Time-Life and BET J will jointly present Love's Holiday: A Gospel Christmas this month, featuring top gospel and soul legends such as Alicia Keys, Whitney Houston, Donald Lawrence, Mary Mary, Patti LaBelle, Cristina Aguilera, Luther Vandross & Bryan Wilson Make Merry.
The fourteen track compilation features both traditional and new gospel-inspired Christmas recordings by both established gospel artists and their R&B peers. It opens with Donald Lawrence & the Tri-City Singers funky "Love's Holiday" which also features the soul-savvy vocals of the quartet, Men of Standard.
There are soulful ballads such as pop star Alicia Keys' reinterpretation of "Little Drummer Boy" as "Little Drummer Girl". Dove Award nominated belter Ann McCrary gives a nuanced, jazzy performance on her self-penned, "Remember Not to Forget Jesus". Gospel heartthrobs, the Kenoly Brothers, turn in soulful harmonies on "Why I Love You (You Are My Joy)" while Patti LaBelle proclaims Jesus is the "Reason for the Season".
For fans of traditional carols, there's Gladys Knight & the Pips' "Do You Hear What I Hear?", Vanessa Bell Armstrong's "The Christmas Medley", Luther Vandross' "O Come All Ye Faithful" and Coko & SWV's pristine rendition of "O Holy Night". The Grammy-winning Mighty Clouds of Joy, who are still going strong after over 40 years in the business, do a solid cover of the Temptations' evergreen version of "Silent Night".
Young gospel star Bryan Wilson rocks around the Christmas tree with his conga-flavoured "The Savior Has Come", sister act Mary Mary have the tambourines clapping on the festive retro-soul styled "Tis the Season", and vocal gymnast Cristina Aguilera heralds the good news on "Angels We Have Heard on High".
Arguably, one of the most influential women of the last generation in both pop and gospel circles, Whitney Houston, closes the collection and takes us straight to church on her rousing "Joy to the World" which is backed by the Georgia Mass Choir.
