Since stepping into the music space with her debut Glorious, Kate Hudson has quickly established herself as a tastemaker’s tastemaker in her eclectic approach to the songs that she covers as well as writes. Having delivered seminal versions of ‘Til Tuesday’s “Voices Carry,” Stone Temple Pilots’ “Vaseline,” Patty Griffin’s “When It Don’t Come Easy,” and Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” the California/Colorado-raised Hudson delivers an incandescent version of one of rock’s most powerful holiday songs, The Band’s “Christmas Must Be Tonight.”
“When you speak of The Band, you are speaking directly to the heart, soul and backbone of rock’s roots,” Hudson explains. “Before there was roots rock, The Band was creating a sound that brought it all together into something that was so organic, breathtaking, real. When the opportunity to record ‘Christmas Must Be Tonight’ came to me, I absolutely had to do it. So iconic, it’s a song I knew growing up with during our Colorado Christmases. It was an honor to re-record it.”
Recorded at Village Recorders, Robbie Robertson’s creative home, with an esteemed group of musicians and producers – David Baron on piano, organ and celesta, Kevin Kadish on bass, electric and acoustic guitar, and Graham Hawthorne on drums and percussion – they sought to evoke The Band’s signature transcendence, while channeling Robertson’s wonder at the birth of Jesus. Inspired by the birth of his son Sebastian, the lyrics come from the perspective of a lowly shepherd who followed the star to the manger and looked on with awe.
“I love all the hope in this song, and the joy,” Hudson enthuses. “And I love that it’s a shepherd and a carpenter’s son, very regular people are having this moment that brings so much happiness to the world. I’ve loved The Band’s version, and Robbie Robertson’s solo version as well. But I had no idea how many great people have recorded ‘Christmas Must Be Tonight,’ though it’s such an amazing song, I understand why.”
Indeed, the roots rock holiday staple, which first appeared on The Band’s 1997 album Islands, has gone on to be a modern classic and recorded every decade since its first release. Among the notable – and genre-spanning — versions are Hall & Oates, Darlene Love, My Morning Jacket, Bahamas, Joan Osborne, Blue Rodeo, Richie Furay, Amy Helm & the Wood Brothers and Train.
Beyond the vocal, which shimmers with the warmth and verve that’s made Hudson such a beguiling presence in today’s music scene, there’s an atmospheric presence to that track that practically glistens. Staying true to the notion of a Christmas carol, there’s also a texture to the track that wraps around the listener, leaving room for the song’s essence to be absorbed.
“Kate Hudson brings a timeless sincerity and incredible singing talent to ‘Christmas Must Be Tonight,’ proving that great songs never truly age,” said Olivier Chastan, Founder and CEO of Iconoclast.
“We’re honored to see The Band’s sound continue to inspire new interpretations, like Kate’s wonderful rendition, that honor and introduce their music to new generations,” added Eli Wolf, head of catalog development at Iconoclast.
Rolling Stone has hailed “Hudson’s big, slightly husky voice” and SPIN agreed, saying, “Hudson’s (voice) is husky-voiced bar crooner and lullaby whispering mother all at once, while her sound is part rock chick, part down-home country, with a strong sense of melody rooted firmly in guitar riffs.” In all those ways, “Christmas Must Be Tonight” – available on October 17– brings all of those aspects into one place for what will, no doubt, be a treasured gem on playlists, for holiday lovers, music afficionados and sentimentalists of all generations.