For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I decided to venture back to 1989 and show some love to Johnny Gill and his rendition of the classic holiday ballad “Give Love on Christmas Day.” Gill had just finished the successful “Heart Break” tour with his groupmates in New Edition and was working on his third solo album.
Motown was preparing to release a Christmas compilation, so it made sense for Gill to be featured. The song “Give Love on Christmas Day,” originally recorded by The Jackson 5 for their 1970 Christmas album, was written by The Corporation, the label’s songwriting and producing team. Gill enlisted producer Paul Laurence to create his version.
As most purists know, “Give Love on Christmas Day” is a soulful Christmas standard. Always ahead of his time vocally, Johnny Gill was just twenty-three at the time of this recording, and he doesn’t just revisit a classic—he personalizes it. His version transforms the song from a sweet, youthful plea into a mature, church-trained declaration of love and generosity.
Clocking in at just under four minutes, Gill’s interpretation highlights the qualities that have long made him one of R&B’s most underrated vocal technicians: phrasing, control, and that unmistakable baritone that can warm a room like a good fireplace. Rather than chasing the youthful sparkle of The Jackson 5’s original or New Edition’s cover from four years earlier, Gill envelops the melody in richer textures, with a slow, steady groove, light piano flourishes, and background harmonies that feel straight out of a Sunday morning rehearsal.
Johnny doesn’t over sing it, which adds to its charm. He imparts a conversational warmth to the verses, allowing the message to resonate naturally, then uplifts the chorus with his distinctive vocal runs—clean, intentional, and never flashy. When he emphasizes the lyric “The world needs your love,” he delivers it with the authority of someone who has experienced life enough to grasp its true significance.
The production fits him perfectly: polished but not overly glossy, classic without sounding dated. You can hear echoes of The Temptations’ Christmas album and the vocal maturity Gill would carry into his later solo work. This isn’t a song trying to compete with the big, flashy holiday anthems—you won’t find sleigh bells crashing or synthetic cheer. Instead, Johnny keeps it intimate, soulful, and sincere.
While equally strong vocalists, including Yolanda Adams, Ledisi, and Coko, have all given the song a grown-up punch, Gill’s version works because he sings it like a personal mantra, not just a seasonal obligation.
Final Grade: A
“Give Love on Christmas Day” is available on all streaming platforms.
My introduction to Nate Dogg goes back to Dr. Dre’s 1992 debut, The Chronic, and the song “Deeez Nuuuts.” Even then, something about Nate’s voice set him apart from everybody else. He wasn’t just singing on rap records. He was bringing soul, gospel, street knowledge, and West Coast cool into the same space. He set the standard for hook singers in hip-hop, and dare I say, he’s still vastly underrated.
For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to give Stevie Wonder his due as he prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his masterpiece, “Songs in the Key of Life,” on tour. While the easy choice could have been “Knocks Me Off My Feet”—a classic that still resonates fifty years later—I chose “From the Bottom of My Heart,” the second single from his twenty-third studio album, “A Time to Love,” released in 2005.
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.