Soul Christmas
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox album|cover=Soul Christmas.jpg
| name = Soul Christmas
| type = compilation
| artist = various artists
| released = November 1968
| genre =
| length =
| label =
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Christmas
| type = compilation
| single1 = Gee Whiz, It's Christmas
| single1date = 1963
| single2 = Presents For Christmas
| single2date = 1966
| single3 = Jingle Bells
| single3date = 1966
| single4 = Silver Bells
| single4date = 1967
| single5 = I'll Make Every Day Christmas (For My Woman)
| single5date = 1967
| single6 = Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday
| single6date = 1967
| single7 = Back Door Santa
| single7date = 1968
| single8 = The Christmas Song" / "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve
| single8date = 1968
| single9 = White Christmas" / "Merry Christmas Baby
| single9date = 1968
}}
}}
Soul Christmas is a 1968 collection of Christmas songs produced by Atco Records. The album contains new and previously recorded tracks, some originally released on Stax Records.https://www.rogerogreen.com/2020/12/12/soul-christmas-from-stax-atlantic/ Soul Christmas reached number 13 on Billboard's Best Bets for Christmas in 1968,"Billboard Best Bets For Christmas". Billboard, vol. 80, no. 52, December 28, 1968, p. 57. and number 8 in both 1969"Billboard Best Bets For Christmas". Billboard, vol. 81, no. 49, December 6, 1969, p. 11. and 1970."Best Bets For Christmas". Billboard, vol. 82, no. 52, December 26, 1970, p. 59. The CD version, with three additional tracks, reached number 89 on their Top R&B Albums chart in 1994.https://www.billboard.com/charts/r-b-hip-hop-albums/1994-12-31/
Original track listing
{{track listing
| extra_column = Artist
| note1 = Christmas chart #4
| title1 = Back Door Santa
| length1 = 2:08
| extra1 = Clarence Carter“Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 80, no. 50, December 14, 1968, p. 84.
| title2 = The Christmas Song
| length2 = 2:55
| extra2 = King Curtis with Duane Allman
| note3 = Christmas chart #12
| title3 = White Christmas
| length3 = 3:06
| extra3 = Otis Redding with Booker T. & the M.G.'s“Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 80, no. 52, December 28, 1968, p. 57.
| note4 = Christmas chart #15
| title4 = I'll Make Every Day Christmas (For My Woman)
| length4 = 3:04
| extra4 = Joe Tex“Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 79, no. 50, December 16, 1967, p. 61.
| note5 = from their album In the Christmas Spirit
| title5 = Silver Bells
| length5 = 2:28
| extra5 = Booker T. & the M.G.'s
| note6 = Christmas chart #23
| title6 = Gee Whiz It’s Christmas
| length6 = 2:40
| extra6 = Carla Thomas with Vinny Trauth
| note7 = Christmas chart #9
| title7 = Merry Christmas Baby
| length7 = 2:30
| extra7 = Otis Redding with Booker T. & The MG's“Christmas Records.” Billboard, vol. 75, no. 52, December 28, 1963, p. 7.
| title8 = Presents For Christmas
| length8 = 2:40
| extra8 = Solomon Burke
| note9 = Christmas chart #20
| title9 = Jingle Bells
| length9 = 2:32
| extra9 = Booker T. and The MG's“Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 78, no. 52, December 24, 1966, p. 33.
| note10 = Christmas chart #33
| title10 = Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday
| length10 = 2:35
| extra10 = William Bell
| title11 = What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?
