“A Christmas Gift For You” by Various Artists - album review

features in: (B-list) Album Chart of 1963 ● (B-list) Album Chart of the 1960s ● 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die

A good idea of Phil Spector’s this, on the whole. Cementing his wall of sound in history to be revisited every year like Wizard Of Oz is genius. Or sneaky. Four acts share the billing on this 13 track release - and they all get their chance to twinkle brightly. Top tracks include The Crystals “Santa Claus” (7.4), Ronettes “Sleigh Ride” (7.6), and the 'piece de resistance' Darlene Love “Christmas Baby” (8.1). Actually, the fourth act was Bob B Soxx. Who was bobbins actually. Then there was the ill advised “sincere voice over” at the end from Mr. Spector himself. Cringe! Bah humbug…

The Jukebox Rebel
10–Jan–2010

Tracklist

A1	[02:52] Darlene Love - White Christmas (Irving Berlin) Pop
A2	[02:16] The Ronettes - Frosty The Snowman (Walter Rollins, Steve Nelson) Pop
A3	[02:54] Bob B. Soxx and The Blue Jeans - The Bells Of St. Mary (A. Emmett Adams, Douglas Furber) Pop
A4	[03:24] The Crystals - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (John Frederick Coots, Haven Gillespie) Pop
A5	[03:00] The Ronettes - Sleigh Ride (Mitchell Parish, Leroy Anderson) Pop
A6	[02:23] Darlene Love - Marshmallow World (Carl Sigman, Peter De Rose) Pop
B1	[02:37] The Ronettes - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (Tommie Connor) Pop
B2	[02:30] The Crystals - Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (Johnny Marks) Pop
B3	[02:25] Darlene Love - Winter Wonderland (Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith) Pop
B4	[02:55] The Crystals - Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers (Leon Jessel, Ballard MacDonald) Pop
B5	[02:45] Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) (Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Phil Spector) Pop
B6	[02:03] Bob B. Soxx and The Blue Jeans - Here Comes Santa Claus (Oakley Haldeman, Gene Autry) Pop
B7	[02:08] Phil Spector and Artists - Silent Night (Franz Xaver Gruber, Joseph Mohr, John Freeman Young) Pop Ballad

ratings by TJR