Listening to Christmas albums on vinyl as @wspittman wrap gifts and get ready for Christmas morning.

First up: @celinedion's "These Are Special Times." #Christmas

The first song on this album is O Holy Night, and it's my favorite versions of one of my favorite #Christmas albums.

O Holy Night is an abolitionist Christmas song (written by Adolphe Adam in 1847, translated to English by unitarian John Sullivan Dwight). https://t.co/4UrhkTB7Uf
Many singers (like Mariah) omit the abolitionist verse. Céline keeps it:

🎶 Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother
And in His name, all oppression shall cease 🎶 https://t.co/4UrhkTB7Uf
O Holy Night is about parts of Gospels many Christians sadly omit:

Luke 4:18-19:
“He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed." https://t.co/ymPGBrjmpV
Yes, it's a record weight, not a weed grinder. https://t.co/a4T68MS1Vz
Next: @MariahCarey's "Merry Christmas," with the ever-popular "All I Want for Christmas is You."
Third: Charley Pride's "Christmas in My Hometown."

Charley Pride was the first Black country music superstar. And his hometown was Sledge, Mississippi.
Like Céline, Charley Pride kept the abolitionist verse in his "O Holy Night."

He grew up going to a segregated school and picked cotton in Sledge, MS, to buy his first@giitar.

He died of #COVID19 earlier this month. I wrote about him for @MSFreePress: https://t.co/tpMANJ0foF
Now: @KellyClarkson's "Wrapped in Red." Her badass voice was really made for rockin' Christmas songs like Run Run Rudolph (on the album).

But she also has some good, original,!soulful Christmas songs on here that fit her voice perfectly, too.
Fifth: Johnny Mathis' "Merry Christmas." He just has a great, classic voice.

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