| length11 = 3:20
| extra11 = King Curtis with Duane Allmanhttps://www.discogs.com/master/400030-Various-Soul-Christmas
| total_length = 29:58
}}
Critical reception
Randy Anthony on the site Hip Christmas says "the magic of 60's soul music – the gospel intensity, the ribald humor, the sensual conviction – comes to bear with its most powerful alchemy on Soul Christmas . . . All in all, Soul Christmas is a classic of both genres – soul and Christmas – one that belongs in the collection of anyone who claims to know anything about either. The most amazing aspect of Soul Christmas is that these songs are among the very best that these artists – all giants of soul – ever recorded."{{Cite web|url=https://www.hipchristmas.com/albums/s/soul.php|title=Soul Christmas - Various Artists - Hip Christmas Music (www.hipchristmas.com)|website=Hip Christmas}}
Reissues
There are several variations on this collection. The 1994 Rhino Records CD reissue adds three bonus tracks, including the original 1963 version of Carla Thomas' "All I Want For Christmas Is You" (the b-side to her "Gee Whiz, It's Christmas") and Ray Charles' "Christmas Time."https://www.rhino.com/aod/soul-christmas-various-artists Rhino also appends "Original" to this title in an attempt to avoid confusion with 1991's Soul Christmas. That disc, another Atlantic/Atco compilation, expands the scope of the original LP featuring 20 tracks spanning more than 20 years, including several songs from the out-of-print Cotillion Records LP, Funky Christmas (1976).https://www.discogs.com/release/2486262-Various-Funky-Christmas Also included is Carla Thomas' 1966 version of the aforementioned "All I Want For Christmas Is You."https://www.allmusic.com/album/soul-christmas-atlantic--mw0000177903
= 1991 =
{{Track listing
| headline = Soul Christmas (1991)
| extra_column = Artist
| extra1 = Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters
| writer1 = Irving Berlin
| title1 = White Christmas
| length1 = 2:38
| title2 = This Christmas
| writer2 = {{hlist|Donny Hathaway|Nadine McKinner}}
| extra2 = Donny Hathaway
| length2 = 3:31
| title3 = Gee Whiz, It's Christmas
| writer3 = {{hlist|Carla Thomas|Steve Cropper}}
| extra3 = Carla Thomas
| length3 = 2:41
| title4 = Back Door Santa
| writer4 = {{hlist|Clarence Carter|Marcus Daniel}}
| extra4 = Clarence Carter
| length4 = 2:07
| title5 = Merry Christmas Baby
| writer5 = {{hlist|Lou Baxter|Johnny Moore}}
| extra5 = Booker T. & The MG's
| length5 = 3:13
| title6 = Silent Night
| writer6 = {{hlist|Franz Xaver Gruber|Joseph Mohr}}
| extra6 = The Impressions
| length6 = 3:57
| title7 = May Christmas Bring You Happiness
| writer7 = {{hlist|Luther Vandross}}
| extra7 = Luther
| length7 = 4:26
| title8 = White Christmas
| writer8 = Irving Berlin
| extra8 = Otis Redding
| length8 = 3:06
| title9 = I'll Make Every Day Christmas (For My Woman)
| writer9 = Buddy Killen
| extra9 = Joe Tex
| length9 = 3:29
| title10 = Silver Bells
| writer10 = {{hlist|Raymond B. Evans|Jay Livingstone}}
| extra10 = Booker T. & The MG's
| length10 = 2:29
| title11 = All I Want For Christmas Is You
| writer11 = {{hlist|A.C. Williams}}
| extra11 = Carla Thomas
| length11 = 2:51
| title12 = The Christmas Song
| writer12 = {{hlist|Mel Tormé|Robert Wells}}
| extra12 = The Drifters
| length12 = 2:28
| title13 = Merry Christmas Baby
| writer13 = {{hlist|Lou Baxter|Johnny Moore}}
| extra13 = Otis Redding
| length13 = 2:32
| title14 = Soul Santa
| writer14 = {{hlist|Gerald Deas|Marcus Daniel}}
| extra14 = Brook Benton
