Phil Spector - A Christmas Gift For You

Released - November 1963

Genre - Pop

Producer - Phil Spector

Selected Personnel - Darlene Love (Vocals); Veronica Bennett (Vocals); Estelle Bennett (Vocals); Nedra Talley (Vocals); Bobby Sheen (Vocals); Jack Nitzche (Arrangements/Percussion); Hal Blaine (Drums); Sonny Bono (Percussion); Leon Russell (Piano); Barney Kessel (Guitar); Jay Migliori (Saxophone)

Standout Track - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

I'll be honest, this gets onto the list due more to its novelty factor than to any emotional or musical significance. Despite being the all-time favourite record of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, it's generally not much more than a pure distillation of twee 1960s bubblegum pop as purveyed via the trademark Wall of Sound treatment from one of the most celebrated producers of the era, Phil Spector. What it lacks in sophistication or complexity, however, it makes up in its charming innocence and sheer positivity - there are few albums that manage to sum up the essence of spending Christmas surrounded by family and loved ones better than this, partly of course due to the fact that these particular renditions of these songs have become so ingrained in the collective consciousness since then. There are probably countless Christmas mornings that have played out to the accompaniment of this charming record, and long may that continue as far as I'm concerned.

That said, it took time for this album to actually have any impact on the public at large. It was initially conceived, as the initial title "A Christmas Gift for You From Philles Records," as a holiday package showcasing some of the acts signed to the label at the time - vocals are shared on different tracks by Darlene Love, the Ronettes, the Crystals and Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans, with the final track a recitation of thanks and season's greetings from Spector himself over a backing of all the artists singing "Silent Night." It's utterly adorable in its simplicity of spirit and its optimism, even if the arrangements of these songs themselves are never utterly compelling. Personally, I find Spector's Wall of Sound treatment a little lifeless myself, often reducing the performances of talented musicians (this album features none other than the brilliant Leon Russell on piano, mostly barely audible) to an overwhelming mess where individual elements are very difficult to pick out. It's typical of a 60s attitude that generally puts all the focus in a recording onto the voice, which is no bad thing in itself, but does mean you end up with music that sounds bombastic and thick and overpowering without any recourse to subtlety or nuance. The singers themselves are generally on good form, particularly Darlene Love, although Bobby Sheen (or "Bob B. Soxx") is a little wooden and by far the least compelling artist showcased on the record. Love also gets the only original song on the album, the Spector co-write "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," which succeeds in being the most interesting and engaging song on offer and would later come to be regarded as another festive classic.

After Spector had worked his "magic" on these tracks, it was released to coincide with the Christmas market in 1963, but happened to hit the shelves on the very same day as the assassination of JFK, meaning it more or less sank without trace in the suddenly very serious and tragic circumstances it found itself. It was only in later re-releases that it started to garner more attention and gradually made itself into a holiday classic. Overall, it's an imperfect record and one that's by no means musically interesting enough to be listened to at any time of the year, but on a Christmas morning there's genuinely no other record (except perhaps some of the old Christmas recordings by the likes of Bing Crosby or Nat King Cole) that can sum up the optimism and the childlike sweetness of Christmas than this one.

Track Listing:

1. White Christmas - Darlene Love (Irving Berlin)

2. Frosty the Snowman - The Ronettes (Steve Nelson & Walter Rollins)

3. The Bells of St. Mary's - Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans (A. Emmett Adams & Douglas Furber)

4. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - The Crystals (J. Fred Coots & Haven Gillespie)

5. Sleigh Ride - The Ronettes (Leroy Anderson & Mitchell Parish)

6. Marshmallow World - Darlene Love (Carl Sigman & Peter DeRose)

7. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - The Ronettes (Tommie Connor)

8. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - The Crystals (Johnny Marks)

9. Winter Wonderland - Darlene Love (Felix Bernard & Dick Smith)

10. Parade of the Wooden Soldiers - The Crystals (Leon Jessel)

11. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Darlene Love (Ellie Greenwich; Jeff Barry & Phil Spector)

12. Here Comes Santa Claus - Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans (Gene Autry & Oakley Haldeman)

13. Silent Night - Phil Spector (Josef Mohr & Franz X. Gruber)