Hey, remember Christmas Jollies? The Salsoul disco Christmas album from the late 1970s produced by Vincent Montana of MFSB fame? It's been reissued and remastered a number of times over the years, but for 2023 it's gone full box set edition, a 3-CD set featuring the original album, some outtakes, and an entire second album called Christmas Jollies II done by a different producer, but definitely in that 70s disco realm. I consider it a niche interest item myself, considering how cornball the original album was to my less mature ears, but given how the popular music scene of the last 20 years has consisted of young artists slicing and dicing various versions of past musical genres, maybe we're due for a suburban couples-swapping soundtrack revival. Your call.
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This is a Daptone supergroup featuring vocalists Ron Preyer of the Younghearts, Torrence Brannon of the Delfonics, and Clarence Matheney of Los Yesterday. Daptone stalwart Bosco Mann produced and co-wrote this cool vintage soul number that will bring folks out on the dance floor. Gotta have. The label offers vinyl, but download and streaming are the more common ways you'll grab this. The flip side, as was common practice back in the day, is an instrumental of the song.
The daughter of Bobby McFerrin ("Don't Worry, Be Happy") is now an R'nB singer-songwriter, and she's dropped this catchy little midtempo jam for Christmas 2023. You won't mistake this for an early soul-era tune, but that's only because of all the modern touches like synth bass and gymnastic vocalese; otherwise it's a solid song performed well.
These funk superstars from the 70s have managed to persist to the present day, and for 2023 they dropped their first-ever Christmas cut, which consists of new lyrics to their hit song "Summer." That was a great languid summer jam, so no surprise this ends up being a great languid Christmas jam. Check it out. (I should note that I encountered a War hits collection that included a song called "Baby It's Cold Outside," but that's not the familiar holiday tune.)
As previously promised, Cliff's back with a new Christmas song for 2023. Great 70s funk groove with a call-and-response chorus. If you've got too many covers of the original artists from that period in your playlist, slip this in there for something a little fresher. Not sure if there's a physical artifact out there, but you can download or stream it.
If you find yourself wanting more from these folks, they're back for 2023 with another helping of classic soul. Stevie Wonder's "What Christmas Means To Me," Carla Thomas' "Gee Wiz, It's Christmas," and "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" in a funky non-Phil Spector arrangement. Once more, great vocals, great backing, and easily heard or procured.
While trying to ascertain the status of the Snowflakes Christmas Singles Club, I happened upon their coverage of these artists from Barcelona, Spain. This 2022 EP gives us three classic soul Christmas gems in perfect period renditions -- "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," "Merry Christmas Baby" in the Otis Redding arrangement, and "Backdoor Santa." Koko-Jean Davis is a fine vocalist and the band is tight. Apparently various permutations of these folks have been performing in Europe for many years. Considering their location, you may be surprised to find these are easily procured on streaming or from Amazon on vinyl or download.
The popular singer-actress came on strong for Christmas 2023 with this new holiday album, backstopped by the streaming movie "Best Christmas Ever," in which she stars. Although being on Motown doesn't necessarily mean what it once did, you can count on this being a nice blending of old-school soul and contemporary sounds, led by the singer's strong vocal performances all the way through. No big surprises, though; "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "Santa Baby" and "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)" sound pretty much the way you'd expect them to sound, for example, as does the Motown holiday staple "Someday at Christmas." She gives "Jingle Bells" and "Deck the Halls" modern R'nB midtempo treatments, bringing them closer to the originals on this set, "Feels Different," "Somebody's Waiting," "Christmas Party for Two," "Shine Out Your Light," "Christmas Everyday," and "Christmas Gift," a duet with her daughter Sy'Rai. All told, a solid effort.
