Joseph Washington, Jr. – “Merry Christmas to You”

Sometimes you’ll hear an album that makes you wonder how you ever survived without it. For me, Joseph Washington, Jr.’s “Merry Christmas to You” is one such album. Privately issued back in 1983, this album resided in obscurity for over thirty years, known pretty much to just the few people who bought it originally and a handful of hardcore Christmas music collectors. All that changed back in 2016 when it was reissued by Numero Group. I heard some rumblings about it a couple months earlier and the way one person gushed about it (I can’t remember who), my interest was piqued. A month or so before the full album was released, Numero released the funky track, “Shopping,” as a single. I was blown away! I didn’t hesitate to preorder the full album. I listened to “Shopping” repeatedly over the next month or so. To my delight, when the full album was released, I found that the rest of the album was just as great.

“Merry Christmas to You” is a wonderful, unique collection of absolutely wonderful, yuletide R&B. The way I most often describe it, it sounds as though Joseph and his band entered the studio and jammed while he made up the lyrics on the spot. They’re some of the funkiest, most enjoyable Christmas songs you’ll ever hear. I don’t think there’s a sour note on the album.

1. "Let Me Hang My Mistletoe" – The album starts out slow with “Let Me Hang My Mistletoe.” It’s a sultry, sweet as honey ballad and the equal of any Christmas love song out there. You can just picture Joseph pouring champagne in an apartment full of candles while plying his special lady with a sprig of mistletoe. It’s absolutely great! 
2. "Jesus' Birthday" – I absolutely love “Jesus’ Birthday.” There are plenty of songs out there that wish Jesus a happy birthday and, to be honest, they’re all pretty dorky. This is the antithesis of all those. It’s a soulful reminder of what Christmas is all about.
3. "Rudolph" – I’ve heard literally hundreds of covers of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” plus countless other songs that mention Rudolph in some way. “Rudolph” really stands out. It’s kind of a free-form reinterpretation of the song and a real blast to listen to.
4. "Merry Christmas" – Joseph wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in about the funkiest way you’ll ever hear. Strip the lyrics out and this would make great background music in a gritty cop movie. 
5. "Sharing Christmas With You" – Another Christmas love song. It doesn’t have quite as sultry a feel as “Let Me Hang My Mistletoe,” and is more about, well, sharing Christmas with his wife or girlfriend—likely the same one he won over in the first song. I’m guessing that was their first Christmas together and this was a couple years down the road.
6. "Snowing In The East On Christmas" – Great song reminiscing about winter weather from years past. 
7. "Whatcha Gonna Bring Me" – Another really funky one directed at Santa. If you have to pick one song as the weakest one on the album, it would probably be this one.
8. "Shopping" – Okay, I get that about 75% of all Christmas shows, books and movies over the last 50-60 years have done what they can to condemn the commercial aspect of the holiday. However, if you’re going to have a song that glorifies yuletide commercialism, you may as well make it one of the most awesome songs ever recorded. And that’s what Joseph Washington, Jr. did. “Shopping” is a song celebrating Christmas shopping, and it’s a slice of absolute joy! It makes you feel a little less guilty about those stacks of gifts under the tree. 
9. "New Year" – A funky vow to do better in the new year, with a healthy dose of cowbell.

Bottom Line: There are plenty of truly wonderful Christmas R&B albums out there, but if want one that really stands out from the crowd, “Merry Christmas to You” is it. No matter how many times I listen to it, it always sounds fresh, even with the repeated references to 1982 in “New Year.” I can see where it may not appeal to some, but those are the sort of people I wouldn’t invite to a Christmas party. This is easily one of my favorite Christmas albums and you owe it to yourself to check it out.