James Brown's Funky Christmas

James Brown

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 3, 1995)
• Original Release Date: 1995
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polydor / Umgd
• ASIN: B000001EFD
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #195,049 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Recorded at the height of Mr. Superbad's reign, this high-octane, 17-song set is guaranteed to give Santa Claus a soul transfusion--and put a little extra kick into that mistletoe kiss. While JB spends a fair amount of time pouring his heart out on inspired renditions of favorites such as "Merry Christmas Baby" and "Please Come Home," he and his always-stellar band really shine on a spate of originals that takes Christmas from an idealized holiday and makes it real. They do so in ways that are fun ("Go Power at Christmas Time") or with a dose of social consciousness ("Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto"), but the mere fact that Brown makes it all work--and makes it funky in the process--is a joy to behold. --David Sprague

Product Description
Compilation featuring 14 funky Yuletide tunes by the Godfather of Soul, including 'Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto', 'Christmas In Heaven' and 'Please Come Home For Christmas'. 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 J.B. in 1966, 1968, and 1970. Spectrum. 2005. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The strangest Christmas album I own -- and one of the best., December 7, 2001

By	"bluemamma" (San Luis Obispo, CA USA) - See all my reviews

The first few times I listened to this album, I couldn't decide if it was interesting or just plain weird, and to be honest, the first year I didn't play it very much. I like unusual Christmas records and I love James Brown, but shouts, moans and calls to Maceo Parker just didn't seem to cut it as Christmas music, even for me.

But I've had this album in the house for a couple of years now and I've noticed that a lot of the more traditional albums I own have moved to the bottom of the CD pile, while this one is getting a lot of play. It has really grown on me. A few of the songs have become personal "classics" -- songs I couldn't do without at Christmas. Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto and Hey America are classic funky James Brown. Sweet Little Baby Boy is gorgeous -- proof (if anyone doubts it) that James Brown can sing deep as well as fun and funky. Santa Claus, Santa Claus is so heartfelt it raises the hair on the back of your neck. And Soulful Christmas is right up there with Charles Brown's Merry Christmas Baby and Clarence Carter's Back Door Santa among the greatest r&b Christmas songs of all time.

Take out the embarrassing Christmas Song (James Brown was not born to sing Mel Torme songs) and you'd have a perfect Christmas album -- assuming your taste is not perfectly mainstream.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Godfather of Christmas, December 4, 1998

By A Customer

Not content to just sing other peoples' Christmas songs, the Hardest Working Man in Show Business wrote original songs in the 1960s and 1970s for the holiday season. Tunes like "Let's Make Christmas Mean Something this Year" showcase James' gospel roots while reveling in a weirdnes of spoken dialog, screams, and yelps that would make "the artist formerly known as" jealous. The other standout is "Soulful Christmas" where the JB backbeat is applied to the yuletide log along with JB's patented shout-outs to sax man Maceo Parker. People either love this disc or hate it. For years out of print, it was only re-issued about 2-3 years ago. Not recommended to listen to while driving, as the strangeness of the album can provoke disabling fits of laughter.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Right On for James Brown, March 2, 2004

By	Danielle Bennignus - See all my reviews

God, I love this album. Like some of my fellow reveiwers, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it at first, and didn't play it too much for a time. However, on the second round, I got completely hooked. It has such a great blend of deep soul, as well as outright cheer, that it's incredibly catchy. When I first started to "get" it, I was floored by the orchestration and musicality, and then, upon second glance, I was amazed by the messages James Brown puts across. Very eye-opening. Now, this is ALWAYS on the shuffler at my Christmas parties, and very often during summer picnics, too. It shouldn't fall under any category - it's completely playable year-round. I love it, love it, love it. Don't know how to put it better.