Christmas in Soulsville

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 25, 2007)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Stax
• ASIN: B000YGGCB6
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,036 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Import-only collection of soulful holiday tunes. This festive compilation includes yuletide songs from the likes of Otis Redding, The Staple Singers, Booker T & The MGs, Albert King, Rufus Thomas, Isaac Hayes and many others. 15 tracks. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mostly the same as 'It's Christmas Time Again' (Stax, 1982), November 12, 2007

By 

randysrodeo.com (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Christmas in Soulsville (Audio CD)

New compilation from Concord, including the tracks from an earlier Stax compilation. Great stuff! Initially sold exclusively through Best Buy. Track listing:

1. Merry Christmas, Baby [take 1] : Otis Redding
2. Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas : The Staple Singers
3. Winter Wonderland [take 2] : Booker T & The MG's
4. The Mistletoe And Me (Album Version) : Isaac Hayes
5. Black Christmas : The Emotions
6. Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin' (Album Version) : Albert King
7. White Christmas : Rance Allen Group
8. I'll Be Your Santa Baby : Rufus Thomas
9. Please Come Home For Christmas : Little Johnny Taylor
10. What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas : The Emotions
11. Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin' (Album Version) : Mack Rice
12. Winter Snow (Album Version) : Isaac Hayes
13. It's Christmas Time Again (The Christmas Song) : The Temprees
14. Christmas Comes But Once A Year : Albert King
15. That Makes Christmas Day : Rufus Thomas

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stax Christmas Yea Baby!!, December 24, 2009

By 

crispycritter "crispycritter" (San Anselmo, Calif.) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Christmas in Soulsville (Audio CD)

I have a n old vinyl copy of this so when it came out on CD-Hark the Herald Angels sing! All pretty great stuff from the heyday of soul at Stax . Completely worth the price of admission for one cut alone, the hard to find original version of "Santa Clause Wants Some Lovin'" by Sir Mack Rice. Otis's Merry Christmas Baby also is THE Version of this song, a must have! Staples/Little Johnny Taylor/Albert King/Rufus Thomas best Xmas songs!

5.0 out of 5 stars Bring In The Holidays,Bring In The Funk!, December 22, 2011

By 

Andre S. Grindle "Andre' Grindle" (Brewer Maine) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Christmas in Soulsville (Audio CD)

Never knew anything such as this existed until I found it one day. There were certainly a good share of soul oriented holiday collections in the family music collection,on both CD and cassette tape. However I never had one in my own collection. As a matter of fact before this I never had ANY Christmas albums on CD until this particular collection. Stax had a wide range of performers. And their contributions to soul,funk,rock and just about everything in between them is...part of music history. And when you think about it,considering the gospel source of soul music Christmas songs are actually an excellent choice of interpretative material for that genre. And this offers up every side of their repetoire doing what they do best,for one particular time of year.

Otis Redding starts off with "Merry Christmas,Baby". Associated with Albert King he re-harmonizes this song into his own gospel-soul hybrid. But when it comes to Albert King nobody forgot about him. He offers up from funkier blues on "Christmas Comes But Once A Year" and more of his own style of blues with "Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin'". Ike Hayes bring his cinematic grooves to his own "Winter Snow" and "The Mistletoe And Me"-both two strong compositions for him. The Staples shine on their own gospel-funk of "Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas?",adding a doubling meaning on an emotional/spiritual level and what people often forget. Rufus Thomas delivers his own heavy funk on "I'll Be Your Santa Baby" while Rance Allen,The Emotions and the Temprees all come at a series of interpretations in the pop/soul-gospel sort of vein. Not to mention Booker T & The MG's typically lean n mean take on "Winter Wonderland"

If your a soul/funk/R&B music lover such as myself and are looking for a holiday album for your collection,I'd highly recommend this record. Every single song here is wonderful and will have you singing,dancing and probably both. And at the very least,it'll put a smile on your face. When it comes to the most thoughtful end of human end of emotional expression,Stax and it's artists are right up their with the best of them. And the fact that soul music and the holidays seem to go together so well is only have the joy this album has to offer. They even include the rare bonus track of Rufus & Carla Thomas "That Makes Christmas Day" for good measure. One can actually enjoy this album a lot even outside the context of Christmas because the music is so strong,grooving and spirited.