My friend Josh found a gem for me at an estate sale earlier this year: an '80s re-issue of Phil Spector's Christmas Album, a 1963 album featuring Spector-produced Christmas jams from The Ronettes, The Crystals, Darlene Love, Bobb B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, and Spector himself. A few sample cuts:The Crystals Santa Claus Is Coming To Town mp3
Darlene Love Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) mp3
Phil Spector Silent Night mp3
In the never-ending December search for holiday music that doesn't suck, this is definitely a must-have. It's not too tough to find copies in used record stores (for the locals: last time I was in Atlas/Jive Time on 10th they had a copy) and Amazon has it on CD with the original cover art.