JAMES BROWN
- Soulful Christmas
- King Records
- 1968
- USA
Like many others, also James Brown did his share on Christmas albums and this one is definitely the best of all the three he did. Even Jazzman reissued two of the tracks from this album on his 2004 Christmas 7″ release - the title track “Soulful Christmas” and the other uptempo breakbeat Christmas groover “Christmas is Coming”. And these are not the only seasonal pearls on this album, there’s plenty of other good ones too. The uptempo Christmas’ish “In the middle”, several down-tempo soul songs about Christmas in the projects and the mid-tempo hit song “Santa Claus goes straight to the ghetto” - that has also been an obvious inspiration for Snoop Doggy Dogg’s song with the same name from Christmas on Death Row in 1996.
But wait, there’s even more. Not all the songs are Christmas related. There’s “Say it loud (I’m black and I’m proud)” that’s also released on the album with the same name. Besides “Soulful Christmas” and “Christmas is coming” the standout track is the uptempo funk monster “Tit for tat (ain’t no taking back)” that is suitable for the dancefloors everywhere, anytime. Soulful Christmas is definitely among the best Christmas funk albums ever made. Nuff said. It’s quite hard to find so get it if you can.
Soulful Christmas
Christmas is coming
Tit for tat (ain’t no taking back)
Santa Claus goes straight to the ghetto
Santa Claus, Santa Claus
Let’s unite the whole world at Christmas
