WIWS Banner

The Second Disc

Expanded and Remastered Music News

  • Home
  • News
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Features
    • Release Round-Up
    • Giveaways!
    • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Release Calendar
    • Coming Soon
    • Now Available
  • About
  • Second Disc Records
    • Full Catalog
  • Contact

/ Features / Holiday Gift Guide

Holiday Gift Guide Review: Bobby Darin, "The 25th Day of December" and Various Artists, "Funky Christmas"

December 9, 2013 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Bobby Darin - 25th Day of DecemberReal Gone Music is ensuring that it’s going to be a merry Christmas, indeed, with a number of holiday-themed releases that practically beg to be enjoyed alongside a glass of egg nog and a warm fireplace.

Bobby Darin’s The 25th Day of December, the late singer’s only holiday LP, arrived on the Atco label in 1960.  However, the album wasn’t the work of Bobby Darin, the splish-splashin’ rock-and-roller, or Bobby Darin, the finger-snapping, tuxedoed crooner.  It’s not even the work of Bob Darin, the folk troubadour.  Instead, it displays another side of the versatile Darin: a reverent, spiritual artist determined to avoid the traditional trappings and Tin Pan Alley Christmas songs that would likely have dominated his contemporaries’ holiday records in 1960.

On Real Gone’s first-ever CD release of the original stereo album mix, The 25th Day of December still retains the power to surprise and enthrall.  It came in a busy year for the singer in which every project seemed different than the one that preceded it – an original studio album, a live set at the Copa, a duet project with Johnny Mercer (the latter recorded in 1960 and released the following year).  Darin turned to Bobby Scott, who had accompanied him in live performances and in the studio, to craft the album’s arrangements and lead the choir dubbed The Bobby Scott Chorale.  Though the album emphasized the sacred over the secular – there’s no “Silver Bells” or “Sleigh Ride” here – Scott and Darin clearly desired to take listeners not just to a staid, solemn congregation, but to a foot-stompin’, soul-savin’ revival.

Darin seemingly reached to the depths of his soul for the up-tempo gospel of “Child of God,” “Baby Born Today” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” growling and wailing his call-and-response vocals with Scott’s choir.  “Poor Little Jesus” is as deeply bluesy as “Jehovah Hallelujah” is utterly rousing.  The  straightforward hymn “Holy Holy Holy” shows off Scott’s choral arrangements for male and female voices, and “Ave Maria” (the Bach-Gounod setting, not the Schubert) features some of Darin’s most sensitive, impassioned and subtle singing.  It’s a far cry from the brash upstart persona Darin cultivated with songs like “Mack the Knife.”  So is the stately take on “Silent Night.”  Darin even sang in Latin on the album’s de facto finale, “Dona Nobis Pacem.”  (A brief a cappella “Amen” follows the track.)

After the jump: more on Bobby Darin, plus a look at Funky Christmas!

Real Gone’s reissue adds new liner notes from James Ritz.  In addition, the label has expanded the original LP with one bonus track, the mono single of “Christmas Auld Lang Syne” with new lyrics by Frank Military and Manny Kurtz.  When Darin starts to sing of mistletoe and tinsel glow, it’s both refreshing and disconcerting following the frequently-solemn album.  The 25th Day of December remains a moving and singular creation by one of popular music’s most enduring vocalists, and one of the most unusual Christmas albums to be recorded by a mainstream superstar.  As such, it’s worth a spin this Christmas season.

Funky ChristmasOn the other end of the spectrum, Real Gone has brought the 1976 various-artists compilation Funky Christmas to CD for the first time.  This 12-song collection was designed to showcase the new R&B roster of Atlantic Records’ Cotillion imprint in an exciting way, and all six artists featured (with two songs apiece) had issued their first albums for the label earlier in the year.  Lou Donaldson and Willis Jackson delivered the instrumental goods, while Margie Joseph and John Edwards covered the solo vocal bases, and The Impressions and Luther represented Cotillion’s vocal groups.

Motown vet Paul Riser arranged the curtain-raiser on Funky Christmas, Luther’s “May Christmas Bring You Happiness,” a catchy, Philly-style R&B track sung with grace and passion by its composer, the group’s frontman and namesake Luther Vandross.  To a bouncy, light-disco rhythm, Luther’s toast is a warm and welcome one.  Luther’s second track on Funky Christmas, “At Christmas Time,” is a slow-burning, lush ballad with Vandross’ velvety pipes at their finest.  As Luther’s recordings have long been kept under lock and key, the inclusion of these tracks here is a particularly welcome treat.  The Impressions were starting anew at Atlantic, recovering from the losses over time of Jerry Butler, Curtis Mayfield and Leroy Hutson.  On Funky Christmas, Sam Gooden and Fred Cash were joined by Ralph Johnson and Reggie Torian for a nicely-grooving take on “Silent Night” and a disco-fied “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.”

