Sold Date:
February 25, 2022
Start Date:
February 19, 2022
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$23.99
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I'm selling my personal record collection in preparation for moving. We do not ship internationally or to Alaska, Hawaii, US Protectorates or APO/FPO addresses.
Phil Spector's Christmas Album (originally released as A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records) is an of , produced by , and originally released as 4005 in 1963. Spector treated a series of mostly Christmas standards to his "" treatment, and the selections feature the vocal performances of Spector's regular artists during this period. The album peaked at No. 13 on magazine's special, year-end, weekly Christmas Albums sales chart in December 1963.
The album was reissued by in 1972, with different cover art—a photograph of Spector dressed as a heavily bearded Santa Claus, wearing a "Back to Mono" button—and retitled Phil Spector's Christmas Album. This version of the album went to No. 6 on Billboard's special Christmas Albums sales chart in December of that year, which was its highest chart ranking.
In 2003, the album was voted No. 142 on magazine's list of , maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list. In 2017, it was ranked the 130th greatest album of the 1960s by . In 2019, it was ranked the greatest Christmas album of all time by Rolling Stone. of has cited this album as his favorite of all time. The album was included in Robert Dimery's .
The album, released in the United States on November 22, 1963—the same day that President was —was a relative failure at the time. Original pressings are scarce and collectable, now selling for $400–$500 in excellent condition.
In subsequent years, especially after its reissue on Apple, the album grew in popularity and is considered now to be a holiday classic. Several of its tracks became iconic Christmas songs for generations, such as ’s “”, the original (and flop) single "," and the well-known "Ring-a-ling-a-ling Ding-dong-ding" background vocals in "". The arrangement of 's version of "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" is based in part on ' version of the song, and 's late-1980s remake of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" that appeared on the first album is patterned after the original that appeared on the Spector LP. The Ronettes' versions of "Frosty The Snowman" and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" also usually get some radio airplay during the holiday season.
The album has been released several times on different labels: the original release on Philles and the 1972 reissue on Apple were followed by additional reissues on (1974; this was the first release to feature a mix of the songs, although it ironically used the "Back to Mono" Apple cover), Pavilion–a short-lived imprint of CBS (1981, also in stereo, using the Apple artwork, but with the "Back to Mono" button airbrushed out), Impression (1983), Passport (1984), and (1987).
Track listingRecorded at recording studio
No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength1.""2:522."", 2:163.""A. Emmett Adams, 2:544."", 3:245."", The Ronettes3:006."", Darlene Love2:237.""The Ronettes2:378.""The Crystals2:309."", Dick SmithDarlene Love2:2510.""The Crystals2:5511."", , Darlene Love2:4512."", Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans2:0313."", Phil Spector and Artists2:08