A Motown Christmas – 1970

Season Greetings

A Motown Christmas is a staple of my collection. This album is one of my first Christmas memories. As an adult, I appreciate it even more. It features all of Motown's artists doing soulful, eloquent interpretations of classics with that Motown flair ("Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" by the Temptations, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and "White Christmas" by Diana Ross & the Supremes). It also features original Christmas songs which have become popular on many R & B stations, commercials, and movies. If I had to keep 10 CD's, this would be one. It is an album that provides a great twist on holiday traditions and celebrates the true spirit of the holidays. A Motown Christmas is very close to my heart.

Side One

The Jackson 5 – Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town
Stevie Wonder – What Christmas Means to Me
The Temptations – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Diana Ross & The Supremes – My Favorite Things
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Deck the Halls / Bring a Torch Jeannette, Isabella
The Jackson 5 – I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

Side Two

Stevie Wonder – Ave Maria
The Temptations – Silent Night
Michael Jackson – Little Christmas Tree
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
The Jackson 5 – The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)
Diana Ross & The Supremes – Joy to the World

Side Three

The Temptations – The Little Drummer Boy
Diana Ross & The Supremes – Silver Bells
Stevie Wonder – Someday At Christmas
The Jackson 5 – Frosty the Snowman
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Jingle Bells
The Temptations – My Christmas Tree

Side Four

Diana Ross & The Supremes – White Christmas
Stevie Wonder – One little Christmas Tree
The Jackson 5 – Give Love On Christmas Day
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – It’s Christmas Time
Diana Ross & The Supremes – Children’s Christmas Song
The Jackson 5 – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

This is one of my top three Christmas albums of all time- the other two being "Christmas with Mario Lanza" (featuring the voice of "the world's greatest tenor, Mario Lanza!") and "We Three Kings" by The Roches. I worked three Christmas seasons in retail music store and from the day after the Thanksgiving up until Christmas Eve I heard Christmas music by all kinds of artists in all genres every hour of every day. As a result I have been exposed to ALOT of Christmas music and I believe that "A Motown Christmas" is one of the best Christmas albums ever made.

This is such a fun and joyeous album. Virtually every song is terrific with my personal favorites being Miss Diana Ross and The Supremes' version of "My Favorite Things," Stevie Wonder's "What Christmas Means to Me" which was unfortunately used in an Old Navy commercial a few years ago, and all the Smokey Robinson songs. Of course, it's alway fun to hear young Michael Jackson alongside his brothers and remember how he was before he turned into the King of Weird. However, I think Miss Diana Ross' "Children's Christmas Song" to be the weakest song, but it's followed up by a pretty decent "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by the Jackson 5 featuring Jermaine on lead which ends by going into an early 70's style version of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas!" with the Jackson brothers wishing "everybody a Merry Christmas and a GROOVY New Year!"

Buy it

Amazon – Discogs – Ebay

Download link

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