There have been obsessions in the past, perhaps it stems from my father's love of Nat King Cole's interpretation of the classic christmas song. I was far too young to dig any nuance out of Cole's flawless reading, couldn't decipher the double entendre of a negro performing America's defining Christmas song, at the time that it was recorded. I always thought it a pale,(HA!) withering "classic" better left on the old cassette that pops was wearing out even with an annual play every christmas day.
Teenage heartbreak rocketed "Last Christmas" by George Michael right up the list. I will forever be 16 and feeling used by some little girl to get what she reallly wanted for christmas, read: not me. Lately I must admit the reggae version of "Last Christmas" does me one better, you know the whole black people reinterpretation thing.
Oh, but the daddy of them all inspires fanaticism in me. It makes me feel like those collectors I hate who flaunt holy grails they will never appreciate in the face of mere enthusiasts, who for instance are passionate about a subject, like music. Yeah, this song when it became so widely available about 10 years ago, sort of had to leave the top of my list because it's lack of availability was one of it's strongest points, and what does THAT say about a song written and performed by Prince at the cresting of his creative powers? It's cheese, it's schmaltz, it's sad, chic and ever so low down. "Another Lonely Christmas" is the kind of gag that Robert Smith would be ashamed to play on even the most devout Cure fan, but dammit, from that first swooning riff, I am always hooked, and around Christmas time, I am always lonely, with or without my family, my friends or a lover.
The prevailing mood of the world sends me toward solitude, I just can't help it, I like to block the world out, even if for a few moments on Christmas Eve, and just be with me. I had always thought however, that I would find someone, who felt comfortable enough to invade that space, someone right at home disrupting my navel gazing, I thought I found that person, but I think a lot of stupid shit, it's called digressing, are you noticing a pattern?
Back on topic, there are a few honorable mentions, Vanessa Williams valium inspired "What Child is This?" (the sheer irony of America's at the time number one whore, serenading America's number one innocent, leaves this one high atop my list for all times), Mahalia Jackson's Christmas album, James Brown's, "Christmas in Hollis", worthy as these all may be, they lack that essential feeling of egress created by the season's feelings of good will, hope, desperation and regret. Twice, believe it or not, black music has completely hit that nail on the head: "Merry Christmas Baby" covered and perfected by so many great artists has all my requirements in spades, it's a blues for god's sake! Oh so elegant, it just strolls along and dares you not to think about your loved ones, your greatest Christmas memories, and just smile.
Oh but the big dog in the room, my number one in this High Fidelity inspired Funky Five Christmas Songs plus one more, is the standard by which all others are judged. So much has been said about Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas", and so much more still remains to be said. I won't try to improve upon what other greater minds than mine have said, I can only speak to my feelings about this record. Say what you want, Donny Hathaway had a way of really speaking to the souls of black folks, it is the same gift that R. Kelly has: the ability to present a skeptical people with almost anything and have them consider it. Dave Chappelle could have been talking about Donny when he said: "that R. Kellly can make a song about anything!" So if you can imagine, being raised your entire life somewhere between Mahalia's "Holy Holy Holy" and Nat the King's chestnuts, only to find that everything you thought you had been missing in Christmas music was right there, hell, you were hearing it in utero, it was made for your first Christmas. Somehow you missed it for 9 years, but now you are riding in your mother's best friend's daughter Vickie's Toyota Celica GT, and she is beautiful, and we're alone now, and she is singing this song for you. (ahem....) The best way I can explain is to say that you are 9, it is Christmas, and suddenly you realize that Black is the best possible thing you could be, at the best possible time in the world, something about this sound, these words has always been waiting for you, and you just want to thank the man who knew you before you knew yourself. So, thank you Donny, and I hope you don't mind the company, but now, we got one more:
Monique Bingham is probably not a name that you are familiar with, but she has written 3 of the most singularly beautiful songs in the last 15 years that I can think of: "Pure" performed by Monique as part of the group "Blue Six"; "Get Another Plan" by the group Abstract Truth, and you really should kneel down before the might of another record by Abstract Truth entitled simply enough: "(We Had) A Thing". If there were any justice in the world all 3 of these songs would have enjoyed fortnight runs on the top of the pop charts, for they are pop at its best, and Monique at her best. She has outdone herself with another sparsely arranged masterpiece, just in time for Christmas. "December" featured on the excellent album "Christmas in the House" available now on King St. Sounds, the venerable house music label, has no business being so undeniably groovy, thought provoking, sad and uplifting at the same time. Ms. Bingham's performance is so coded, rife with pain and promise, I don't wanna overtalk it, let's just say that, Donny, and Nat et. al, have got some seriously funky company. Listen to it right now, and tell me what YOU think.