This R'nB singer from Miami has only been around for a few years but she's made her mark in the streaming world with millions of plays. This Christmas collection originally dropped in 2020 and it's almost all balladry and slow jams. She has a soulful jazz voice, however, so those of you leaning that way will enjoy this. She offers fine ballad versions of "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)," "O Holy Night," and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." She teams up with The Weeknd for "Christmas Blues" and Alicia Keys for "Winter Time," and other tunes on here include "I Just Melt," "Short Red Silk Lingerie" and "Warm December." No physical media, appears to only be available for streaming and download.
Missed this from 2022, a cool semi doo-wop rendition of the popular carol for the modern age with minimal rhythm backing. We've had Cliff here before, specifically in 2021 for his full album Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and this is more of the same old-school soul music everybody still loves. Streaming/download only, click cover to go to Amazon. Should note he's got a 2023 single in the hopper, "Christmas Day Funk Master," but that doesn't drop until Dec. 1.
Regina's best known for duetting with Peabo Bryson on "A Whole New World," the big hit from Disney's "Aladdin" movie. For 2022 she drops this solid 90s-influenced soul/gospel album with participation from members of her family. It's mostly pop-soul, more for the easy listening crowd, but it's a lively performance from front to back. She duets with her daughter Sydni Battle on an original tune, "A Baby Changes Everything," a solid soul ballad, and adds Nyla Battle and Ronald Scruggs to "The First Noel." The single from the album "Cradle in Bethlehem" is more of a gospel tune, a diva turn on "Silent Night" opens the album, and similar versions of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," "O Come All Ye Faithful," "Away in a Manger," are here, along with a jazzy take on "Auld Lang Syne." The album wraps with "I Had To Leave (A Song From Bernie)," a tribute to Regina's brother who worked as a producer for the album but passed before it was completed. In my view, her dancehall reggae take on "O Little Town of Bethlehem" is the keeper from this album, and will be for most Mistletunes readers.
Kadhja is a modern soul performer who's been around for about a decade, and for 2022 dropped this six-song EP featuring four original tunes, the bouncy title song and the midtempo ballads"Little Christmas Tree," "It's Christmas Time," and "Keep Christmas With You." She also acquits herself well on a soulful version of "Wonderful Christmastime" and honors Stevie Wonder with her version of "Someday at Christmas." Cool modern R'nB for your playlists.
Here's an all-star conglomeration offering a 2022 tribute to the author of this popular soul Christmas classic. Folks like Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald, RIchard Marx, Melissa Manchester, Lamont Dozier Jr., Frieda Payne, Florence LaRue and others combine with an LA-based band for a full-blown pop version of the song. If you enjoy this, contribute in some way to the Donny Hathaway Legacy Project, which supports other music-based nonprofits in their work to help musicians. Or just grab it from Amazon.
Vivian's been around for a couple of decades, having written songs for Boys II Men and also worked with Jill Scott. For 2022 the Philly native dropped an EP of four original songs including the title song, a combined ode to Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. Also included is "Around the Tree (Missing You)," about a celebration without a special person; "Everybody's Gathered," about the holiday table; and "No Holiday," another upbeat number about togetherness. She also does a diva turn on "O Holy Night," though a folky-jazzy take rather than a midnight mass showstopper. Solid R'nB singing and good originals.
Had this duo last year with a hip-hop rendition of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," and for 2022 they're back with a similar take on "Let It Snow." Solid soulful take, fine singing, and the rap interlude doesn't overwhelm the carol. Turns out this is an EP with these two songs plus instrumental versions of "Carol of the Bells," "Jingle Bells," and "Deck the Halls." Check this out for yourself.
Kenny Stockard is a Pittsburgh-based soul/gospel singer with a few releases under his belt, and for 2022 he dropped this EP with four holiday originals. "None Giftless" seems to be the song that's being promoted, and it's a solid soul ballad about the meaning of holiday gift-giving. "Sing a Song" is a more gospel number that doesn't hearken back to the Earth Wind & Fire number of the same name, "Truth Is" is more gospel, and "Big Tree" is a fine uptempo number about the arboreal traditions of Christmas. This latter one is my pick from the collection.
