If you don’t mind a bit of Christmas but grow weary of hearing the same Christmas songs over and over and over again, Germany’s tiniest but funkiest label, Tramp Records, brings back a vintage sparkle to the festive season with 12 rare and obscure Christmas-themed funk and soul gems on Santa’s Funk & Soul Christmas 4.
Back in 2015, when the Santa’s Funk & Soul Christmas compilation series had reached volume three, the Tramp Records team decided to shelve it because they had scoured their socks off and exhausted all avenues that led to the type of rare and obscure funk and soul required to make it onto one of their superbly festive compilations. The opportunity was there for them to go digging through back catalogues of major labels for Christmas-themed tunes, but they knew the soulless music they’d find there just wouldn’t sit well on one of their compilations or amongst all of the incredible music in the Tramp Records archives.
Being the dedicated and passionate diggers that the Tramp team are, though, they’ve never stopped hunting and over the last seven years, they’ve uncovered enough gems to make Santa’s Funk & Soul Christmas 4 the compilation you need this Christmas! Here’s what they had to say about what they’ve got in store for you:
“Santa’s Funk & Soul Christmas Party Vol. 4” contains a highly diverse selection of obscure Christmas songs. For example, take Bey Ireland’s garage-mod-rocker “All I Want For Christmas Is A Go-Go Girl,” is something to get you go-going around the tree! Do you prefer mirror balls to tinsel? Check out Bill Deal with Pure Pleasure. Too fast? How about the dazzling-melancholic “I Won’t Be Home For Christmas”? Do you prefer rap music while you wrap presents? Then your choice is going to be Hot & Sassy. Old-School-Hip Hop at its best. Every single song has a compelling reason to be included in this extraordinary selection. Not least is the opening track by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. Their contribution represents the soul sound of the 21st century. Charming soul music with sociocritical lyrics, something you rarely find in the current musical landscape”.
If what you hear on the album brings you so much joy that you can’t wait to check out the previous three volumes, links to those can be found below, along with a link to Tramp Records’ sister label Tramp Records 45s. I’ve only scratched the surface of both back catalogues and both appear to be goldmines ladened with funk, soul, jazz, folk and afrobeat nuggets by the bucket load! Enjoy your digging.
Volume 1 // Volume 2 // Volume 3
Links for Tramp Records :
Soundcloud / Facebook / Bandcamp / YouTube / Tramp Records 45s
