Happy Xmas

by Eric Clapton

Overview

Happy Xmas, Eric Clapton's first Christmas record in a career that's spanned over four and a half decades, certainly bears its share of seasonal charm, but it's also of a piece with the warm, amiable music he's made in the 2010s. Like Old Sock and I Still Do before it, Happy Xmas relies on songs from other songwriters (he wrote only one tune, the slow-burning "For Love on Xmas Day") and cooks to a cozy groove that's grounded in the blues but also encompasses soul, reggae, rock, and a bit of vaudeville shuffle ("Xmas in My Hometown"). This homey atmosphere is certainly suited for the season, even if it rarely sounds like a typical holiday record. Chalk that up to Clapton studiously avoiding a reliance on shopworn carols. When he does play an overly familiar tune, he switches it up: he opens up the affair with a blues rendition of "White Christmas," "Silent Night" is given a reggae bounce, "Away in a Manger" has a soulful underpinning, and he turns "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" into a seduction. These clever interpretations are nestled alongside nice holiday chestnuts, turning this into a comforting Christmas listen. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	10/12/2018
Label:	Surfdog Records
UPC:	0822685768897
Rank:	81620

Tracks

Disc 1

1. White Christmas
2. Away in a Manger (Once in Royal David's City)
3. For Love on Christmas Day
4. Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday
5. Christmas Tears
6. Home for the Holidays
7. Jingle Bells

Disc 2

8. Christmas in My Hometown
9. It's Christmas
10. Sentimental Moments
11. Lonesome Christmas
12. Silent Night
13. Merry Christmas Baby
14. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Eric Clapton   Primary Artist
Sophie Clapton   Vocals
Melia Clapton   Vocals

Technical Credits

Allan Roberts   Composer
Traditional   Composer
Sonny James   Composer
Simon Climie   Arranger,Composer
Hugh Martin   Composer
Kelvin Wooten   Composer
Irving Berlin   Composer
Chris Stainton   Composer
Eric Clapton   Arranger,Composer
Doris Fisher   Composer
Walt Richmond   Arranger
Dennis Morgan   Composer
James Pierpont   Composer
Lou Baxter   Composer
Lloyd Glenn   Composer
Rosco Gordon   Composer
Lowell Fulson   Composer
Kante Manfila   Arranger
Ralph Freed   Composer
William Bell   Composer
Anthony Hamilton   Composer
Friedrich Hollaender   Composer
Sonny Thompson   Composer
Booker T. Jones   Composer
Salif Keita   Arranger
Ralph Blane   Composer
John Skye   Composer
Johnny Moore   Composer
Robert Wilson   Composer
Brandon Davis   Composer
Robert Charles Wilson   Composer