For those unaware, Christmas: the time of the year when thoughts turn to fun, family and jollity, and of course reggae!

Yes, despite the music’s long association with blues skies and summer, the festive season is of course also a time of great celebration in the Caribbean and from the 1960s to the 80s almost every Jamaican producer of note marked the holiday by releasing a seasonal recording performed by a leading recording artist.

And of all the Kingston’s major music makers, none proved more committed to celebrating Christmas than Joe Gibbs, who between 1978 and 1982 released two albums, largely comprising medleys that featured such renowned performers as Dennis Brown, Horace Andy, Jacob Miller, Culture, June Lodge, The Mighty Diamonds, Trinity and Sly & Robbie. Both these celebratory collections feature on the first disc on this fun-filled set, which also features popular singles from Kodak &Liza and Home T-4.

Disc Two showcases two more giants of the Jamaican music scene in John Holt and Yellowman, whose respective long-players are arguably the best-selling reggae Christmas single artist LPs ever to see issue.

CD 1:
THE JOE GIBBS FAMILY OF ARTISTS – ‘REGGAE CHRISTMAS’
1. Christmas Medley – Sleigh Bells Chant // Jolly Old St. Nicholas // Little Rockers Boy // Oh Holy Night // Love Gets Better At Christmas // The Christmas Song // I Saw Three Ships // Christmas Bells Are Ringing // Rappers Rockers Delight // Silent Night // Auld Lang Syne
‘The Joe Gibbs Family Of Artists’:
2. On The Twelve Day Of Ismas – The Joe Gibbs Family Of Artists
3. We Three Kings – The Joe Gibbs Family Of Artists
4. Deck The Halls – The Joe Gibbs Family Of Artists
5. Winter Wonderland – The Joe Gibbs Family Of Artists
6. Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem – The Joe Gibbs Family Of Artists
THE JOE GIBBS FAMILY OF ARTISTS – ‘REGGAE CHRISTMAS’
7. Christmas Rockers Medley – ‘The Joe Gibbs Family Of Artists’ - Joy To The World // Deck The Halls // Christmas Is Coming // O Come Let Us Adore Him // O Come All Ye Faithful // Jingle Bells // Hark The Herald Angels Sing // Santa Claus is Coming To Town // I’m Dreaming Of A Black Christmas // Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer // Christmas Breeze // The First Noel // Joy To The World // We Wish You A Merry Christmas
8. Rockers At Christmas Style - Joe Gibbs & The Professionals [BONUS TRACK]
9. Christmas Style – Kojak & Liza [BONUS TRACK]
10. Rock It For Christmas – Home T-4 [BONUS TRACK]
11. Christmas Mood - Joe Gibbs & The Professionals [BONUS TRACK]

With most tracks officially unavailable for decades, this brand new 2CD set opens on the absolutely fabulous, eleven track THE JOE GIBBS FAMILY OF ARTISTS – ‘REGGAE CHRISTMAS’ and then brings us five from The Joe Gibbs Family Of Artists: the drum-led, rhythmically soulful On The Twelve Day Of Ismas, the all-embracing We Three Kings, the upbeat and joyful Deck The Halls, and then we get both the smooth Winter Wonderland and the gently meldic Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem.

The first CD continues with the impressively abundant THE JOE GIBBS FAMILY OF ARTISTS ‘WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS’ fourteen track Christmas Rockers Medley and then come four bonus tracks: Joe Gibbs & The Professionals’ dutiful, almost instrumental hipsway of Rockers At Christmas Style, the forthright Christmas Style by Papa Kojak & Liza, the reggae bounce of Rock It For Christmas by the Jamaican vocal group Home T-4, the first CD rounding out on the atmospheric instrumental from Joe Gibbs & The Professionals, Christmas Mood.

CD 2:
JOHN HOLT ’THE REGGAE CHRISTMAS HITS ALBUM’
1. I Believe In Father Christmas - John Holt
2. Last Christmas - John Holt
3. Lonely This Christmas - John Holt
4. White Christmas - John Holt
5. Happy X-Mas (War Is Over) - John Holt
6. A Spaceman Came Travelling - John Holt
7. When A Child Is Born - John Holt
8. Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town - John Holt
9. My Oh My - John Holt
10. Blue Christmas - John Holt
11. Auld Lang Syne - John Holt
YELLOWMAN ’A VERY VERY YELLOW CHRISTMAS’
12. Yellowman Is Coming To Town - Yellowman
13. Jamaica Jamaica, We Ain’t Got No Snow - Yellowman
14. Children Saw Mommy Kissing Yellowman - Yellowman
15. African Christmas - Yellowman
16. Santa Claus Never Comes To The Ghetto - Yellowman
17. Yellow Christmas - Yellowman
18. This Christmas - Yellowman
19. Yellowman Rock (Jingle Bell Rock) - Yellowman
20. ‘Tis The Season (Deck The Halls) - Yellowman
21. We Wish You A Merry Christmas - Yellowman
22. The Twelve Days Of Christmas - Yellowman

The perfect alternative Christmas soundtrack continues onward with the JOHN HOLT ’THE REGGAE CHRISTMAS HITS ALBUM,’ an eleven track musical gift from the late artists who first found fame as a member of The Paragons, that opens on the soulful I Believe In Father Christmas, a beautiful rendition of Wham’s iconic Last Christmas, the warmly welcome Lonely This Christmas, and an inviting White Christmas, before we are brought forth the rather lovely of John and Yoko’s Happy X-Mas (War Is Over), a remarkable cover of Chris DeBurgh’s beloved A Spaceman Came Travelling, the velvety When A Child Is Born, a slower than usual version of Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town, the enveloping My Oh My, and then both a silky Blue Christmas and the dutiful Auld Lang Syne.

Then come eleven tracks from YELLOWMAN ’A VERY VERY YELLOW CHRISTMAS,’ the man born as Winston Foster OD, and which begins with his fun remake of Yellowman Is Coming To Town, the reggae-pop-bounce of Jamaica Jamaica, We Ain’t Got No Snow, the piano ballad, at first, rhythmical beauty thereafter Children Saw Mommy Kissing Yellowman and the homely African Christmas, and they are in turn backed seamlessly by the melodious tale telling within Santa Claus Never Comes To The Ghetto, the gentle hipsway of Yellow Christmas, a rather lovely This Christmas, the music coming to a close on a notably slowed down Yellowman Rock (Jingle Bell Rock), a harmonized ‘Tis The Season (Deck The Halls), the finger-tapper We Wish You A Merry Christmas and then the warmly embracing The Twelve Days Of Christmas.

So, for all those tired of hearing the same old records and seeking to spice up their holiday with some irresistible Caribbean sounds, this 2CD set, jam-packed with festive favorites performed by some of Jamaica’s finest is a must. 100% guaranteed to have you and all the family skanking around the Christmas tree!

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