Carla Thomas released two holiday singles in 1968 that played out her persona as the original Stax sweetie-pie.

Though many other popular versions have been uptempo, Thomas renders “All I Want for Christmas Is You” as a slow burning, yearning ballad. It’s built around a beautiful lullaby of a piano melody, enrobed in strings and dramatic emotionally charged pauses, a ballad of grownup longing if not heartbreak.

“Gee Whiz, It’s Christmas” sounds as girlishly charming as Thomas’ breakout hit “Gee Whiz,” but otherwise does not reference its structure, melody or lyrics. This tight, three minute bounce about a teen Christmas party has more in common with the classic sound of “50’s girl pop” - Little Eva of “Locomotion” fame in particular - than with the earthy funk of most Stax records. There’s something about lines like these that make you feel like you’re back in junior high, or at dances in the gym or snack shop:

“My best friend’s having a party and everybody’s going/ I know it’s going to be a lot of fun - oh, by the way, it’s snowing…”

Thomas co-composed “Gee Whiz, It’s Christmas” with Stax stalwart Steve Cropper and Vincent Trauth, who is better remembered for his bright blue arrangements of Elvis Presley songs for a 1970 Stax tribute album sent from one “King” to another: Blues for Elvis: Albert King Does the King’s Things.

“All I Want for Christmas Is You” and “Gee Whiz, It’s Christmas” originally appeared on the 1968 anthology Soul Christmas and are also available on Volume I of The Complete Stax-Volt Singles.

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