A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector cover

A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector

Released

Phil Spector’s life casts a shadow on his album length landmark – his concluding recitation of holiday wishes feels especially skippable. But as a demonstration of both the Wall of Sound played by the famed Wrecking Crew and even more especially a series of energetic performances by acts like the Ronettes, A Christmas Gift For You earns its stripes. The Crystals’ blazing rework of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” is stellar but Darlene Love wins it all, especially thanks to the album’s sole original song, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).”

Ned Raggett

Recommended by

Suggestions
Abbey Road cover

Abbey Road

The Beatles
All the Young Dudes cover

All the Young Dudes

Mott the Hoople
A Charlie Brown Christmas cover

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Vince Guaraldi Trio
 VU cover

VU

The Velvet Underground
A Christmas Together cover

A Christmas Together

The Muppets, John Denver
Boston cover

Boston

Boston
Echo & The Bunnymen cover

Echo & The Bunnymen

Echo & the Bunnymen