A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector is a ridiculous addition to 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. I read in the beginning of the book that Saturday Night Fever is excluded from the book because it is not one artist. This is not one artist. It is one producer with several of the artists he was producing at the time. This album was a way for Spector to squeeze more money out of the talented Darlene Love, The Ronettes, and several others.
The album has something in common with Dr. Who. Dr. Who is a British sci-fi I used to watch until they changed him into a woman. To be honest Peter Capaldi, the Doctor before the change, was not that great either. The album was released on the day John F. Kennedy was shot and the series was the day after, but delayed due to his assassination.
What makes the album super cheesy is that Spector does a monologue to the music Silent Night instead of having it sung. Talk about ego project. But in skipping Silent Night he retains the album’s secular Christmas. This might have hurt the sales. Isn’t Christmas about the birth of Jesus? I am not sure what 1963 USA was like in regards to religious vs. secular Christmas. It seems from some research they think the assassination was the reason for the sales slump.
“Sleigh Ride” and “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” are the only songs I have heard before listening to the album. The latter sung by Darlene Love is the most famous song on the album. Love puts the love in Christmas and for that song alone it is worth the price of owning the album. I recommend this album if you are into Christmas songs, especially with a little soul. 6/10
an ocean roars 