R&B quartet Boyz II Men were still basking in their massively successful single “End of the Road” when their first-holiday album, Christmas Interpretations, hit stores in the fall of 1993. The first single from the album was “Let It Snow,” and while the group could have gone the pop route and just covered the Vaughn Monroe standard, the four gents from Philly delivered a holiday slow jam classic.
“Let It Snow” found the group working with Brian McKnight, who produced the song with BIIM and co-wrote it with group member Wanya Morris. Wanya opens the song with his signature lush vocals crooning:
“It’s another Christmas holiday
It’s a joyous thing, let the Angels sing
‘Cause we’re together
We got a thing, can’t let it slip away
Go outside, it’s raining sleet
When our bodies meet
I don’t care about the weather
Let it snow, let it snow, outside it’s cold
But the fire’s blazin’ so, baby, let it snow
Let it snow, yeah
Let it snow, let it snow”.
Brian McKnight comes in on the second verse with a simple line, “Come over here and help me trim the tree “which sounds heavenly. Boyz II Men then come back to finish the song for the remaining running time. The song’s appeal is that the lyrics from Wanya and McKnight showcase the writing ability of both men.
Twenty-eight years later, “Let It Snow” still sounds fresh and is part of my annual Christmas playlist.
Final Grade : A
Christmas Interpretations is available on all streaming platforms.
There are some albums you revisit because of nostalgia, and then there are albums you return to because they remind you just how high the standard used to be. Anita Baker’s Rapture falls into that second category. Released in 1986, the album did more than make Baker a star. It helped define what sophisticated, grown R&B could sound like without losing any soul, sensuality, or personality.
Gwen Stefani had already established herself as a significant force with No Doubt when she released her debut solo album, *Love. Angel. Music. Baby* in 2004. This week, while my iPod was on shuffle, one of my favorite songs from that project, “The Real Thing,” came on. Although the original version has an upbeat new-wave feel, the Slow Jam Mix takes it to another level and is the perfect choice for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday.
Unless you’re a music purist, mentioning Randy Jackson from the famous family is likely to elicit a joke. However, any serious Jackson fan knows that Randy had musical achievements long before the punchlines. Before he was old enough to buy a drink, he had already co-written “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” and “Lovely One” with Michael Jackson.