Earth Kitt - Santa Baby (1953)

Santa Baby is a 1953 Christmas song written by Joan Javits and Philip Springer. It was originally recorded by Eartha Kitt with Henri René and his orchestra in New York City on October 6, 1953. It was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-5502 (in the USA), and by EMI on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number B 10728.

The song was a huge hit for Kitt, and she later said that it was one of her favorite songs to record; she reprised it in the 1954 film New Faces. Kitt also reprised the original song in a 1963 re-recording for Kapp Records, with a more uptempo arrangement. (Madonna's popular rendition for the 1987 charity album A Very Special Christmas is based on this latter version.)

In 1954, Eartha Kitt recorded a new version of the song with new lyrics titled This Year's Santa Baby, to no commercial success. Writers listed did not change. The song was featured in the 1989 film Driving Miss Daisy, Elf in 2003, and 2005's Boynton Beach Club.

- Mr Fabulous

Donny Hathaway- This Christmas (1970)

This Christmas is a well-known Christmas song originally recorded by Donny Hathaway and released as a single by Atco records in 1970. Hathaway co-wrote the song; it is credited to Nadine McKinnor and 'Donny Pitts,' his stage name. AllMusic shows a Billboard magazine peak of No. 11 on The Hot 100 chart, Joel Whitburn's book, Christmas in the Charts 1920-2004 indicates a No. 11 on the Christmas Singles chart. In 2012, This Christmas hit the Billboard Japan Hot 100 Singles at No. 92, and again in 2013, at No. 71. Although the song was never released on an album at the time, it is included on the 1993 CD re-release of Hathaway's eponymous 1971 album. 

Since Hathaway's original version, This Christmas has become something of a modern holiday standard, covered by a wide range of artists, such as Diana Ross in 1974, (but not released until the 1993 album Christmas In The City, a compilation of various artist's unreleased tracks), by The Whispers in 1979,on Happy Holidays to You, by The Temptations in 1983, on Give Love at Christmas, by Alexander O'Neal in 1988, on My Gift to You and Mary J. Blige, on A Mary Christmas in 2013.

- FVS