James Brown delivered his own funky Christmas sound on вЂњSanta Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto,вЂќ the opening track on his on his 1968 festive album A Soulful Christmas. James Brown: Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto This version was all the more poignant for being released in the wake of the death of Redding, who had been killed the previous December at the age of 26 in a plane crash. & the MGs вЂ“ who co-wrote ReddingвЂ™s iconic hit вЂњ(SittinвЂ™ On) The Dock of the Bay.вЂќ ReddingвЂ™s version of Irving BelinвЂ™s classic festive song вЂњWhite ChristmasвЂќ was released as a single in October 1968 by ATCO Records, with вЂњMerry Christmas, BabyвЂќ on the B side. Otis ReddingвЂ™s graceful, bluesy version of вЂњWhite ChristmasвЂќ was produced by acclaimed songwriter and guitarist Steve Cropper вЂ“ a founding member of Booker T. вЂњChristmas Blues,вЂќ a straight blues boogie in the early Canned Heat style, was produced by Skip Taylor and co-written by singer Bob Hite, bassist Larry Taylor, guitarists Alan Wilson and Henry Vestine, and drummer Adolfo De La Parra. 31 on the Billboard charts in December 1968.

The festive song вЂњChristmas BluesвЂќ was the B-side to вЂњThe Chipmunk Song,вЂќ which peaked at No. In late 1967, LA blues band Canned Heat were recording their album Boogie with Canned Heat with Dr John, when they added on the recording of a couple of singles with novelty band Alvin and the Chipmunks. вЂњBlues for ChristmasвЂќ features Jimmy Miller on trumpet, Johnny Hooks on tenor saxophone and Tom Whitehead on drums in the moody, slow blues lament for better festive times.Д«B KingвЂ™s chart-topping 2001 album, A Christmas Celebration Of Hope, contained festive classics such as вЂњPlease Come Home For Christmas,вЂќ but one of the real highlights of the album is his own composition, вЂњChristmas Love.вЂќ The instrumental track showed that, even at the age of 76, he had lost none of the skill that had made him one of the worldвЂ™s most brilliant guitarists. John Lee Hooker has one of the most mournful voices in popular music and the singer-guitarist composed the bleak song вЂњBlues for Christmas,вЂќ which included the lines вЂњblues for Christmas/blue as I can be/IвЂ™m sitting here drinkinвЂ™/trying to drink my baby back.вЂќ The song was recorded in Detroit in 1949, in the era when Hooker was recording for the famous Chess label. ClaptonвЂ™s album, which also features a version of вЂњSilent NightвЂќ that is worthy of inclusion among the best Christmas blues songs, was co-produced by Clapton with Simon Climie and features cover art designed by the legendary guitarist. Grammy-winning Eric Clapton released his own Christmas album in 2018, after figuring out, as he put it, вЂњhow to play the blues lines in between the vocals of holiday songs.вЂќ His solo on вЂњChristmas TearsвЂќ is eye-wateringly good. вЂњChristmas TearsвЂќ was blues legend Freddie KingвЂ™s Christmas anthem, written and recorded in 1961. (For something thatвЂ™s got a little bit more swing and boogie, try вЂњSanta Claus Wants Some LovinвЂ™.вЂќ) King, who was known as вЂњThe Velvet BulldozerвЂќ because of his smooth singing and size (he was 6вЂ™ 6вЂќ), adds some funk and blues for Christmas time. We didnвЂ™t know it was going to be a great big hit, but I thought it was unique.вЂќДЄlbert King: Christmas (Comes But Once A Year)ДЄlbert King took the song вЂњChristmas (Comes But Once A Year),вЂќ which had been a hit for Amos Milburn in 1960, and gave it a makeover, playing some sizzling blues guitar. вЂњI wrote the title вЂMerry Christmas BabyвЂ™, and I wrote the words, how I was going to sing it, and I mapped it out, played the piano, and I presented it to Johnny Moore. Brown, whose delicate slow-paced style influenced blues performances for two decades, said he helped Lou Baxter with the composition. вЂњMerry ChristmasвЂќ is probably the only song that has been covered by both Bruce Springsteen and Mae West, but the definitive version was released in 1947 by singer and pianist Charles Brown as part of Johnny MooreвЂ™s vocal group Three Blazers. (For a more upbeat bit of Christmas music from Berry, be sure to check вЂњRun Rudolph Run.вЂќ) Louis days, including Jules Blattner (guitar) and Brian Hamilton (saxophone), offers a reminder of how good he was at singing ballads.

Berry, backed by old friends from his St. The song is nostalgic, with Berry singing about being far away from home, far away from loved ones, and dreaming of wrapping Christmas presents. Chuck BerryвЂ™s most sentimental song, вЂњSpending Christmas,вЂќ was recorded for Chess Records in Chicago in December 1964, and produced by label owners Phil and Leonard Chess.

Baby blue song 1961