The Spirit of Christmas

Ray Charles

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 2, 1997)
• Original Release Date: December 1985
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B000003432
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #16,771 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #22 in	Music > Miscellaneous > Holiday > Pop Vocal
  #82 in	Music > Miscellaneous > Holiday > Opera & Vocal
  #99 in	Music > R&B > Classic R&B

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The cover of this holiday classic pictures Ray Charles with a sleigh-full of gifts. That's an appropriate image, since he's so generous with the soulful sounds contained inside. Ray's gravelly growl may turn sweet on such merry romps as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town," but he doesn't fully hit his groove until he delves into the set's more grown-up material. He gives "Winter Wonderland" a soul transfusion the likes of which you won't see on many televised Christmas specials, and really lights a fire under "Baby, It's Cold Outside." Now that's the spirit! --David Sprague

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bring Ray home for Christmas, April 21, 2004

By	James D. Isherwood (Randolph, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

I searched high and low for the song that accompanied Clark Griswold's watching of his old family movies during my favorite movie "Christmas Vacation"...Well...I found it on this album. Not only did I get the song I was looking for, but also a bunch of other songs that were equally as enjoyable. You can't go wrong with Ray charles, he is truly a master. And to have him over for Christmas is a true blessing! Don't miss this one! You won't be sorry! A true Chrismas Classic

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have!, November 18, 2000

By	"thehamanns" (Bel Air, MD United States) - See all my reviews

Ray Charles is one of the greatest artists of any time and this cd should be in your collection if you truly want the best Christmas collection ever. While "Christmas Time" shows up on many compilation cd's, the best secret here is the song "That Spirit of Christmas" which can be heard in th movie Christmas Vacation. This one song alone is worth the price.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this album, December 19, 2000

By	Curmema - See all my reviews

Please make no mistake; this is one of the greatest Christmas sets ever compiled. If you like anything by Ray Charles, or if you even "kind of like" rhythm and blues or jazz, make this the one Christmas disc you buy this year. The album is noteworthy for many reasons - the excellent mix between standards and more obscure cuts, the originality of the arrangements (especially on the standard tracks), and the overall passion evident in the playing and the singing (by everyone). Ray Charles has a history of inspired performances, and this set is no exception. I found this disc in a cut-out bin in the late 1980s, and was very skeptical about it. I loved it on the first play and have loved it more with each additional listen. I have many, many Christmas CDs, and this is in the top five.