Alicia has had a couple Christmas tunes out before, "Little Drummer Girl" and "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)," but this is her first full album of holiday tunes, out for 2022. While she sports a fine expressive voice, she's also a fine instrumentalist, prone to demonstrating this with forays into jazz, which she does here on the title song, "Christmas Time Is Here," "Favorite Things," and the previously released version of "Chestnuts." Her R'nB roots show through on "Please Come Home For Christmas" and "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," not to mention the feature cut from this collection, "December Back 2 June," an Alicia original that receives help from Tayla Parx. She also gets writing help from Natalie Hemby on the ballads "You Don't Have to Be Alone" and "Old Memories on Christmas," and from Emile Sande on "Not Even the King." The album closes on a traditional version of "Ave Maria" sung in Latin. More on the pop side than we like here, but this album features strong original tunes that deserve to live past this holiday season.
Vol. 1 of this modern R'nB series dropped in 2020, and for 2022 we have the misnamed Vol. 2, which is simply Vol. 1 with four additional songs and minus a couple of short interludes. "Might As Well Have Coal" features guest Baby Tate in a slow ballad about a bummer Christmas. "Christmas Come Home" is the Darlene Love classic with help from Alex Vaughn; it has some flavor of the original "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" with modern touches. "Let It Snow" features dvsn slow-jamming the classic carol into a medley with "Silent Night," and then Ayanna joins the group for a straight rendition of "Silent Night." The additional cuts make for a better album, though that's little comfort to those who bought the first one.
The most famous of the turn-of-the-millenium "boy bands" previously provided us with a couple holiday singles, 1999's "Christmas Time" and 2012's "It's Christmas Time Again," but this 2022 release is their first full holiday album. No surprises, it's got their modern R'nB sound with strong group harmonies; if they grew up in the 50s they'd have been a doo-wop group. Give them credit for the opening song, "White Christmas," in which they borrowed the Drifters' arrangement while dressing it up current millenium style. They also acquit themselves well with uptempo arrangements on "Winter Wonderland," "Last Christmas," and "This Christmas." They go downtempo on classics like "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)," "O Holy Night," "Silent Night," "I'll Be Home For Christmas," and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." An unexpected but well-done choice for this album was Dan Fogelberg's "Same Auld Lang Syne." The album closes with three holiday originals, "Christmas In New York," "Together," and "Happy Days." Feel free to graze this for your playlists, especially if you enjoy today's R'nB sound. I've linked to Amazon, as is the custom here, but there's a Target exclusive version that adds "It's Christmas Time Again"and a version of "Feliz Navidad" if you're a completist.
This was a Spotify-only performance last year, but for 2021 it got a general release. It's a solid new original performed in a 70s soul-funk arrangement calling for peace and brotherhood on the holiday. If you didn't playlist it last year, it's not too late. UPDATE: Stubby notes this was originally done by Lou Rawls.
Cliff's an indie soul/gospel artist with a few previous albums to his credit, and for 2021 he decided to get on the Christmas soul train. Most of what you hear adheres pretty solidly to the 70s funk sound, although his version of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" is more in a New Orleans vein, though with funk-band instrumentation. The title song is the only original in this collection, and it's a solid funky ode to the holidays. There aren't very many surprises in song selection -- as with so many soul artists, he can't resist doing "This Christmas" or the Supremes' version of "My Favorite Things," and he checks in with the album's only straight blues, the classic "Merry Christmas Baby." The funky treatment he gives to "Frosty the Snowman" is a nice touch, he makes "Zat You, Santa Claus" his own with modern touches, and he also does James Brown's "Soulful Christmas," "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)," and a solidly R'nB version of "Run Rudolph Run." Overall, an energetic selection of holiday tunes to pack the dance floor.
