Saturday, November 08, 2008

CHRISTMAS RELEASES...

From what we’ve seen thus far, there’s plenty of new holiday-themed releases coming our way. Here goes what we have found thus far…

Verve Records is releasing Remixed Christmas as the next in the series of Verve Remixed releases. This one is the first Holiday-themed Remix album for this series. Songs on the CD incliudee “What a Wonderful World” – Louis Armstrong, The Orb Remix; as well as “Zat You, Santa Claus?,” also by Louis Armstrong called The Heavy Remix. There are eleven songs altogether. (Out now).

Motown has released set Playlist Your Way, which collects Various Artists tunes from talent like Stevie Wonder (“Someday at Chrismas”), Jackson Five (“Santa Claus is Coming to Town”), The Miracles (“It’s Christmas Time,” “Christmas Everyday”), The Supremes (“Oh Holy Night”), The Temptations (“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and the previously unreleased “Jingle Bells”), and a few others. (Out now).

Rounder Records will release the first Holiday-themed album from Bela Fleck & The Flecktones. It is called Jingle All the Way and is a covers classic set stamped with the sound of The Flecktones.
(Out now).

Hip-O Records will release a Various Artists package of 14 classic Christmas tunes entitled Classic Rock Christmas. This compilation features songs by Elton John (“Step into Christmas”), Bryan Adams (“Christmas Time”), The Moody Blues (“December Snow”), Lynyrd Skynyrd (“Run Rudolph Run”), Richie Sambora (“O Come all Ye Faithful”), with even more by Styx, Joan Osborne, Timbuk 3, .38 Special, Elvin Bishop, Pat Benatar, and more than these. (Out now).

Columbia will issue A Swingin’ Christmas by Tony Bennett featuring The Count Basie Big Band in both a standard CD package and a deluxe digipak CD/DVD set. The DVD will include Live performances as well as in-studio footage. (Out now).

If you haven’t picked up this one yet you should as it is simply great! RCA has assembled a collection CD called Elvis Presley Christmas Duets. This is a bit of studio gimmickry in the same way that Natalie Cole was able to duet with her father, Nat King Cole, through the magic of technology. On this Elvis Presley duets album, he will be paired with singers like Gretchen Wilson (“Merry Christmas Baby”) – this one is definitely a standout!, Amy Grant (“White Christmas”), Anne Murray (“Silver Bells”), and Carrie Underwood (“I’ll be Home for Christmas”). (Out now).

From Yo-Yo Ma comes Songs of Peace & Joy. This set includes 22 songs with participation by the likes of Diana Krall, Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile, James Taylor, Dave Brubeck, Chris Botti, and many, many others. This album will be released in a standard CD digipak package and a deluxe CD/DVD set that will add a 60-minute film of behind-the-scenes sessions footage, a gallery, and five music videos (“Here Comes the Sun” w/James Taylor; “You Couldn’t be Cuter” w/Diana Krall; “The Wexford Carol” w/Alison Krauss; “My Favorite Things” w/Chris Botti; and “Touch the Hand of Love” w/Renee Fleming). (Out now).

NOW That’s What I Call Christmas. What would Christmas be without yet another Now That’s What I Call Christmas collection. In this one you’ll hear “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” – John Lennon/Yoko Ono; “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” – Andy Williams; “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” – Dean Martin; “A Holly Jolly Christmas” – Burl Ives; “Run Rudolph Run” – Chuck Berry; “Feliz Navidad” – Jose Feliciano; “Silent Night” – The Temptations; and a whole lot more that you’ll immediately recognize.

Brian Setzer Orchestra issues of Christmas Rocks: The Best-of Collection, which contains 20 traditional classics (two previously unreleased), and Christmas Rocks: The Ultimate Christmas Collection, which brings together the CD AND the DVD (LA’s Universal Amphitheatre in 2004). The DVD had been previously broadcast on PBS in edited form but here, you get the whole 100-minute show. It’s out now on Surfdog Records..

The folks at Time/Life have assembled a collection of Christmas favorites entitled A Sexy Christmas and will contain 12 that mix the holiday with a little snuggle. With songs like “Please Come Home for Christmas” (Aaron Neville), “Snowflakes of Love” (Toni Braxton), and “The Mistletoe Jam (Everybody Kiss Somebody)” (Brenda White-King & Luthor Vandross). Another Time-Life collections also offers a some well-known Christmas classics – “Silver Bells” (Doris Day), “The Little Drummer Boy” (Roger Whittaker), and “Winter Wonderland” (Elvis Presley) to name a few – along with a bonus CD-Rom of 473 Christmas recipes. In addition, the set will come with a free one-year subscription to the magazine, Taste of Home. The Various Artists collection is called Taste of Home: Home for Christmas.

Epic Records hasl released a collection called Winter Songs featuring female singer-songwriters like KT Tunstall (“Sleigh Ride”), Katy Perry (“White Christmas”), Fiona Apple (“Frosty the Snowman”), Emily Wells (“O Holy Night”), and Priscilla Ahn (“Silent Night”), amongst other current female stars. Winter Songs is available in both CD and LP formats.

Other releases include Christmas Spirit (Epic Records) by Los Lonely Boys; Christmas (Rhino Records) by Al Jarreau; It’s Christmas (Verve Records) from Ledisi;

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