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Smokey has sung lead on this tune with The Miracles and you have heard a few versions of the Temptations take on this classic.
But this has got to be the smoothest Motown rendition of this classic holiday tune yet! With Smokey AND Dennis Edwards, Melvin Franklin and the rest of the Temptations gang giving it there all — well how can you go wrong?!
This audio (provided in case the YouTube cClip vanishes) is from my latest Motown Holiday Collection (yes, I had to purchase yet another one but I had a good reason). And of course it is the audio from the classic 1987 Motown Merry Christmas TV Special of 1987.
I feel very fortunate to have found this clip on YouTube, but does anyone know if this show is available on DVD please?
Watching this clip makes you feel all warm and fuzzy doesn’t it?
Musically Yours,
Note: This post was scheduled for yesterday 12/21/09 @ 7am and for some reason when I logged on today I see “Schedule Missed” in red letters. I don’t know what happened but I am so sorry for the delay.
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Even though this song is almost 50 years old it is new to me and a great way to pay tribute to the year of Motown50 in it’s final few holiday season weeks.
It is a simply marvelous LIVE, soulful rendition of “The Christmas Song” by Marvin Gaye that I discovered on YouTube! I notice that some of the holiday tunes that I posted about last year from YouTube are now gone so please click on the link and enjoy this song while you can.
I really don’t have much more to say other than this is a great addition to my Motown holiday music collection and this is why I love YouTube.
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A week ago today I shared with you the first rendition of the Temptations performing “The Christmas Song” featuring one of the few leads by Otis Williams.
Well today I would like to share with you the second version the group released that appeared on their second holiday collection a decade later in 1980.
This LP is truly a classic. Other songs are repeated from the first Holiday LP, but the greatest of any holiday song that the Temptations EVER sang (IMHO) is on this set — “Silent Night.” Now I loved Eddie Kendricks’ lead on the 1970 “Silent Night”, but the 1980 version is a classic that will be listened to for ages to come!
But back to “The Christmas Song” version 2 – If you have been following OSML then you are aware that the Temptations often made second versions of their songs and always bested themselves. True to course this version has better vocals, better production values and just is a much better listen than the first!
This is a classic from A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector. Along with the Carpenters Holiday collection, Nat King Cole’s Holiday collection and a handful of others, this is probably in the top 10 of Holiday offerings of all time! There is not a bad song in the bunch and, of course, anything Darlene Love sings is tops with me.
Ms. Love has got to be one of the most underrated singers of all time. I have followed her career ever since I watched her in the Blossoms on Shindig! (Mary J, you are not the first AA woman to sport a blonde wig!). Perhaps if she wasn’t signed to Phil Spector’s stable of artists, her career might have taken a different turn. Spector was obsessed with Ronnie’s career just as Berry Gordy was obsessed with Diana Ross’ career and the other artists on their respective labels got the short end of the stick .
I was fortunate enough to hear Darlene perform live a few years ago when the Funk Brothers show came here to D.C. The lady did not need a microphone — her voice was the strongest and purest tone I had ever heard come of of the mouth of an artist live on stage. She should be doing theater, if she isn’t already. She was just remarkable.
Spector digitally remastered and reissued A Christmas Gift for You in 1989 as cd #4 of the Back to Mono Box set on Phil Spector Records, Inc. If this is not part of your collection I urge you to pick it up.
Composed by the great Steve Cropper, Carla herself and Vincent Trauth, “Gee Whiz, It’s Christmas” charted #23 US. It should have charted higher, but it was the times I guess. It is still a Holiday Classic in my book.
Known by many as the “Queen of Memphis Soul, Carla would have been only 20 or so when she made this record. She went on the leave Atlantic and be a part of the awesome Stax Artist Roster until their bankruptcy. She then stopped recording, but I think she would have given Aretha a run for her money if she had stayed in the music game.
While recording for Stax, Carla attended Howard University to get her Master’s Degree, so I guess music was not her priority. But she still continues to sing her classics today and we love her. There’s a short Carla Thomas Bio here.
BTW, Carla celebrated her 65th birthday a this past Friday (12/21). I am sure you join me in wishing her a happy belated birthday and wishes for many more prosperous years to come. And of course we thank you for the music Miss Thomas.
Gee Whiz, It’s Christmas
Hello there, Merry Christmas, how’ve you been,
Gee, it’s so good to talk to you again,
It’s been a long, long time,
Can’t explain why you’ve crossed my mind,
I guess it’s just to wish you a Merry Christmas.
My best friend’s having a party and everybody’s going,
I know it’s gonna be a lot of fun, oh, by the way, it’s snowing,
It’s been a long, long time,
Can’t explain why you’ve crossed my mind,
I guess it’s just to say,
Gee whiz, it’s Christmas.
It’s funny that I never thought to call you before,
And why didn’t I ever see you around anymore,
Another year has passed, and I can’t erase,
The memory of your smiling face,
So I had to call you up and say,
Gee whiz, it’s Christmas.
So don’t forget the party that’s just growing,
The warm fire from the fireplace will be glowing,
It’s been a long, long time,
I still can’t figure out why you’ve crossed my mind,
I guess it’s just to say,
Gee whiz, it’s Christmas.
I’m wishing you a Merry,
Have a Merry, Merry Christmas
Gee whiz ..
