(Originally posted in 2018)
Gather ‘round, get a drank, grab your loved ones and get cozy for our #MusicSermon Christmas Sing Along
This is a special sermon, as so much of Christmas music is standards. This isn’t about background, history and details. We’re just gonna fellowship and enjoy the vibes.
We have to kick it off with the essential and ultimate Christmas classic, regardless of genre or era or anything. If you know it, feel free to sing along….
And while we’re on timeless Christmas classics from smooth ass cool ass Black folks, hey, Eartha. (They weren’t ready for her, at all)
Like I mentioned, so much of Christmas music is covering standards, so we’re going to get into this thing with an “O Holy Night”-off, featuring all the aunties. Starting with ReRe and top session pianist for everybody and the Beatles, Billy Preston.
And of course It’s only appropriate to follow Aretha with Patti. High hair Patti, at that! With acapella vocals. I live.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6NeBp8YJY0
Aunt Gladys got fly with it; added some praise. Did a little remix. Ya’ll be sleeping on Auntie Glat because she doesn’t engage in diva antics, but she is still in full voice. Rhat now, today.
Junior Auntie Yolanda put a little Urban Contemporary on it.
Now please clear way for Aunt Dionne and an entire orchestra to take the stage. And she’s doing the third verse. Dignified. Elegant. Thank you.
There are only two people I can follow Dionne with, and I don’t have a Cissy clip, so…
Let’s stay with Nippy for a while. Young Whit and “Do You Hear What I Hear”
Of course you think Whitney + Christmas and you automatically think about The Preacher’s Wife. I still don’t know where Lionel Richie’s behind popped up from for this clip.
Aretha went full Aretha when rendering “Joy to the World” for a Rockefeller Center tree lighting. All that was missing was her pocketbook.
What is criminal is that with all the Christmas soul classics Motown produced, painfully few performances can be found. BUT, the most important one is here. Find your part.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tHcgxeKQTI
I have always loved loved loved The Supremes’ version of “My Favorite Things”, and Diana came through with it exactly the way I envisioned.
Staying with Motown for a minute, I haven’t been able to find any Jackson 5 Christmas performances, but I knew I had to include them in here somewhere.
If I have to chose a single Christmas album as my favorite, it’s a toss up between Vince Guaraldi and Stevie. Stevie got Christmas JAMS.
Buddy Miles wasn’t a Motown artist, but the California Raisins were very Temps/Pips-ish, so let’s put them here.
Ok, we did the “O Holy Night”-off with the women. Let’s tap your drunk uncles in for “Merry Christmas Baby”. Starting with your smooth uncle who be trying to holler at your friends, Lou Rawls.
Uncle Ray Ray…
And the OG, Charles Brown. Charles got a glass of brown just out of camera shot, a guarantee it. Everybody in that joint drunk… listen to ‘em.
I’m gonna ask that the Umoja choir please come forward to accompany Uncle Ray in this next selection. (Or kinda just stand there to get in position for the next number.)
And now if the #MusicSermon Holiday Mass choir will come forward. Let’s kick this up a little. Make sure you’re in your section.
While we’re in the contemporary soulful Christmas groove, might as well rock “Soul Holiday” The ‘90s gave us a real moment of adding some New Jack Swing-somethin’ on Christmas and Gospel songs.
And nobody did that ‘90s contemporary gospel sound like Bebe & Cece. You gotta wait for the beat drop on this one.
One of the only contemporary R&B Christmas originals I think can be considered a classic.
Ok, ok, here’s the actual video so Brian can get some love.
But back to this Very Special Christmas Episode of Fresh Prince Featuring Boyz II Men
I hate admitting this here there are so many Luther haters in the mix (I really don’t know what’s wrong with ya’ll), but as much as I love Luther, I don’t love all his Christmas songs
But I can’t not include him.
Ya’ll know I never, ever, ever acknowledge anything this recent, but them Braxton’s came properly with this, so I’m allowing for special entry.
https://youtu.be/9_58oa7jVR4?t=30
I’m not leaving Mariah out. This is a bonafide Christmas classic.
Ok, family. We’re going to prepare to wrap this up. I know ya’ll have been waiting…
There’ll be a brief repast in the fellowship hall with pound cake and red punch, amen. But first, let’s all join for the benediction hymn. We started with a timeless classic, let’s go out the same way.
….ok, the REAL benediction hymn.
#MusicSermon fam I thank ya’ll and love y’all. I pray peace and love and strength and joy to you and yours, and comfort if this time is difficult. I hope this adds to your holiday.
To complete your holiday vibes, we have two playlists depending on what kind of vibe you want. There’s Soulful Ass Holiday in the vein of tonight’s thread.
And Jazzy Holiday, If you wanna get your Vince Guaraldi, Nancy Wilson, Ella, etc on.