Track Listing

1. White Christmas - Clyde McPhatter
2. This Christmas - Donny Hathaway
3. Gee Whiz, It's Christmas - Carla Thomas
4. Back Door Santa - Clarence Carter
5. Merry Christmas, Baby - Booker T. & the MG's
6. Silent Night - The Impressions
7. May Christmas Bring You Happiness - Luther, Luther Vandross
8. White Christmas - Otis Redding
9. I'll Make Every Day Christmas (For My Woman) - Joe Tex
10. Silver Bells - Booker T. & the MG's
11. All I Want for Christmas Is You - Carla Thomas
12. Christmas Song - The Drifters
13. Merry Christmas, Baby - Otis Redding
14. Soul Santa - Brook Benton
15. Every Day Will Be Like a Holiday - The Sweet Inspirations
16. Christmas Gift - Margie Joseph
17. Presents for Christmas - Solomon Burke
18. New Year's Resolution - Otis & Carla
19. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? - King Curtis
20. May Christmas Bring You Happiness [1991 Remix] - Luther, Luther Vandross

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20976 in Music
• Released on: 1991-10-29
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .24 pounds

Customer Reviews

A Soulful collection that transcends genre
This great collection ranges from Clarence Carter's raucous "Back Door Santa", giving new meaning to the "Xmas" abbreviation to The Impressions sacred presentation of "Silent Night".

However, one will wonder if we really need two versions of "White Christmas" and two versions of "Merry Christmas, Baby". The answer is a resounding, "Yes, we sure do!" This unusual repetition is one factor that gives this entire set such a unity and flow. You'll see what I mean as I point out the highlights here.

The CD opens with Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters in a definitive R&B version of "White Christmas", complete with gospel overtones. This is immediately followed with Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas" featuring great sweet soul vocals with funky horns, sleigh bells, and pulsating rhythm. And then Carla Thomas brings us "Gee Whiz, It's Christmas", a bittersweet and seductive spinoff of the 1961 hit, "Gee Whiz'. Booker T & the MG's come through with an instrumental "Merry Christmas Baby", featuring Steve Cropper's masterful guitar work. Luther's festive holiday dance track, "May Christmas Bring You Happiness" deserved recognition that it missed when first released. The sharp contrast of the next cut is chilling. This is Otis Redding's version of "White Christmas", a shockingly melancholy rendition which is in an altogether different ballpark than the Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters version. Booker T. & The MG's return with another instrumental, a jazzy, bright "Silver Bells". Again, we get a sharp contrast as Carla Thomas returns with her restrained but sorrowful "All I Want For Christmas Is You". Then we hear the Drifters straight-forward arrangement of "The Christmas Song", followed by Otis Redding who surprises us with his joyful and even punchy version of "Merry Christmas, Baby", a really sharp contrast to the Booker T. & the MG's version as well as to his own "White Christmas". There's much, much more here, but I do want to point out the Otis & Carla duet, "New Year's Resolution", and the final cut which is a remix of Luther's "May Christmas Bring You Happiness".

This is a total satisfying recording and likely to remain one of the very best soul Christmas recordings ever.

The Soul of Christmas
This is an excellent compilation, featuring Christmas songs performed by soul artists, from the Atlantic Records vaults. There are too many highlights to list them all, but some of them are: Donny Hathaway's great original composition "This Christmas", Clarence Carter's lascavious "Back Door Santa", and the Drifters definitive version of "White Christmas", which happens to be my favorite Christmas recording of all time. There are a few songs here that don't quite hit the mark, such as Margie Joseph's "Christmas Gift", but the hits far outnumber the misses. I think anyone that has a little soul will enjoy this CD.

Great for listening beside the fire
I bought this CD a few years ago and I absolutely love it. I like the Otis' version of White Christmas and I think Jo Tex's song is wonderful. Lovely CD and I highly recommend it