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Soul Christmas
Compilation album by
various artists
ReleasedNovember 1968
Genre
Label
Singles from Christmas
  1. "Gee Whiz, It's Christmas"
    Released: 1963
  2. "Presents For Christmas"
    Released: 1966
  3. "Jingle Bells"
    Released: 1966
  4. "Silver Bells"
    Released: 1967
  5. "I'll Make Every Day Christmas (For My Woman)"
    Released: 1967
  6. "Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday"
    Released: 1967
  7. "Back Door Santa"
    Released: 1968
  8. "The Christmas Song" / "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve"
    Released: 1968
  9. "White Christmas" / "Merry Christmas Baby"
    Released: 1968

Soul Christmas is a 1968 collection of Christmas songs produced by Atco Records. The album contains new and previously recorded tracks, some originally released on Stax Records.[1] Soul Christmas reached number 13 on Billboard's Best Bets for Christmas in 1968,[2] and number 8 in both 1969[3] and 1970.[4] The CD version, with three additional tracks, reached number 89 on their Top R&B Albums chart in 1994.[5]

Original track listing

[edit]
No.TitleArtistLength
1."Back Door Santa" (Christmas chart #4)Clarence Carter[6]2:08
2."The Christmas Song"King Curtis with Duane Allman2:55
3."White Christmas" (Christmas chart #12)Otis Redding with Booker T. & the M.G.'s[7]3:06
4."I'll Make Every Day Christmas (For My Woman)" (Christmas chart #15)Joe Tex[8]3:04
5."Silver Bells" (from their album In the Christmas Spirit)Booker T. & the M.G.'s2:28
6."Gee Whiz It’s Christmas" (Christmas chart #23)Carla Thomas with Vinny Trauth2:40
7."Merry Christmas Baby" (Christmas chart #9)Otis Redding with Booker T. & The MG's[9]2:30
8."Presents For Christmas"Solomon Burke2:40
9."Jingle Bells" (Christmas chart #20)Booker T. and The MG's[10]2:32
10."Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday" (Christmas chart #33)William Bell2:35
11."What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?"King Curtis with Duane Allman[11]3:20
Total length:29:58

Critical reception

[edit]

Randy Anthony on the site Hip Christmas says "the magic of 60's soul music – the gospel intensity, the ribald humor, the sensual conviction – comes to bear with its most powerful alchemy on Soul Christmas . . . All in all, Soul Christmas is a classic of both genres – soul and Christmas – one that belongs in the collection of anyone who claims to know anything about either. The most amazing aspect of Soul Christmas is that these songs are among the very best that these artists – all giants of soul – ever recorded."[12]

Reissues

[edit]

There are several variations on this collection. The 1994 Rhino Records CD reissue adds three bonus tracks, including the original 1963 version of Carla Thomas' "All I Want For Christmas Is You" (the b-side to her "Gee Whiz, It's Christmas") and Ray Charles' "Christmas Time."[13] Rhino also appends "Original" to this title in an attempt to avoid confusion with 1991's Soul Christmas. That disc, another Atlantic/Atco compilation, expands the scope of the original LP featuring 20 tracks spanning more than 20 years, including several songs from the out-of-print Cotillion Records LP, Funky Christmas (1976).[14] Also included is Carla Thomas' 1966 version of the aforementioned "All I Want For Christmas Is You."[15]

