Wonderland Burlesque's The 12 Days Before Xmas: Day One / This Christmas - Donny Hathaway

Wonderland Burlesque's 

The 12 Days Before Xmas: Day One

This Christmas - Donny Hathaway

Yes, it's time once more for Wonderland Burlesque's The 12 Days Before Xmas. This marks the third year we'll be counting down from 12 to the big day with a specially selected holiday-themed song or video.

I'm feeling the need to heal the soul this year... so that's what we are going to concentrate on: delicious soul music, sung by some of the greatest musical artists of all time - with a few modern offerings to keep things fresh.

We'll kick off the festivities with a number that can't help but bring a smile to one's face and served as the inspiration for this year's 12 Days Before Xmas theme, as sung by the legendary Donny Hathaway.

This Christmas is a song written by Donny Hathaway and Nadine McKinnor. Released in 1970 by Atco Records, the song enjoyed renewed popularity when it was included on Atco Records' 1991  revised edition of their 1968 Soul Christmas compilation album. It  has since become a modern Christmas classic, with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers reporting that it was the 30th most-performed holiday song of all time!

Co-writer, Nadine McKinnor said she felt "blessed to have written with Donny a song that celebrates the possibilities, the expectations, and the anticipation of Christmas and the good fun and happy loving times... (it) was a God plan. God was in this plan. And Donny Hathaway was a genius."

It initially gained only minor success, but over the years that has changed. It's also been covered by a number of major artists, including: The Whispers, The Temptations, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Patti LaBelle, Chris Brown, Macy Gray, CeeLo Green, Elliott Yamin, Seal, Lady Antebellum, Jess Glynne, and Train.

In 2020, Jess Glynne's version went to #3 in the UK, while Seal's and Train's versions both hit the #1 spot on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

 It also has a cute little vintage-looking video:

 This Christmas - Donny Hathaway