It's so easy for us crunchy rockers to dismiss Norah Jones as adult contemporary, even easier when her big hit "Don't Know Why" from 15 years ago still plays on everything from your Amazon Echo Dot to your grocery store's PA system. But Norah's ability to blend pop, rock, soul and even country in a single song hasn't left her, and though this 2021 Christmas collection sits comfortably in her discography, it also demands a hearing from you insufferable music snobs out there. You may find that her original holiday tunes like "Christmas Calling (Jolly Jones)," "Christmas Glow," "Christmastime," "It's Only Christmas Once a Year," "You're Not Alone," and "A Holiday With You" might just take the place in your heart currently occupied by a classic Christmas standard. Also, you might not have expected to hear the Chipmunks' "Christmas Don't Be Late" as a torch song or "Run Rudolph Run" as a bossa nova, as you will when you cue up this album. She also puts her stamp on "White Christmas," "Blue Christmas," "Winter Wonderland," and "Christmas Time Is Here," closing with, not surprisingly, "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" Yes, it's all medium tempo or slower, but it's also smooth and soulful. Shouldn't leave without noting Norah isn't new to the Christmas realm, having cut a holiday EP with Puss N Boots a couple years ago and contributing "Peace" to Holidays Rule 2.
The late Salome Bey is widely known as a musical performer, actress, and promoter of the arts, particularly in Canada, which awarded her the Order of Canada for her career achievements. Born in the USA, she made her home in Toronto and was probably better known for her work in African American theatre than for her own musical performances. Nevertheless, she made a number of records, including this 2015 gospel/soul workout for the holidays. Her alto voice is strong, her use of it is very theatrical, and the arrangements of these songs are quite up-to-the-minute soulful. The title song is a midtempo musing on the "Christmas blues," and there are similar themes in "Why Can't the Christmas Spirit Be Always," "Christmastime Christmastime," and "It Is Time We Celebrate." There also are solid versions of "Joy To the World," "O Holy Night," "O Come All Ye Faithful," "What Child Is This," and a fine uptempo take on "Silent Night." Availability is spotty; it's not downloadable anywhere and Amazon only shows hardcopies at premium prices, although I did find it on Spotify. Bey died in 2020 at the age of 86.
This 2020 release is one of those rare items, in the modern day anyway: a major-label holiday compilation not tied to a soundtrack of a movie or TV show. It's all solid modern soul music with hip-hop rhythm touches. I glommed onto this via Tayla Parx's contribution, a short but sweet "Ain't a Lonely Christmas Song," and other tunes on here include Ty Dolla $ign's "Alone For Christmas," the previously mentioned "This Christmas" by Pink Sweat$, Trey Songz' "Christmas Morning," Shelley's "Litmas," Sebastian Mikael's "Chimney," PJ's "Single on Christmas," "Santa Baby" by Ayanis, Raiche's two contributions, "Anticipating" and "I Hate Christmas," IV Jay's "On My Way," Ghoss's "All I Want for Christmas," and "Meet Me" by Jeven Reliford. It's mainly mid-tempo performances of original new Christmas songs, so you might want to mine this for favorites; Tayla Parx's song is mine.
Lene is an up-and-coming modern soul singer with a number of singles under her belt and placements in such TV shows as "Sistas" and "Twas the Chaos Before Christmas," the latter of which features both the song "Christmas Morning" and the title song from this 2020 EP. The former is a lovely uptempo original and the latter is a slow-jam ballad. There's also a hip-hop take on "Santa Baby" in which you'll recognize other quoted carols long before you get a taste of the tune in the title, a similarly deconstructed version of "Drummer Boy," a conventional pop take on "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)," and a solo piano-backed version of "Mary Did You Know." This is a fine modern soul EP.
