I like this choice, because it’s my favorite Xmas song, with all due respect to Frank, Ella, and everyone who’s ever covered “Baby It’s Cold Outside”. From JPK, as always:
Ronettes, “Sleigh Ride” (1963)
It’s a sad day to see Phil Spector imprisoned for murder, even sadder that he deserves to be, but never mind that. Let’s think about the good old days, when he was a tortured recluse with a Napoleon complex churning out his “little symphonies for the kids.” The Christmas album he released for the 1963 season came at the peak of his studio wizardry and contains some of his best stuff, applied perhaps disconcertingly to familiar Christmas standards. The Ronettes were a pet project of his and he always seemed to work a little bit harder on getting their material to pop. And did it ever. This version of “Sleigh Ride” really swings through the dense layers, including an entire string section in one break. Ronnie Spector sounds great too, and there’s even a whinnying, clip-clopping horse. Ring-a-ling-a-ling-a-ding-dong-ding!