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Natty And NiceTo an American white boy and unreconstructed pop fan such as myself, reggae music can be a challenge. Jamaicans singing about the Jamaican experience in an unintelligible patois over endless dub beats can sound, well, foreign. Perhaps that's why reggae cover versions of well-known pop songs have always been popular in England and America.

Particularly during its golden age in the 60's and 70's, songs like Bob & Marcia's 1969 cover of Nina Simone's "Young, Gifted, And Black" were among some of reggae's best-loved songs. Other fine examples include Toots & The Maytals' "Take Me Home Country Roads" (1972), originally recorded by John Denver, the Pioneers' "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" (1973), a smash by the Temptations, and Ken Boothe's "Everything I Own" (1974), a hit for soft rock icons Bread. And, I could go on - it's a long list!

So, that helps explain why reggae music and popular Christmas songs mesh so beautifully, as well as why Rhino Records' Natty And Nice: A Reggae Christmas (1998) sounded so familiar and friendly to my ears - even though I'd never heard most of the recordings before. Beginning with Granville Williams' rudimentary-but-infectious "Santa Claus Is Ska-ing To Town" (1964), Natty And Nice treats us to a variety of inspired covers - and a wealth of fine original songs - surveying over 25 years of Jamaican music. The collection takes us from the innocent days of ska (an upbeat precursor of reggae) all the way to the latter days of hip-hop-influenced dancehall. Unlike much "rebel music," however, the groove stays thematically positive and musically light throughout - Santa doesn't visit rude boys, you know.

John Holt, Reggae Christmas Hits AlbumNot Fight, Not War, Not Worry

Natty And Nice is a "conscious" Christmas party, too, and spiritual concerns are also addressed. In fact, Ini Kamozi tells us, "All really I want for Christmas is just to be a little bit more conscious." In "Happy Christmas," Toots & The Maytals remind us, "When you walk in the dark, you got trouble, when you walk in the light, you have peace." On Christmas day, Toots insists, "Let's not fight, not war, and not worry." Alton Ellis, meanwhile, faces eviction on Christmas morning, but he insists we have a "Merry, Merry Christmas" anyway! Reggae music has often been about dancing - er, skanking - in the face of adversity, and since Christmas is a big deal in Jamaica, the celebratory feeling naturally spills over to the music.

Star turns by Jacob Miller and Lee Perry are unsurprisingly wonderful, and lesser-known artists like Washington & Clarke ("Happy Christmas"), the Ethiopians ("Ding Dong Bell"), and the Kingstonians ("Merry Christmas") also shine. You may note, however, that I enjoyed the older cuts on Natty And Nice (see below) more than the recent ones - the same reaction I have to reggae in general. By the 1980's, better production values, new technology, and outside influences (such as rap music) were forever altering reggae's rustic, regional charm. The world moved on, but I didn't - so I passed on tracks by latter-day stars like Beres Hammond and Frankie Paul. These later songs are fine - at least, none spoil the festive mood - but they lack the grit and spirit I cherish in vintage reggae.

Special kudos, however, to John Holt's rendition of John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" taken from Holt's 1986 album Reggae Christmas Hits Album (all covers, by the way). At the time, the song was seldom covered - perhaps artists were intimidated by Lennon's reputation. Or, perhaps they were simply being respectful after Lennon's tragic death in 1980. That's not the case anymore - covers of "Happy Xmas" are legion - but Holt turned in a wonderful performance simply by laying down a solid groove and allowing the timeless song to speak for itself. The same could be said for nearly all good reggae music, and it's a theme that runs consistently through Natty And Nice.

Jacob MillerConsumer Notes

Quickly, I should mention that the two songs on Natty And Nice called "Happy Christmas" are, in fact, different songs. Also, the song by N.T. Washington called "Happiness" is a dub of the Washington & Clarke version. And, unlikely as it seems, Frankie Paul's "Gee Whiz, It's Christmas" is not a cover of the identically-titled song made famous by Carla Thomas...

Anyway, Natty And Nice was among the last in a loose series of compact discs compiled by Rhino Records at the height of the CD era documenting holiday music in a dizzying variety of genres including jazz, blues, doo wop, country, punk, new wave, and swing (read more). Collectively, they documented the history of recorded Christmas music in the 20th century.

Rhino licensed tracks from many disparate labels for use on those specific albums - long before there was such a thing as iTunes or Spotify. So, sadly, virtually none of Rhino's Christmas collections made the leap to the world of downloads or streaming. I wish I could say that there are equivalents in the virtual world but, mostly, there are not. That said, you can find most of the Natty And Nice tracks online, but they may not be properly licensed or, worse, they might be taken from inferior sources. So, caveat emptor.

All that said, Natty And Nice is something of a unicorn in the Rhino CD series, which is generally very well-curated. Natty And Nice is very thoroughly researched and annotated, but the sound quality varies wildly from song to song. Many of the tracks, in fact - the early ones in particular - were transferred from vinyl, not tape. The Jamaican recording industry wasn't a state-of-the-art affair in the early days, and almost all of the Natty And Nice tracks were licensed from small, independent Jamaican labels - or through the UK's Trojan Records, which does much the same thing. But, even though the sound quality isn't always great, the "irie" Christmas magic comes through clear as a bell! [top of page]

Albums Albums

SongsEssential Songs

  • Ding Dong Bell (Ethiopians, 1968)
  • Happy Christmas (Toots & The Maytals, 1972)
  • Happy Christmas (Washington & Clarke, 1974)
  • Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (John Holt, 1986)
  • I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (Johnny Clarke, 1975)
  • Merry Christmas (Kingstonians, 1967)
  • Merry Christmas, Happy New Year (Lee "Scratch" Perry, 1985)
  • Merry, Merry Christmas (Alton Ellis & The I Listicks, 1972)
  • Santa Claus Is Ska-ing To Town (Granville Williams Orchestra, 1964)
  • We Wish You A Merry Christmas (Jacob Miller, 1978)

Further ListeningFurther Listening

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