James Brown's Funky Christmas

by James Brown

Overview

At his superstar peak in the 1960s and early '70s, Brown tried to appeal to several constituencies on his many LPs, and the Christmas market was not neglected. Indeed, for a while he was on a regular schedule -- this 17-track compilation includes selections from seasonal albums cut by Brown in 1966, 1968, and 1970. Good Christmas rock and soul is somewhat of an oxymoron, but if you want some, you're better off with this than most anything else. The songs usually boast the funk-driven arrangements that were typical of his prime work, and Brown's performances are satisfyingly committed. That's not to say the material itself is on par with his best classics; it isn't. In fact, it's rather variable -- "Go Power at Christmas Time" is a hot slice of 1970 James Brown funk, but some of the poppy cuts with strings are a bit weak and forgettable. All power to Brown, though, for investing the holiday season with a smidgen of social consciousness on "Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto." ~ Richie Unterberger

Product Details

Release Date:	10/03/1995
Label:	Polydor / Polygram / Universal
UPC:	0731452798824
Rank:	59974

Tracks

1. Go Power at Christmas Time
2. Let's Unite the Whole World at Christmas
3. Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto
4. Merry Christmas, Baby
5. Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year, Pts. 1 & 2
6. Soulful Christmas
7. The Christmas Song
8. Sweet Little Baby Boy, Pts. 1 & 2
9. Christmas Is Love
10. Please Come Home for Christmas
11. Santa Claus Is Definitely Here to Stay
12. Tit for Tat (Ain't No Taking Back)
13. Santa Claus, Santa Claus
14. Merry Christmas, I Love You
15. Signs of Christmas
16. Christmas in Heaven
17. Hey America

Album Credits

Performance Credits

James Brown   Primary Artist
The Charmaines   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

James Brown   Producer,Composer
Lou Baxter   Composer
Johnny Moore   Composer,Composer
Pee Wee Ellis   Arranger,Composer
Mel Torme   Composer
Hank Ballard   Composer
Harry Weinger   Compilation Executive Producer
Gary N. Mayo   Original Editor,Original Mastering
Bill Levenson   Compilation Executive Producer
Ellen Fitton   Remastering
Charles Brown   Composer
Nat Jones   Arranger,Composer
Robert Wells   Composer
Terri Tierney   Project Coordinator
Sheryl Lutz-Brown   Package Design
Catherine Ladis   Project Assistant
Adam Abrams   Production Coordination
Addie Williams   Composer
James Razor Brown   Producer
Alfred James Ellis   Composer
Billy Ward   Composer
Gene Redd   Composer
A.W. Jones   Composer
Addie Williams Jones   Composer