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Phil Spector's Christmas Album (originally released as A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records) is an album of Christmas songs, produced by Phil Spector, and originally released as Philles 4005 in 1963. Spector treated a series of mostly secular Christmas standards to his "Wall of Sound" treatment, and the selections feature the vocal performances of Spector's regular artists during this period. The album peaked at No. 13 on Billboard magazine's special, year-end, weekly Christmas Albums sales chart in December 1963.

The album was reissued by Apple Records in 1972, with different cover art—a photograph of Spector dressed as a heavily bearded Santa Claus, wearing a "Back to Mono" button—and retitled Phil Spector's Christmas Album. This version of the album went to No. 6 on Billboard's special Christmas Albums sales chart in December of that year, which was its highest chart ranking.

In 2003, the album was voted No. 142 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time,[6] maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list. In 2017, it was ranked the 130th greatest album of the 1960s by Pitchfork. In 2019, it was ranked the greatest Christmas album of all time by Rolling Stone.[6] Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys has cited this album as his favorite of all time. The album was included in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

The album, released in the United States on November 22, 1963—the same day that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated—was a relative failure at the time. Original pressings are scarce and collectable, now selling for $400–$500 in excellent condition.

In subsequent years, especially after its reissue on Apple, the album grew in popularity and is considered now to be a holiday classic. Several of its tracks became iconic Christmas songs for generations, such as Darlene Love’s “Marshmallow World”, the original (and flop) single "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," and the well-known "Ring-a-ling-a-ling Ding-dong-ding" background vocals in the Ronettes' "Sleigh Ride". The arrangement of Bruce Springsteen's version of "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" is based in part on the Crystals' version of the song, and U2's late-1980s remake of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" that appeared on the first A Very Special Christmas album is patterned after the Darlene Love original that appeared on the Spector LP. The Ronettes' versions of "Frosty The Snowman" and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" also usually get some radio airplay during the holiday season.

The album has been released several times on different labels: the original release on Philles and the 1972 reissue on Apple were followed by additional reissues on Warner-Spector (1974; this was the first release to feature a stereo mix of the songs, although it ironically used the "Back to Mono" Apple cover), Pavilion–a short-lived imprint of CBS (1981, also in stereo, using the Apple artwork, but with the "Back to Mono" button airbrushed out), Impression (1983), Passport (1984), and Rhino (1987).

Track listing

Recorded at Gold Star recording studio

No. Title Writer(s) Artist Length 1. "White Christmas" Irving Berlin Darlene Love 2:52 2. "Frosty the Snowman" Steve Nelson, Walter Rollins The Ronettes 2:16 3. "The Bells of St. Mary's" A. Emmett Adams, Douglas Furber Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans 2:54 4. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie The Crystals 3:24 5. "Sleigh Ride" Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish The Ronettes 3:00 6. "Marshmallow World" Carl Sigman, Peter DeRose Darlene Love 2:23 7. "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" Tommie Connor The Ronettes 2:37 8. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" Johnny Marks The Crystals 2:30 9. "Winter Wonderland" Felix Bernard, Dick Smith Darlene Love 2:25 10. "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" Leon Jessel The Crystals 2:55 11. "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, Phil Spector Darlene Love 2:45 12. "Here Comes Santa Claus" Gene Autry, Oakley Haldeman Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans 2:03 13. "Silent Night" Josef Mohr, Franz X. Gruber Phil Spector and Artists 2:08

Session musicians

• Hal Blaine – drums
• Louis Blackburn – horns
• Sonny Bono – percussion
• Frank Capp – percussion
• Roy Caton – trumpet
• Steve Douglas – baritone saxophone
• Brian Bonelli – theremin, vocals
• Larry Levine – engineer
• Al De Lory – piano
• Jay Migliori – saxophone
• Jack Nitzsche – arrangements, percussion
• Bill Pitman – guitar
• Ray Pohlman – bass
• Irv Rubins – guitar
• Leon Russell – piano

More images

Phil Spector – Phil Spector's Christmas Album

Label: Warner-Spector – SP 9103 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo Country: US Released: 1975 Genre: Rock, Funk / Soul, Pop Style: Rock & Roll, Soul

Tracklist

Hide Credits A1 Darlene Love– White Christmas Written-By – Irving Berlin Written-By – Irving Berlin 2:45 A2 The Ronettes– Frosty The Snowman Written-By – Rollins*, Nelson* Written-By – Rollins*, Nelson* 2:19 A3 Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans– The Bells Of St. Mary's Written-By – Adams*, Furber* Written-By – Adams*, Furber* 2:30 A4 The Crystals– Santa Claus Is Coming To Town Written-By – Gillespie*, Coots* Written-By – Gillespie*, Coots* 2:29 A5 The Ronettes– Sleigh Ride Written-By – Anderson*, Parish* Written-By – Anderson*, Parish* 3:45 A6 Darlene Love– Marshmallow World Written-By – Sigman*, DeRose* Written-By – Sigman*, DeRose* 2:30 B1 The Ronettes– I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus Written-By – Conner* Written-By – Conner* 2:29 B2 The Crystals– Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Written-By – Marks* Written-By – Marks* 2:20 B3 Darlene Love– Winter Wonderland Written-By – Smith*, Bernard* Written-By – Smith*, Bernard* 2:32 B4 The Crystals– Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers Written By – B. McDonald Written-By – L. Jessel* Written By – B. McDonald Written-By – L. Jessel* 3:00 B5 Darlene Love– Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) Written-By – Greenwich*, Barry*, Spector* Written-By – Greenwich*, Barry*, Spector* 2:30 B6 Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans– Here Comes Santa Claus Written-By – Autry*, Melka*, Haldman* Written-By – Autry*, Melka*, Haldman* 2:24 B7 Phil Spector And Artists– Silent Night Written By – Traditional Written By – Traditional 2:08

Companies, etc.

• Manufactured By – Warner Bros. Records Inc.
• Distributed By – Warner Bros. Records Inc.

Credits

• Producer – Phil Spector

Manufactured and distributed by Warner Bros. Records, Inc.

Originally released in 1963 as Various - A Christmas Gift For You From Philles Records