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by EMMA NOBLE
if you’re anything like me, the moment 1st december arrives, the first door of my advent calendar opens and the christmas tunes go straight on to get me into the festive spirit… but it’s not long before the same old christmas songs start feeling a bit repetitive and overplayed. i’ve always loved the traditional, older christmas tunes — BING CROSBY, SINATRA, NAT KING COLE — they’re nostalgic and take me straight back to my childhood christmas. (though i do enjoy a sprinkle of the modern classics too… like MARIAH, and even a bit of BUBLÉ!)
hosting our „noble & heath show“ on london’s soho radio has meant digging a little deeper into the soulful side of christmas music, and it’s always refreshing to find festive tracks that aren’t on loop everywhere you go. so, i’ve picked out five of my favourite soulful, lesser-known christmas gems.
written by LAMONT DOZIER and released in 1976, this appeared on a compilation of holiday songs offering a more soulful, upbeat festive vibe than the usual hymn-style christmas music. it’s now become one of my favourite christmas tunes.
first released on his 1967 holiday album „merry christmas ho! ho! ho!“ — which is full of alternative, soulful takes on christmas classics. this track was later covered by the brilliant BLACK PUMAS in 2020 (who we were lucky enough to have as guests on our radio show).
KELLY is a superb modern soul artist signed to colemine records and frontman of the monophonics. he released this as a single in 2019, and it later appeared on his christmas album „a joyful sound“ (2020). the whole album is a gorgeous slice of modern festive soul — available on green vinyl — and absolutely worth adding to your christmas collection.
co-written with FOREST HAIRSTON and recorded in 1972, this was originally intended as a holiday single. the christmas album gaye had planned never materialised, so the track was shelved for years, eventually being released in 1990 on „the marvin gaye collection“. HAIRSTON had been writing about the experience of vietnam war prisoners, and when gaye heard it, he helped reshape it into a deeply emotional christmas song. it tells the story of a soldier longing to be home for the holidays — dreaming of simple things: a christmas tree, laughter & snow.
i first heard norman jay play this track and instantly loved it. released in 1976, it’s surprisingly hard to find much information about either the recording or the MEMPHIS SOUNDS ORCHESTRA themselves. but it’s said the MEMPHIS SOUNDS ORCHESTRA isn’t one specific group but perhaps refers to the studio musicians behind the classic memphis sound. so likely included members of the memphis horns (ANDREW LOVE and WAYNE JACKSON), who’s playing defined so many of those legendary stax/volt soul records and played on countless hits for artists like OTIS REDDING, ARETHA FRANKLIN, and ELVIS PRESLEY. their unmistakable style is all over this track, making it a real hidden gem from the period. you can hear it on youtube, and there are plenty of 7s available out there – backed with a quirky version of winter wonderland.
EMMA NOBLE is part of the legendary dj duo NOBLE & HEATH. the london multi-talent is vinyl collector, songwriter, radio presenter and – as if that wasn’t enough – soul singer. her love for rare soul, funk and jazz is evident in every branch of her creative work.