Re-Up: Various Artists - A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector

I posted this one last December, but it was removed. Here it is again because tomorrow is Christmas and this is the quintessential Christmas album.


Various Artists - A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector

Various Artists - A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector

Today Dave and I were discussing how, despite the brutally cold weather and snow, it really doesn't feel like Christmas in Chicago. Personally, this is my favorite time of year and though Christmas music can be incredibly lame and ridiculous, there are some holiday songs/records people simply shouldn't live without. For instance, the Mariah Carey song "All I Want for Christmas is You," the Low Christmas album and my favorite, A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector.

For A Christmas Gift, production wizard, music legend and general maniac, Phil Spector assembled his usual "who's who" of girl groups to put their take on 12 classic holiday songs. The Ronettes, The Crystals and Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans all do incredible versions of standards like "Frosty the Snowman," "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," "White Christmas," "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and others, all rounded out by Spector's trademark wall of sound. While the entire record is great and reminds me of childhood Christmas', the standout for me is the lone original, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" by Darlene Love. In my opinion, it is one of the greatest holiday songs ever written and worth the download of this record alone. Check it out and pretend it actually feels like Christmas time.

Various Artists - A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector