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I first heard of John Holt from an early ska album entitled 1,000 Volts of Holt. Here on this 1986 album, he takes on a number of Christmas pop-rock standards, reggae style, and the results are good, though a bit monochromatic to listen to all the way through. He performs ELP's "I Believe in Father Christmas," the Lennons' "Happy Xmas (War is Over)," Chris de Burgh's "A Spaceman Came Traveling," Wham's "Last Christmas," the ever-popular "Blue Christmas" and a Chinn-Chapman tune called "Lonely This Christmas," originally performed by British teeny-bop band Mud. Strangely, there's a Slade tune called "My Oh My" that has nothing to do with Christmas; considering that group had a holiday tune called "Merry Xmas Everybody," it's an odd choice for this CD. "Auld Lang Syne" closes the album.

This reggae-tinged Europop group was one of the biggest acts in Britain and Europe during the late 70s and early 80s, and they managed to notch one top 40 hit in the U.S., their cover of the Melodians' "Rivers of Babylon." The act was created by German record producer Frank Farian when he needed a group for live performances of a minor hit called "Baby Do You Wanna Bump." Farian is better known, or more notorious if you prefer, for creating Milli Vanilli. Anyway, they had a European hit with "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord," paving the way for this 1981 album. The hit is the best thing here, although you might enjoy the "Ob-La-Di" flavored version of "Feliz Navidad," the synthpop "First Noel," or a reggae take on "White Christmas." A possible follow-up could be their own original "Zion's Daughter," riding on a rock/calypso lilt, or their Europop original "I'll Be Home For Christmas," not to be confused with the popular one. Like the version of "Little Drummer Boy" that opens the CD, however, the rest of the album is a mix of classic tunes and originals in undistinguished arrangements. My budget German reissue of it is almost worth having just for the promotion page inside the CD booklet for other albums you might like, including one by "David Hassel Hoff."

From 1988, this is a fairly straightforward grouping of artists from the Ras label doing Christmas songs. It's all classics and no originals, but there are a few imaginative takes on things. Eek-A-Mouse's "The Night Before Christmas," for example, uses the melody of "We Three Kings" to tell the popular story, and Peter Broggs deconstructs "Twelve Days of Christmas" into something a little more appropriate to the Jamaican worldview, complete with "roots and seeds." "Drummer Boy" is turned into a toasting vehicle by Michigan and Smiley, and all the artists on the record combine for the opener "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," contributing original lyrics to the familiar song. Freddie McGregor does an interesting take of "Feliz Navidad," although his "Come All Ye Faithful," along with "Jingle Bells" by Don Carlos and Glenice Spenser and "Joy to the World" by June Lodge, all have that "hypnotic" beat thing going, which can make them seem to drag. A short album, but not without its highlights.