In 2005 R&B group Silk followed up their first album as a quartet 2003’s, Silktime, with a Christmas EP titled A Gift from Silk. On November 29, 2005, the EP hit stores with then group members Big G, Jimmy, Timzo, and John John displaying their vocal talents for the holiday season. A brief interlude, “Happy Holiday,” opens with the project with John John’s trademark falsetto. Next is the lovely ballad “Make Time for Christmas,” featuring lush four-part harmony.
My first encounter with this song occurred in the United Kingdom when I served in the Air Force. The lyrics were very relatable because even though I was single at the time, I knew that God was saving a remarkable woman for me, whom I would meet a little under two years. A great cover of Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” follows and, in my opinion, tops the original and any cover version of the song. Timzo leads the song with a smooth bass, while John John comes in on the second verse. I love this version of the song because the group takes us to church and reminds us of simpler times.
Before closing out the EP with a smooth suite version of “Make Time for Christmas,” Silk gifts fans with another acapella song in the form of “Merry Christmas.” While the EP is brief, the group’s handling of the material makes the listener yearn for more. I would have loved to hear the group cover The Temptations version of “Silent Night” or Alexander O’Neal’s “Our First Christmas” or “Thank You for a Good Year.” Nevertheless, this is a fine EP and a great addition to your holiday playlist.
Final Grade: A-
A Gift from Silk is available on all streaming platforms.
It’s hard to believe that an iconic singing competition like American Idol has produced only two Black male winners in its more than two-and-a-half-decade history. Jamal Roberts made history last year when he won the show, following Ruben Studdard’s well-deserved victory in Season Two.
One wonderful aspect of supporting physical media is that I never run short of albums to choose from when deciding what to cover for Second Listen Sunday. Often, I’ll head to the man cave, browse through my CD collection, and an album will pop out at me. This week’s pick is T-Pain’s fourth album, “Revolver.”
One of my favorite singers, Mr. Eric Roberson, is performing this weekend at America’s legendary music venue, The Birchmere. To show Eric some love, I want to highlight something longtime R&B fans have always known: he’s had remarkable songwriting talent.