VA - A Christmas Record

We wish you Happy Christmas

 A Christmas Record is an LP originally released in 1981 by ZE Records. It was recorded by various musicians from that label's roster, including Was (Not Was), August Darnell, Material, Suicide, Cristina, and The Waitresses, all performing original seasonal songs. The album was reissued in 1982, as a "Special Edition", with a revised track listing. In 2004, a further revised version was issued on CD, as ZE Xmas Record Reloaded 2004.

By 1981, ZE Records, a New York-based record label established by Michael Zilkha and Michel Esteban, had achieved some commercial success and a growing critical reputation. For the 2004 reissue of the album, Esteban gave the following background explanation in his liner notes:

"Christmas albums are a tradition as old as Rock & Roll itself but I have always thought that principles of Christmas: family, the tree, gifts, peace in the world, etc. were slightly contradictory to a certain vision of Rock & Roll. I found it hard to imagine John Cale and Lou Reed sitting around a Christmas tree exchanging gifts with Nico and tucking into a turkey dinner, the same goes for the members of The Stooges or MC5... Only the painter Guy Peellaert could have imagined such a scene. And yet my teenage heroes all took part in the Christmas song tradition: Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, Elvis. Berry Gordy got the whole Tamla Motown group at it, even James Brown, who wins the prize for the kitschiest sleeve, got in on the action. All of them made an album of Christmas songs, some better than others! In 1981 and 1982 ZE Records published its own Christmas album under the supervision of Michael Zilkha. All the American artists on ZE answered the call and came up with a Christmas track...."

Revised 1982 "Special Edition" LP

For the revised 1982 version of the album, released as Island ILPS 7022, the tracks by Alan Vega and Charlelie Couture were replaced by tracks by The Three Courgettes – a British band featuring singer Barb Jungr, who recorded the song in London – and James White (later known as James Chance). The James White track has been described as a "droll, blasphemous, nearly tuneless piece of skronk".

(info from wiki)

Various – A Christmas Record   (discogs) 
Label: ZE Records – Island Records 14C 062-65012
Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: Greece
Released: 1982
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: New Wave, Electro, Synth-pop, Disco

Tracklist
A1 Cristina – Things Fall Apart (New Improved Lyrics)
A2 Suicide – Hey Lord
A3 Three Courgettes – Christmas Is Coming
A4 James White – Christmas With Satan
B1 Waitresses, The – Christmas Wrapping
B2 August Darnell – Christmas On Riverside Drive
B3 Material with Nona Hendryx – It's A Holiday
B4 Was (Not Was) – Christmas Time In The Motor City
B5 Davitt Sigerson – It's A Big Country

Listen  here  (mp3)