CoronaVinyl Day 117 (RS Greatest Albums 101-150): A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector by Various Artists

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Today, it's Christmas in July.  We are looking at albums ranked between 101 and 150 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time, and the greatest holiday album ever released -- 1963's A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector, also known as Phil Spector's Christmas Album -- comes in at #142 on the list.

I sing the praises of this album every December, in my own mind if not to the wider world.  But the point is this.  For a holiday album to be ranked as one of the Top 150 albums of all-time across all genres, you know it has to be good.

The album was released on the day JFK was shot, and legendary producer Phil Spector -- before he was murdering him house guests -- used his "Wall of Sound" production technique to bring the both standards and new holiday songs to life, creating iconic Christmas songs that have been used in movies, TV shows, commercials, and the like for the last 57 years.

Setting aside Spector -- who is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and arguably the greatest producer in rock and roll history -- the list contributors to the album is amazing:

• The artists are The Ronettes, The Crystals, Darlene Love, and Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans.  Both The Ronettes and Love are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Hell, one could argue that Darlene Love got into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame because of this album.

• Among the many legendary session musicians who performed on the album were Sonny Bono (percussion), Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Leon Russell (piano), Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Hal Blaine (drums), and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Steve Douglas (saxophone), and Ray Pohlman (bass), who was credited with being the first electric bass player in LA in the '50s.

• Love's hit (now a Christmas classic), "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" was co-written by Spector and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame songwriters Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich (who also gave us legendary pop hits like "Da Do Ron Ron," "Then He Kissed Me," "The Leader of the Pack," "Be My Baby," "Hanky Panky," "Do-Wah-Diddy," "Chapel of Love," and "River Deep - Mountain High").

My version of the album is a 1981 reissue with a new cover featuring Spector dressed up as Santa Claus.  By this time, he had divorced Ronnie Bennett (lead singer of the Ronettes) and had allegedly holding the Ramones at gunpoint during the recording of End of the Century, so things were on their way down, culminating infamously in 2003 when he shot and killed actress Lana Clarkson at his home.  He is currently serving a 19-year sentence for second degree murder and using a firearm in the commission of a crime.  Given that he is 80 and still has another nine years to go on his sentence, he'll likely spend the rest of his life in prison.

Favorite song from Side 1:  "Sleigh Ride" by The Ronettes
The Ronettes crush this holiday classic, from the horse sound effects to Ronnie Bennett Spector's lead vocals to the backing "ring-aling-aling-a-ding-dong-dings."  It's far and away my favorite version of this song.  Ronnie could sing death dirges and make them sound good.

Favorite song from Side 2:  "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" by Darlene Love
This song is one of the all-time classic holiday songs and the crowning jewel of the album. Like a thundering herd of elephants, this songs tramples you with soaring vocals, what sounds like a full orchestra, several different types of drums, and possibly a triangle. Forget Christmas songs, this song is one of the best songs in rock and roll history, period.