John Edwards, just a year away from signing with The Spinners to replace Philippe Wynne, serves up southern soul dishes of perennials “The Christmas Song” and “White Christmas,” produced by David Porter of Sam and Dave.  Edwards’ sensual vocals complement the smokin’ brass and churchy organ on the former, and the smooth soul man cuts even looser on the latter.  Like John Edwards, Margie Joseph had Philly soul ties, just missing the R&B Top 10 with a duet version of “What’s Come Over Me” with that city’s lush vocal group Blue Magic (“Sideshow”).  Joseph, recipient of a series of reissues from Real Gone predecessor Collectors’ Choice Music, appears on two tracks produced by another bona fide soul legend, none other than Lamont Dozier.  The sweetly upbeat, simple “Christmas Gift” (“If you ever need a lift, think of my Christmas gift!  If you feel like you’re falling from a cliff/Hold onto my Christmas gift!”) boasts Joseph’s buoyant vocals, and she’s soft and silky – but still sassy – on “Feeling Like Christmas.”

Four instrumental tracks rounded out the LP.  Willis Jackson’s tenor saxophone slinks and slides through “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and a disco “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”  Alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson doesn’t bring much funk to “Jingle Bells” but is more at home on the smoky Frank Loesser standard “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve.”  Gene Sculatti provides excellent new liner notes, and as with The 25th Day of December, sound quality shouldn’t disappoint despite the lack of a credited remastering engineer. Make no mistake, Funky Christmas is a grab-bag, but it’s a delectable one that might brighten up the rotation should you need to bring a little R&B to your next holiday party.

You can order The 25th Day of December and Funky Christmas by clicking on the album covers, above!

Coming (real) soon: reviews of Real Gone’s Christmas releases from Andy Williams, Patti Page, and The New Christy Minstrels!

Categories: Holiday Gift Guide, Reviews Formats: CD Genre: Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul Tags: Bobby Darin, Luther Vandross

Avatar photo

Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with Real Gone Music, has released newly-curated collections produced by Joe from iconic artists such as Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Chet Atkins, and many others. He has contributed liner notes to reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, B.J. Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, and Andy Williams, and has compiled releases for talents including Robert Goulet and Keith Allison of Paul Revere and the Raiders. Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray. Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.

Connect With Joe: FacebookTwitter

You Might Also Like

  • Stream PaulThe Weekend Stream: March 11, 2023
  • StreamThe Weekend Stream: May 14, 2022
  • Irma Thomas Full Time Woman VinylTell Me Again: Tomorrow's Real Gone Vinyl Slate Includes Irma Thomas and Soundtracks to Two Nora Ephron Romantic Comedies
  • StreamThe Weekend Stream: August 7, 2021

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Upcoming Releases

  • Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon SDE
    The Dark Side of the Moon / Live at Wembley 1974
    Pink Floyd
    March 24, 2023
  • Nancy and Lee Again
    Nancy and Lee Again [Various Formats]
    Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood
    March 24, 2023
  • Honky Chateau
    Honky Château (50th Anniversary Edition)
    Elton John
    March 24, 2023
See Full Calendar

Connect

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 4,570 other subscribers

Popular

  • Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane OJC
    In Your Own Sweet Way: Craft Announces Original Jazz Classics Relaunch with Miles Davis, Monk and Coltrane posted on March 16, 2023 | under News
  • Talking Heads Stop Making Sense Deluxe 2LP
    What a Day That Was: Talking Heads' 'Stop Making Sense' Expanded for Vinyl, Film Reissue posted on March 17, 2023 | under News
  • Rick Springfield Springfield
    Call the Fire Brigade: Iconoclassic Premieres Rick Springfield's Lost 1974 Album "Springfield" in Expanded Edition posted on March 20, 2023 | under News

Comments

  • small faces here come the nice2
    Return To Itchycoo Park: Small Faces' "Here Come The Nice" Deluxe Box Set Arrives In January [UPDATED 12/3] 84 comments | by Joe Marchese | posted on December 3, 2013 | under News
  • the beatles u s albums box2
    British Invasion! The Beatles Unveil "The U.S. Albums" Box Set in January 69 comments | by Joe Marchese | posted on December 12, 2013 | under News
  • Rolling Stones in Mono
    Out of Their Heads: Stones Plan Mono Box Set 47 comments | by Mike Duquette | posted on August 10, 2016 | under News

Music Resources

  • Addicted to Vinyl
  • Crap from the Past
  • Discogs
  • Film Score Monthly
  • IMWAN Forum – From the Vaults
  • MusicTAP
  • Musoscribe
  • Pause & Play
  • Popblerd
  • Popdose
  • Record Racks
  • Slicing Up Eyeballs
  • Steve Hoffman Music Forums
  • Ultimate Classic Rock
  • Vintage Vinyl News
  • Viva La Mainstream
  • Wolfgang's Vault

Labels of Note

  • Ace Records
  • Analog Spark
  • Bear Family
  • BGO Records
  • Big Break Records
  • Blixa Sounds
  • Cherry Red Label Group
  • Craft Recordings
  • Demon Music Group
  • Friday Music
  • Funky Town Grooves
  • Iconoclassic Records
  • Intervention Records
  • Intrada
  • Kritzerland
  • La La Land Records
  • Legacy Recordings
  • Light in the Attic
  • Masterworks Broadway
  • Now Sounds
  • Omnivore Recordings
  • Real Gone Music
  • Resonance Records
  • Rhino Entertainment
  • Rock Candy Records
  • SoulMusic Records
  • Sunset Blvd. Records
  • Supermegabot
  • Varese Sarabande
  • Vinyl Me, Please
  • Wounded Bird
Copyright © 2023 The Second Disc. All rights reserved. · Site by Metaglyphics

The Second Disc is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk.

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy