Track Listing

1. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town - The Pointer Sisters
2. Winter Wonderland - Eurythmics
3. Do You Hear What I Hear? - Whitney Houston
4. Merry Christmas Baby - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
5. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas -The Pretenders
6. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - John Mellencamp
7. Gabriel's Message - Sting
8. Christmas In Hollis - Run-D.M.C.
9. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - U2,
10. Santa Baby - Madonna
11. Little Drummer Boy - Bob Seger, Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band, Silver Bullet Band
12. Run Rudolph Run - Bryan Adams
13. I Wish Everyday Could Be Like Christmas-Bon Jovi
14. The Coventry Carol - Alison Moyet
15. Silent Night - Stevie Nicks

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #326 in Music
• Released on: 1990-10-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.com
When was the last time you heard collard greens being sung about in a Christmas song? Probably never, unless you're a Run DMC fan, or were wise enough to hop on the Very Special Christmas tip. The rappers' contribution to this benefit collection is probably the highlight, although traditional songs covered by now-traditional artists like the Pretenders ("Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas") provide the majority of the material here. Eurythmics turn in a suitably chilly "Winter Wonderland," Stevie Nicks sings a beautifully haunting "Silent Night," and Whitney Houston proves again that she's every woman with "Do You Hear What I Hear"--that is, every woman with a voice strong enough to do the song justice. "Santa Baby," Madonna's contribution, isn't as sultry as it could be, but there's more fun thanks to hell-on-heels, the Pointer Sisters and Bon Jovi. --Steve Gdula

Customer Reviews

Christmas Rock
What can I say? I grew up listening to the old guard's Christmas albums (Perry Como, Andy Williams, etc.). A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS was probably the first "contemporary" Christmas album I'd heard. While I still prefer the retro artists singing my Christmas music, there are some noteworthy efforts on this CD.

I always like to hear the Pointer Sisters sing the opening song, "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town." That's a great one out of the gate because the Pointers sound so excited about Christmas, sounding almost childlike with glee.

Though I'm not much of a Whitney Houston fan, one of my favorite songs on this CD is Houston's soulful version of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" I could have done without Run-DMC's "Christmas in Hollis," but I welcome it on the CD because it helps round out the flavor of the music--from Bruce Springsteen's gritty "Merry Christmas Baby" to Sting's ethereal "Gabriel's Message."

But it is Alison Moyet's haunting rendition of "The Coventry Carol" that makes this CD worth listening to. I had pulled the CD out to listen to on a Christmas road trip several years ago, and when I heard that song--WOW! I like Loreena McKennitt's version (on her CD, A WINTER GARDEN) much better, but it was Moyet's version that got me interested in listening to Christmas music that's off the beaten path.

I recommend this CD to those who want their Christmas with an Eighties touch. I would even recommend it to traditionalists who want a change every once in a while.

Great Selection of Great Songs
This ol' rock 'n' roller enjoyed this album on cassette tape until the darn thing self-destructed this past Christmas season. So I got the CD right away, and it was like hearing them for the first time all over again. My personal favorite is Bob Seger's version of The Little Drummer Boy. He does his usual awesome best on this reverent song and doesn't hurt it one little bit. All the tracks are good. I'm no fan of Run DMC, but I can even listen to this one without thinking "rap-#@**!!" That's just me. Overall, I rate this CD five stars. I listen to Christmas music off and on throughout the year and a little more often in mid-spring when it's much more likely that Jesus was born. Hint: NO shepherds are outdoors with their flocks at night during the winter in Israel. It's about the same as trying that in Arkansas. Anyhoo, I enjoy the thing whenever the mood gets me. I highly recommend it.

This is What Christmas is Meant to Be
The Very Special Christmas series of CDs is awesome...great music for a good cause (The Special Olympics). I've now got all of them and play them pretty much year round, just to get a lift from my favorite rock musicians.

This particular CD has a wide variety of songs, lots of diversity.