This really is a classic album and okay, so you might think that it will be just a load of mediocre christmas nonsense that seems to fill EMI "Best Christmas Album In The World... Ever" compilations but no, this is Phil Spector at his peak.
Phil's having a spot of trouble at the moment, not least with his hair, but back in 1963 he was the svengali producer of a number of girl groups and quite rightly caught success with The Ronettes, The Crystals and Bob B. Soxx and The Blue Jeans. His trademark "wall of sound", later adopted by Slade, made him stand out a mile amongst the beat groups of the 1960s and it is this album that really shows this off.
There really is nothing as warming as Phil Spector's wall of sound meets a kind of Motown Christmas.. and The Ronettes and The Crystals really do shine here with their versions of "Sleigh Ride" and "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" respectively. Darlene Love opens the album with "White Christmas" and whilst she's a good singer, it is the girl groups that really ring in Christmas (although her "Winter Wonderland" is good).
The tracks are;
- White Christmas : Darlene Love
- Frosty The Snowman : The Ronettes
- The Bells Of St. Mary : Bob B. Soxx and The Blue Jeans
- Santa Claus Is Coming To Town : The Crystals
- Sleigh Ride : The Ronettes
- Marshmallow World : Darlene Love
- I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus : The Ronettes
- Rudolph The Red-nosed Reindeer : The Crystals
- Winter Wonderland : Darlene Love
- Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers : The Crystals
- Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) : Darlene Love
- Here Comes Santa Claus : Bob B. Soxx and The Blue Jeans
- Silent Night : Phil Spector and Artists
I'm not the greatest fan of Christmas really but this album really does kick ass musically and knocks the socks off all other Christmas albums like the glib Destiny's Child, Cliff Richard, Busted christmas albums. Putting this on, I just want to snuggle up in a horrendously too-big jumper by the fire and sway slightly whilst this album is on or drink sherry with my grandmother till we're both talking crap and she's doing wheelies in the snow.
Shake off your Scrooge this christmas, FOPP is selling it for £7.00 on cd, so how could you go wrong?
The BBC likes this album too and have added it to their critical/must have album list.
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