Southern Soul Corner

2016 Is Almost Over: We have combined our regular Beach Buzz and Southern Soul columns this month - for the latest Southern Soul news and the final Top 45 of the year, go to the Beach Buzz tab. In the spirit of the season, we have published information here on new Soul Holiday music as well as our Top 45 Blues and Soul Holiday songs, a list that we had not included in the last 4 years. Enjoy and have a great Holiday season!

Slick Ross and associates just released a Holiday compilation entitled Ross Music Presents: A Soulful Christmas. This album features veterans and relative newcomers alike such as The Louisiana Blues Brothas, Pokeybear, Tyree Neal, Isaac J, Big Cynthia, Vince Hutchinson, Napoleon Demps, Veronica Ra'elle, Rosalyn Candy, Miss Portia and Crystal Thomas. 12 tracks of original music just right for the season!

Some significant Holiday singles released in Southern Soul include: Young gun J Wonn had a hit in 2014 with She Left Me for Christmas, this year he just dropped another good one entitled Holiday Season. Veteran soulster Nathaniel Kimble gives us a rendition of This Christmas and Vick Allen busts loose with What Christmas Means To Me.

Stephanie McDee released It's Christmas Time (For the Grown Folkz) last year and comes back strong this season with A Soulful Jingle Bell. The Duchess, Juressa McBride just dropped an upbeat seasonal groove entitled Party On Santa's Sleigh. One I missed last year, long time crooner Jim Bennett gave us A Man Needs A Woman At Christmas.

Jenni Weber, owner of JWMusicManagement, does a great job of distributing music for her clients, including Holiday tunes. This year's bounty includes Lomax with My Christmas Is You, Donnell Sullivan doing Merry Christmas and Coming Home For Christmas and newcomer Mo B with This Christmas I'm Giving You Me.

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings gave music fans a full spectrum of grooves over the last several years, from Funk and Old School R&B to Blues and Southern Soul. We just lost Sharon in November at the young age of 60 to a stroke which was on the heels of being treated for the reoccurrence of cancer. The groups 2015 release of It's A Holiday Soul Party is a great mix of covers and originals that is just right for the season and a fitting tribute to a lady that loved her craft and spreading joy to the people.

Two of my all time favorite Southern Soul/Blues Holiday compilations:

It’s Christmas, Baby - Ecko Records actually issued this compilation in 2006, later modifying and reissuing it with the same title containing several newer cuts. The original release had killer tracks by Ms. Jody, Barbara Carr, Rick Lawson, Donnie Ray, O.B. Buchana, Sheba Potts-Wright and Lee Shot Williams. The later addition included Holiday jewels by Luther Lackey and Sweet Angel. An outstanding collection of tunes for the CD player!

Please Come Home for Christmas – Released in 1995 by the late Johnny Vincent’s Ace label, it includes the two songs made forever famous (Please Come Home for Christmas and Merry Christmas Baby) by the late Charles Brown as well as some outstanding cuts by Willie Clayton, Robert Tillman, Ronnie Lovejoy, Cicero Blake, Frank-O Johnson, Huey ‘Piano’ Smith and Lee Fields. This is a search and find (a true collector’s item, but I did come across a few copies at CD Universe) but a ‘must’ have for serious collectors of Christmas Soul music.

Soul Dog’s Christmas Blues and Soul Smokin’ Top 45

1. I Want To Be Your Santa Claus - Ronnie Lovejoy

2. Christmas Gift - Margie Joseph

3. I'm Coming For Christmas - Bigg Robb

4. This Christmas I’ll Be Waiting For You - Ms Jody

5. Gonna Have A Merry Christmas - Kip Anderson

6. Christmas Just Ain't Christmas - O'Jays

7. Santa Bring My Baby Back - O.B. Buchana

8. White Christmas Blues - Huey Smith

9. Santa (Please Bring My Baby Home) - Chairmen of the Board

10. White Christmas - Drifters

11. Mr. Claus Is Cheating - Bill Coday & Karen Wolfe

12. Frosty The Bluesman - Heywood Banks

13. Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas - Staple Singers

14. I'm Coming Home For Christmas - Impressions

15. Christmas Loving - Peggy Scott-Adams

16. It's Just Not Christmas - Chuck Leavill

17. Merry Christmas, Baby - Donnie Ray

18. Please Come Home For Christmas - Charles Brown

19. (All I Want 4 Xmas) Is To Lay Around & Love On You - Chick Willis

20. Stay A Little Longer Santa - Shemekia Copeland

21. Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday - William Bell

22. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Darlene Love

23. Christmas Comes But Once A Year - Marva Wright

24. This Christmas – Donnie Hathaway

25. Merry Christmas My Baby - Sweet Angel

26. Love For Christmas - Gems

27. I Need A Man Down My Chimney - Barbara Carr

28. Christmas In Heaven - Billy Ward & the Dominoes

29. Double Crossed By Santa Claus - Billy 'Soul' Bonds

30. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - Impressions

31. I Need A Lover For Christmas - Sheba-Potts Wright

32. Christmas Means Love - Soul Stirrers

33. I Pray On Christmas - Solomon Burke & Blind Boys of Alabama

34. Good Time Christmas - Lou Rawls

35. Santa Claus Got The Blues - Bill Pinkney's Drifters

36. Can You Slip Away For Christmas – Mr. X

37. Christmas In the Sugaa Shack - Nelson Curry and Klass Band

38. Santa Stole My Baby - Cicero Blake

39. Silver Bells - Wilson Pickett

40. Hole In The Wall Christmas – Mel Waiters

41. Back Door Santa - Clarence Carter

42. Christmas Party – W.C. Clark

43. Be There For Christmas - Ledisi

44. Presents For Christmas – Solomon Burke

45. A Lonely Christmas - Willie Clayton