Ray Charles – The Spirit Of Christmas 1LP Columbia PC 40125 VG+ Promo 1985

Ray Charles’ The Spirit of Christmas is a 1985 holiday album that mixes traditional Christmas songs with the soulful, gospel-influenced style that made Charles distinctive. Rather than sounding like a standard seasonal pop record, it often feels closer to a late-night soul album with Christmas material.

The album includes familiar songs such as “What Child Is This?,” “Little Drummer Boy,” “Silent Night,” and “Winter Wonderland,” along with less traditional material. One of its best-known tracks is “That Spirit of Christmas,” a warm, reflective song that became especially recognizable after it was featured in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation during the attic scene with Clark Griswold.

Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Genius". Among friends and fellow musicians, Charles preferred being called "Brother Ray". He lost his vision as a child, possibly due to glaucoma, and consequently wore dark glasses.
Charles pioneered the soul music genre during the 1950s by combining elements of blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel into his music during his time with Atlantic Records. He contributed to the integration of country music, rhythm and blues, and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, notably with his two Modern Sounds albums. With ABC, Charles became one of the first black musicians to be granted artistic control by a mainstream record company.