Symphony Orchestra
11. Winter Wonderland (Future Loop Foundation Remix) - Vic Damone
12. Silent Night (46bliss Remix) - Mahalia Jackson

Christmas Remixed, Vol. 1

Christmas Remixed:
1. It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (a shrift remix) Andy Williams
2. Happy Holiday (Beef Wellington Remix) Bing Crosby
3. Jingle Bells (Dan The Automator Remix) Dean Martin
4. I'Ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (Stuhr Remix) Kay Starr
5. Joy To The World (Mocean Worker Remix) The Cathedral Brass
6. Winter Wonderland (Rise Ashen's Brazilian Beach Mix) Johnny Mercer
7. Merry Christmas, Baby (MNO remix) Charles Brown
8. The Nutcracker Suite (Baz Kuts Breaks Mix) Berlin Symphony Orchestra
9. Baby, It's Cold Outside (Mulato Beat Remix) (Mulato Beat remix) Louis Armstrong
10. Jingle Bells (Robbie Hardkiss Remix) Duke Ellington
11. The First Noel (Attaboy House Party Mix) Bing Crosby
12. The Christmas Song (Michael Kessler Open Fire Mix)

A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector

A Christmas Gift for You: Classic.

[from Wikipedia]:A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector is an album of Christmas songs, produced by Phil Spector, and originally released as Philles 4005 in 1963. Spector treated a series of mostly secular Christmas standards to his trademark "Wall of Sound" treatment, and the selections feature the vocal performances of Spector's regular artists during this period. It is one of only twelve long-playing records released on the Philles label, peaking at #13 on the Top Pop Albums chart. The album was reissued by Apple Records in 1972, with a different record jacket and retitled Phil Spector's Christmas Album; this version went to #6.

However, the album was a relative failure at the time — it was unfortunately released on 22 November 1963, the same day as the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Radio stations throughout the US did not play tracks from holiday albums during the period of mourning. In subsequent years, the album grew in popularity, considered now to be a holiday classic. Several of its tracks became iconic Christmas songs for generations, such as the original (and flop) single "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," and the well-known "Ring-a-ling-a-ling Ding-dong-ding" background vocals in The Ronettes' "Sleigh Ride".

In 2003, the album was ranked number 142 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The album has been released three times on three different labels: the original release on Philles, the 1972 reissue on Apple, and the current remastered CD release on ABKCO. It also appears as the fourth disc of the Spector box set, Back to Mono.

Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, well-known as a fan of both the Ronettes and Spector, has cited this album as his favorite Christmas album of all time.^[1]

1. White Christmas - Darlene Love
2. Frosty The Snowman - Ronettes
3. The Bells Of St. Mary - Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans
4. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Crystals
5. Sleigh Ride - Ronettes
6. Marshmallow World - Darlene Love
7. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - Ronettes
8. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer - Crystals
9. Winter Wonderland - Darlene Love
10. Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers - Crystals
11. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Darlene Love
12. Here Comes Santa Claus - Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans
13. Silent Night - Phil Spector And Artists

The Three Suns: A Ding Dong Dandy Christmas

A Ding Dong Dandy Christmas: 1959 lounge/Christmas album recorded by the Three Suns before dragging that woman on the cover into a wooded area and having their way with her. [more informative write-up taken from the most exhaustive website on The Three Suns you will find] Is there one person you like? Not just like, but really like? Is he a pretty swingin' guy? A gal who gets a kick out of things? A kid who spends a lot of time learning that life, after all, is for fun? This album is for those people. It's a gone album, gang, with the kind of melodic surprises we've come to expect from The Three Suns.

The Suns have remained the same over the years. But, as on other of their recent hits, they've added instruments. They've got some novel ones here: chimes, bells, an oboe and two tubas.

The result of this lineup is a collection of melodic Christmas songs with a real crazy rhythm. The beat is Cha-Cha, Merengue and Rock 'n' Roll, all wrapped up in one. These are not carols, mind you, just songs. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer hangs out here, and so does Alvin, star of The Chipmunk Song. Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town in this album, going through a Winter Wonderland to the tune of Jingle Bells as he takes his Sleigh Ride -- all to the fun arrangements of Charles Albertine.

If, after listening to these, you think you've heard everything, hold still a minute as the Suns and their helpers bring a weird, exotic sound to White Christmas and such other lovely tunes as Skaters Waltz and The Christmas Song.

Santa Claus has been pushing his staff at the North Pole hard all year with only one thing in mind: fun. If you want to lend him a helping hand, give this album to someone you really like this Christmas. If he's spirited, if he's swingin', if he's a ding-dong dandy guy, he'll love it.

Jimmy Smith: Christmas Cookin'

Christmas Cookin': Creed Taylor produced classic from 1964. Full personnel and other info here.
1. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
2. Jingle Bells
3. We Three Kings (Of Orient Are)
4. The Christmas Song
5. White Christmas
6. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
7. Silent Night Jimmy Smith
8. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
9. Baby, It's Cold Outside
10. Greensleeves

The Original Soul Christmas

Soul Christmas: the greatest Christmas album of all-time (although perhaps not the most mirthful). King Curtis' "What are You Doing New Years Eve" and Otis Redding's "White Christmas" are my favorites here, but all of the cuts are strong.
[from Amazon] "Originally issued as an Atlantic compilation back in 1968, Soul Christmas is just what is says: a collection of songs featuring R&B legends such as Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Solomon Burke, Joe Tex, Clarence Carter, William Bell, King Curtis, and Booker T. & the MG's. But if you're looking for a compilation of mostly traditional Christmas tunes, this is not the record to buy. Apart from nods to time-honored classics like "White Christmas" (gloriously reinterpreted by Redding), Booker T.'s perky "Jingle Bells," and the R&B favorite "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve" (featuring sax man King Curtis at his bluesy best, along with a guitar solo by Duane Allman), the songs are all tailor-made originals that fit the style of the respective artists. Thus, Carter's "Back Door Santa" is a hilariously salacious cut; Tex gives us a preacherlike "I'll Make Everyday Christmas (For My Woman)"; and Thomas is at her most cute and innocent with "Gee Whiz, It's Christmas." Redding's version of "Merry Christmas Baby" (a hit for Johnny Moore's Three Blazers) is an obvious standout, while Bell's "Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday" is the only bona fide charted single (albeit back in January 1968)."
1. Back Door Santa - Clarence Carter
2. The Christmas Song - King Curtis
3. White Christmas - Otis Redding
4. I'll Make Everyday Christmas (For My Woman) - Joe Tex
5. Silver Bells - Booker T. & The MG's
6. Gee Whiz, It's Christmas - Carla Thomas
7. Merry Christmas Baby - Otis Redding
8. Presents For Christmas - Solomon Burke
9. Jingle Bells - Booker T. and The Mg's
10. Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday - William Bell
11. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve - King Curtis
12. All I Want For Christmas Is You - Carla Thomas
13. Christmas Time - Ray Charles
14. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Booker T. & The MG's

Ramsey Lewis Trio: More Sounds of Christmas

More Sounds of Christmas:
01 - Snowbound
02 - The Twelve Days Of Christmas
03 - Egg Nog
04 - Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer
05 - Jingle Bells
06 - Plum Puddin'
07 - Snowfall
08 - We Three Kings
09 - White Christmas
10 - Little Drummer Boy