| length14 = 3:22
| title15 = Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday
| writer15 = {{hlist|Booker T. Jones|William Bell}}
| extra15 = The Sweet Inspirations
| length15 = 2:28
| title16 = Christmas Gift
| writer16 = {{hlist|Lamont Dozier}}
| extra16 = Margie Joseph
| length16 = 3:26
| title17 = Presents For Christmas
| writer17 = {{hlist|Dolores Burke|Solomon Burke|Solomon Burke, Jr|Hugh Martin}}
| extra17 = Solomon Burke
| length17 = 3:11
| title18 = New Year's Resolution
| writer18 = {{hlist|Frank Loesser}}
| length18 = 3:20
| title19 = What Are You Doing New Year's Eve
| writer19 = {{hlist|Frank Loesser}}
| extra19 = King Curtis
| length19 = 3:39
| title20 = May Christmas Bring You Happiness 1991 Remix
| writer20 = {{hlist|Luther Vandross}}
| extra20 = Luther
| length20 = 5:15
| total_length = 64:09
}}
Some international releases contain Aretha Franklin's "Amazing Grace" as a bonus track.https://www.discogs.com/release/9336631-Various-Rockstar-Music-15-Soul-Christmas
= 1994 =
{{Track listing
| headline = Original Soul Christmas (1994)
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| note1 = Clarence Carter
| title1 = Back Door Santa
| writer1 = Clarence Carter, Marcus Daniel
| extra1 = {{hlist|Rick Hall}}
| length1 = 2:10
| note2 = King Curtis
| title2 = The Christmas Song
| writer2 = {{hlist|Mel Tormé|Robert Wells}}
| extra2 = {{hlist|Tom Dowd}}
| length2 = 3:11
| note3 = Otis Redding
| title3 = White Christmas
| writer3 = Irving Berlin
| extra3 = Stax Staff
| length3 = 3:09
| note4 = Joe Tex
| title4 = I'll Make Every Day Christmas (For My Woman)
| writer4 = Buddy Killen
| extra4 = Joe Tex
| length4 = 3:32
| note5 = Booker T. & The MG's
| title5 = Silver Bells
| writer5 = {{hlist|Raymond B. Evans|Jay Livingstone}}
| extra5 = {{hlist|Jim Stewart}}
| length5 = 2:33
| note6 = Carla Thomas
| title6 = Gee Whiz, It's Christmas
| writer6 = {{hlist|Carla Thomas|Steve Cropper}}
| extra6 = Carla Thomas
| length6 = 2:47
| note7 = Otis Redding
| title7 = Merry Christmas Baby
| writer7 = {{hlist|Lou Baxter|Johnny Moore}}
| extra7 = {{hlist|Stax Staff}}
| length7 = 2:34
| note8 = Solomon Burke
| title8 = Presents For Christmas
| writer8 = {{hlist|Dolores Burke|Solomon Burke|Solomon Burke, Jr|Hugh Martin}}
| extra8 = {{hlist|Bob Gallo}}
| length8 = 3:13
| note9 = Booker T. & The MG's
| title9 = Jingle Bells
| writer9 = {{hlist|James Lord Pierpont}}
| extra9 = {{hlist|Jim Stewart}}
| length9 = 2:38
| note10 = William Bell
| title10 = Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday
| writer10 = {{hlist|Booker T. Jones|William Bell}}
| extra10 = {{hlist|Booker T. Jones}}
| length10 = 2:40
| note11 = King Curtis
| title11 = What Are You Doing New Year's Eve
| writer11 = {{hlist|Frank Loesser}}
| extra11 = {{hlist|Tom Dowd}}
| length11 = 3:45
| note12 = Carla Thomas
| title12 = All I Want For Christmas Is You
| writer12 = {{hlist|A.C. Williams}}
| extra12 = {{hlist|Jim Stewart}}
| length12 = 1:45
| note13 = Ray Charles
| title13 = Christmas Time
| writer13 = {{hlist|Sayde Shepard}}
| extra13 = {{hlist|Ray Charles}}
| length13 = 4:31
| note14 = Booker T. & The MG's
| title14 = Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
| writer14 = {{hlist|Haven Gillespie|J. Fred Coots}}
| extra14 = {{hlist|Jim Stewart}}
| length14 = 2:35
| total_length = 41:03
}}
Some international releases contain Aretha Franklin's "Amazing Grace" and "Wholy Holy" as bonus tracks.https://www.discogs.com/release/9336631-Various-Rockstar-Music-15-Soul-Christmas