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TheCellarTapes · 06-01-2009, 05:40 AM

Various Artists - A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector
(1963)

Tracks

1. White Christmas - Darlene Love
2. Frosty The Snowman - The Ronettes
3. The Bells of St. Mary's - Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans
4. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - The Crystals
5. Sleigh Ride - The Ronettes
6. Marshmallow World - Darlene Love
7. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - The Ronettes
8. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer - The Crystals
9. Winter Wonderland - Darlene Love
10. Parade of the Wooden Soldiers - The Crystals
11. Christmas - Baby Please Come Home - Darlene Love
12. Here Comes Santa Claus - Bob B Soxx & The Blue Jeans
13. Silent Night - Phil Spector & Artists

Born Harvey Phillip Spector, in the Bronx area of New York, it could be said that Phil Spector has Christmas in his blood being born on the 26th of December an all. Released in November 1963 on the ABKCO record label, A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector quickly became the benchmark for what a Christmas album should all be about, being arguably the greatest Christmas record ever released. In the 45 years since its release, this title has never looked like being removed from this album further proving the genius of the man behind the record.

Phil Spector's musical legacy will always be The Wall of Sound. It has become a rather cliché term over the years, however it cannot be understated what Spector has brought to the table. His ability to put layer upon layer of sounds on top of each other in a seemingly flawless fashion, created a level of depth to music not heard until the age of digital and computer generated fakery, but with a Spector record we have the real thing.

And the real thing with this Record is the raw power of it, combined with the warmth of the glow that fills the room whenever it is played. Contained within are tracks by four of Spector's preferred artists from 1963. Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, The Ronettes, The Crystals and of course the great Darlene Love. All of the tracks are arranged and produced by Phil Spector.

Darlene Love's contribution are by far the strongest efforts on the album, her version of White Christmas is track one on this album, and what a start it is, her voice combined with the depth of the music proves to be irresistible. This way of creating powerful music is not exclusive to Darlene Love obviously; that spirit also runs from track 2 right through to Bob B Soxx's version of Here Comes Santa Claus on track 12. The final track features Phil Spector sharing his views of the album with a version of Silent Night playing in the background, despite my poor description of this song, this is actually rather sweet and nice, and is a fitting ending to an all round belting album.

Phil Spector's aim with this album was to attempt to redefine the Christmas song and he succeeded incredibly. His treatment of great classic songs, some of which over 50 years old at the time of recording, combined with four of the best acts from the US of the time, creates an instantly memorable album. These songs have define Christmas for every generation since, with each one being poppy, catchy but still beautifully maintaining a strong spirit of Christmas, which in my view makes it a must for any house and not just for December.

Merry Christmas fans of The Cellar Tapes and enjoy!

06-01-2009, 05:40 AM	#100 (permalink)
TheCellarTapes Music Addict Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 490	As It's June 1st Various Artists - A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector *(1963)* Tracks 1. White Christmas - Darlene Love 2. Frosty The Snowman - The Ronettes 3. The Bells of St. Mary's - Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans 4. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - The Crystals 5. Sleigh Ride - The Ronettes 6. Marshmallow World - Darlene Love 7. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - The Ronettes 8. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer - The Crystals 9. Winter Wonderland - Darlene Love 10. Parade of the Wooden Soldiers - The Crystals 11. Christmas - Baby Please Come Home - Darlene Love 12. Here Comes Santa Claus - Bob B Soxx & The Blue Jeans 13. Silent Night - Phil Spector & Artists Born Harvey Phillip Spector, in the Bronx area of New York, it could be said that Phil Spector has Christmas in his blood being born on the 26th of December an all. Released in November 1963 on the ABKCO record label, A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector quickly became the benchmark for what a Christmas album should all be about, being arguably the greatest Christmas record ever released. In the 45 years since its release, this title has never looked like being removed from this album further proving the genius of the man behind the record. Phil Spector's musical legacy will always be The Wall of Sound. It has become a rather cliché term over the years, however it cannot be understated what Spector has brought to the table. His ability to put layer upon layer of sounds on top of each other in a seemingly flawless fashion, created a level of depth to music not heard until the age of digital and computer generated fakery, but with a Spector record we have the real thing. And the real thing with this Record is the raw power of it, combined with the warmth of the glow that fills the room whenever it is played. Contained within are tracks by four of Spector's preferred artists from 1963. Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, The Ronettes, The Crystals and of course the great Darlene Love. All of the tracks are arranged and produced by Phil Spector. Darlene Love's contribution are by far the strongest efforts on the album, her version of White Christmas is track one on this album, and what a start it is, her voice combined with the depth of the music proves to be irresistible. This way of creating powerful music is not exclusive to Darlene Love obviously; that spirit also runs from track 2 right through to Bob B Soxx's version of Here Comes Santa Claus on track 12. The final track features Phil Spector sharing his views of the album with a version of Silent Night playing in the background, despite my poor description of this song, this is actually rather sweet and nice, and is a fitting ending to an all round belting album. Phil Spector's aim with this album was to attempt to redefine the Christmas song and he succeeded incredibly. His treatment of great classic songs, some of which over 50 years old at the time of recording, combined with four of the best acts from the US of the time, creates an instantly memorable album. These songs have define Christmas for every generation since, with each one being poppy, catchy but still beautifully maintaining a strong spirit of Christmas, which in my view makes it a must for any house and not just for December. Merry Christmas fans of The Cellar Tapes and enjoy! Last edited by TheCellarTapes; 06-01-2009 at 07:06 AM.