There are two methods of tackling the compilation album. You’ll be able to both use it to advertise your label’s obscure artists, chucking in The Banjolele Idea and Three Ft & The Entire 9 Yards alongside your triple-platinum stars, or you’ll be able to fill it stuffed with top-notch acts and make it as large as doable. Motown at all times most well-liked the latter possibility: there have been just about no awful compilations issued in the course of the label’s traditional 60s and early-70s period. In spite of everything, the label at all times wished to promote data and packed its various-artist collections stuffed with, properly, Motown chartbusters – and none was extra packed than the A Motown Christmas album.
Take heed to A Motown Christmas on Apple Music and Spotify.
Launched on September 25, 1973, A Motown Christmas was stuffed with the acts that actually mattered to the label. We get seven tracks by the scions of the Jackson household of Gary, Indiana; 5 from The Supremes, giving us a style of Diana Ross; 4 from The Temptations; and a quartet of Smokey Robinson seasonal specials. Stars of marvel, star of night time? You haven’t bought to look on the high of the Christmas tree to search out one: Stevie’s right here too, singing 4 songs. And whereas few of those tracks have been outright hits, they’ve definitely been performed sufficient within the intervening years to be acquainted to an enormous variety of appreciative ears: in the event you haven’t smiled to the opening monitor, “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,” bellowed by a Michael Jackson nonetheless younger sufficient to consider the lyrics, you’ve by no means visited a shopping center in December. Stuffed with guileless, spirit-lifting pleasure although the track is, the rest of the A Motown Christmas album brings it loads of competitors.
Stevie Marvel’s crackling “That’s What Christmas Means To Me” follows: a Motown unique that deserves its standing as a seasonal traditional. Somewhat extra intriguing, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles’ model of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” is a jazz waltz, with the kind of moody association extra related to The Dells than any Motown act. In the identical time signature, The Supremes sway by “My Favorite Things,” its 60s-hip association accompanied by sufficient sleigh bells to deafen Santa’s reindeer. Speaking of which, The Temptations’ ship “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” in a subtly funky fashion; Rudolph was by no means so chilled, even within the kind of climate that delivered Jackson 5’s “Frosty The Snowman.”
The Temptations additionally supply “Silent Night,” with Eddie Kendricks’ mild voice sounding impossibly tender: it’s so lovely which you could forgive the presence of “Little Drummer Boy,” a track the Tempts are manner too good for. Regardless of; it’s simply canceled out by a slice of pure Motown soul: Stevie Marvel’s considerate and optimistic “Someday At Christmas.” Michael Jackson’s wonderful and surprisingly mature “Little Christmas Tree” can also be an underrated gem, co-written by Uncle Jam himself, George Clinton. Sure, actually. Michael sounds regretful, wistful, even unhappy: maybe mischievous ol’ George let slip that Santa doesn’t actually exist.
Must you be a sucker for seasonal songs sung soul-style, the A Motown Christmas album additionally factors to different Motown vacation choices, with a number of the songs coming from, to call however three sources, Jackson 5’s Christmas Album, the 1968 assortment Merry Christmas From Motown and The Supremes’ Merry Christmas, all pleasing and extremely palatable festive fare. However A Motown Christmas is much extra expansive, providing 24 tracks unfold over 4 sides of vinyl on its unique launch. It would final you all vacation season. And since, if the retail superstores are to be believed, Christmas begins in late September, that’s fairly spectacular.
Play this, and even Scrooge will likely be out on the ground, doing a Dickens of a dad dance. As for Santa, he was by no means in Lapland for Christmas: he knew the events have been much better in Motor Metropolis.
Purchase A Motown Christmas on vinyl now.