1991

[edit]
Soul Christmas (1991)
No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength
1."White Christmas"Irving BerlinClyde McPhatter & The Drifters2:38
2."This Christmas"
  • Donny Hathaway
  • Nadine McKinner
Donny Hathaway3:31
3."Gee Whiz, It's Christmas"
Carla Thomas2:41
4."Back Door Santa"
  • Clarence Carter
  • Marcus Daniel
Clarence Carter2:07
5."Merry Christmas Baby"
Booker T. & The MG's3:13
6."Silent Night"
The Impressions3:57
7."May Christmas Bring You Happiness"
  • Luther Vandross
Luther4:26
8."White Christmas"Irving BerlinOtis Redding3:06
9."I'll Make Every Day Christmas (For My Woman)"Buddy KillenJoe Tex3:29
10."Silver Bells"
Booker T. & The MG's2:29
11."All I Want For Christmas Is You"
  • A.C. Williams
Carla Thomas2:51
12."The Christmas Song"
The Drifters2:28
13."Merry Christmas Baby"
  • Lou Baxter
  • Johnny Moore
Otis Redding2:32
14."Soul Santa"
  • Gerald Deas
  • Marcus Daniel
Brook Benton3:22
15."Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday"
The Sweet Inspirations2:28
16."Christmas Gift"
Margie Joseph3:26
17."Presents For Christmas"
Solomon Burke3:11
18."New Year's Resolution"
Otis & Carla3:20
19."What Are You Doing New Year's Eve"
  • Frank Loesser
King Curtis3:39
20."May Christmas Bring You Happiness 1991 Remix"
  • Luther Vandross
Luther5:15
Total length:64:09

Some international releases contain Aretha Franklin's "Amazing Grace" as a bonus track.[16]

1994

[edit]
Original Soul Christmas (1994)
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Back Door Santa" (Clarence Carter)Clarence Carter, Marcus Daniel
2:10
2."The Christmas Song" (King Curtis)
3:11
3."White Christmas" (Otis Redding)Irving BerlinStax Staff3:09
4."I'll Make Every Day Christmas (For My Woman)" (Joe Tex)Buddy KillenJoe Tex3:32
5."Silver Bells" (Booker T. & The MG's)
2:33
6."Gee Whiz, It's Christmas" (Carla Thomas)
Carla Thomas2:47
7."Merry Christmas Baby" (Otis Redding)
  • Stax Staff
2:34
8."Presents For Christmas" (Solomon Burke)
3:13
9."Jingle Bells" (Booker T. & The MG's)
  • Jim Stewart
2:38
10."Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday" (William Bell)
  • Booker T. Jones
2:40
11."What Are You Doing New Year's Eve" (King Curtis)
  • Tom Dowd
3:45
12."All I Want For Christmas Is You" (Carla Thomas)
  • A.C. Williams
  • Jim Stewart
1:45
13."Christmas Time" (Ray Charles)
  • Sayde Shepard
  • Ray Charles
4:31
14."Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" (Booker T. & The MG's)
  • Jim Stewart
2:35
Total length:41:03

Some international releases contain Aretha Franklin's "Amazing Grace" and "Wholy Holy" as bonus tracks.[17]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ https://www.rogerogreen.com/2020/12/12/soul-christmas-from-stax-atlantic/
  2. ^ "Billboard Best Bets For Christmas". Billboard, vol. 80, no. 52, December 28, 1968, p. 57.
  3. ^ "Billboard Best Bets For Christmas". Billboard, vol. 81, no. 49, December 6, 1969, p. 11.
  4. ^ "Best Bets For Christmas". Billboard, vol. 82, no. 52, December 26, 1970, p. 59.
  5. ^ https://www.billboard.com/charts/r-b-hip-hop-albums/1994-12-31/
  6. ^ “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 80, no. 50, December 14, 1968, p. 84.
  7. ^ “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 80, no. 52, December 28, 1968, p. 57.
  8. ^ “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 79, no. 50, December 16, 1967, p. 61.
  9. ^ “Christmas Records.” Billboard, vol. 75, no. 52, December 28, 1963, p. 7.
  10. ^ “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 78, no. 52, December 24, 1966, p. 33.
  11. ^ https://www.discogs.com/master/400030-Various-Soul-Christmas
  12. ^ "Soul Christmas - Various Artists - Hip Christmas Music (www.hipchristmas.com)". Hip Christmas.
  13. ^ https://www.rhino.com/aod/soul-christmas-various-artists
  14. ^ https://www.discogs.com/release/2486262-Various-Funky-Christmas
  15. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/soul-christmas-atlantic--mw0000177903
  16. ^ https://www.discogs.com/release/9336631-Various-Rockstar-Music-15-Soul-Christmas
  17. ^ https://www.discogs.com/release/9336631-Various-Rockstar-Music-15-Soul-Christmas
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