Post Description

This relatively new compilation (2004) includes 14 remastered tracks, originally recorded by Stevie back when he was "Little Stevie Wonder" and sang mostly non-originals under the direction of Motown executives. Tracks 1-12 were in fact originally issued as 'Someday at Christmas' in 1967 -- this new collection therefore trumps that album (which still shows up in the used bins) by adding two additional tracks. Still, the total playing time remains brief at 42 minutes.

The music itself is a bit dated of course -- Stevie croons in an adolescent voice, is backed by an un-funky orchestra with lush string arrangements and vocal choruses, and most of the tunes, if they ever were popular, are now obscurities. There are a some classic carols -- "Silver Bells," "The Little Drummer Boy," the classical piece "Ave Maria" (which Stevie braves in latin), and a Stevie favorite, Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts roasting on a open fire..."). Most of the tunes are slow ballads, until the end when the tempo picks up with "What Christmas Means to Me," a number more in the trademark Motown tradition with sleighbells serving as the rhthym section, and the two concluding add-on tracks. Some of the songs border on smarmy ("Bedtime for Toys" and "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Me" with their spoken interludes), but the opening track "Someday at Christmas," "The Day That Love Began," "The Christmas Song" and "Christmastime" are standouts with Stevie really shining -- the latter two feature a bit of Stevie on harmonica.

Bitrate: 256K/s  44100Hz  JointStereo
Covers: zie link in reactie.

Track Listing
-------------
 1. Someday At Christmas               (2:50)
 2. Silver Bells                       (2:24)
 3. Ave Maria                          (3:57)
 4. The Little Drummer Boy             (3:06)
 5. One Little Christmas Tree          (2:48)
 6. The Day That Love Began            (3:37)
 7. The Christmas Song                 (3:08)
 8. Bedtime For Toys                   (3:29)
 9. Christmastime                      (2:33)
10. Twinkle Twinkle Little Me          (3:14)
11. A Warm Little Home On A Hill       (3:26)
12. What Christmas Means To Me         (2:30)
13. The Miracles Of Christmas          (2:25)
14. Everyones A Kid At Chirstmas Time  (2:46)

Total Playing Time: 42:20 (min:sec)

Thanks to overmuch!

ENJOY!