I've never encountered Tinashe before, but she's an established modern R'nB singer who recently took over her own marketing and distribution. For 2020 she dropped this six-song holiday EP (seven if you count the 15-second title song at the very beginning) in which she sings four antique carols and two modern pop numbers. The performances are the modern soul sound that borrows a lot from hip-hop but still emphasizes melody, and the songs chosen lend themselves very well to this approach. She does mid-tempo takes on "Angels We Have Heard on High," "Last Christmas" and "Have Yourself a Merry Christmas," slow-jams "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," and does a more traditional ballad treatment on "O Holy Night" and "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)." This is very nice and too short; I wonder if she'll extend this into a full album at some later date.
This Bay-area singer, songwriter and producer is dedicated to the sounds of 60s soul in a similar way to the folks at Daptone, from which arose such artists as Charles Bradley, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. I had never heard of him until this album crossed my path recently, and now I wanna hear more. The sound is wonderful, evoking not so much Motown or Stax/Volt as the thousands of independent-label soul records from about 1963 through the beginning of the 70s, and that sound is applied to 10 original songs (the title song, an instrumental, opens and closes the album). "Heartbreak For Christmas" is a great midtempo album starter, and "No Time to be Sad" is a fine vocal group ballad in the style of such acts as the Delphonics and the Intruders. "Just One Kiss" is a funky dance number, "Waiting on the Big Man" is a downtempo vigil for Santa Claus (love the count-off with "sugar plum fairy, sugar plum fairy," something John Lennon did on an early take of "A Day in the Life"), "The Miracle Is Here" is a punchy midtempo croon that evokes Curtis Mayfield, and "To Be Young at Christmas" is a slow number imagining a child's reaction to Christmas. "The Only Present Is Me" is a Christmas love ballad, "Santa's Watching You" is a funky rewrite of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" but with a little more paranoia mixed in, and "Merry Christmas To You" is a solid soulful climax to a fine original Christmas album. Currently in preorder status, not out till next week, click the cover to link the Amazon page.
The word "Motown" inevitably makes most people think of that Detroit record label's remarkable run of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, with occasional successes in subsequent decades via Smokey Robinson, Rick James, Lionel Richie, India.Arie and Boyz II Men. You won't be surprised to discover that the label's 2020 EP of holiday selections feature no immediately familiar names, or that they're still working the latest variations of the pop/soul realm they always have. The set kicks off with "All I Want" by Asiahn, a piano-based ballad over a slow jam beat. Ted When offers "Snow in California," an acoustic guitar-led number with a folky feel to it, and NJOMZA performs "Christmas Blues," another soulful ballad. Tiana Major9 (a real music nerd's name, wouldn't you say?) does an almost completely unadorned gospel version of "Silent Night," and Joy Denalane covers Stevie Wonder's "Someday at Christmas."
I was aware of this earlier, but somehow forgot to weigh in on this until now. There's nothing necessarily wrong with these guys having overdubbed themselves over a bonafide Christmas classic so that it sounds 2010s instead of 1970s, but that's really the only thing they've managed to achieve here. If your genre playlist will fail utterly if any part of it sounds like it was made earlier than 2015, knock yourself out.
The hip-hop performer brings his style of music to Christmas for 2019. It's a mix of originals and covers, starting with Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas," and you could imagine that a 2019 Donny Hathaway playing this song for the first time would sound exactly like this. He brings in guest singers Candice Boyd to take lead on "Carol of the Bells" and RaVaughn to sing Stevie Wonder's "Someday at Christmas," but takes back the mic on "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)," "Merry Christmas Baby," and Marvin Gaye's "I Want to Come Home For Christmas." Originals include break-up song "Just Ain't Christmas," the explicit "Talk About It," "Open Mine Tonight," and the Caribbean-flavored "Christmas Vibez" with Satori & Dre Island. The tempos are mostly medium ballad to slow jam, with the outlier being "Merry Christmas Baby," which puts a modern spin on the original blues beat. I like this a lot, though I'd drop "Talk About It" from any office party playlists due to language, which includes use of the n-word.
