Chess Records has announced new additions to their 75th Anniversary release lineup. Two new compilation albums, The Chess Records Christmas Album and Let’s Play Chess: A Chess Record Anthology, will be released on November 14.
The Chess Records Christmas Album gathers holiday classics and hidden gems from the legendary Chicago label. Highlights include Chuck Berry’s yuletide staples “Run Rudolph Run” and “Merry Christmas Baby,” the joyful harmonies of The Moonglows’ “Hey Santa Claus,” the jazz brilliance of Ramsey Lewis and Kenny Burrell, plus new-to-digital rarities from The Soul Stirrers, The Salem Travelers, Lenox Avenue, and The Meditation Singers. From gospel to soul to electric blues, The Chess Records Christmas Album is a celebration of the label’s 75-year legacy — and a welcome alternative to the usual jingled bells and decked halls. The LP is pressed on Blue Frost vinyl and you can pre-order it HERE.
The Chess Records Christmas Album Tracklist
1. Chuck Berry – Run Rudolph Run
2. The Moonglows – Hey Santa Claus
3. Sonny Boy Williamson – Santa Claus
4. Chuck Berry – Merry Christmas Baby
5. The Meditation Singers – Blue Christmas*
6. The Gems – Love for Christmas
7. The Soul Stirrers – Christmas Means Love*
8. Ramsey Lewis Trio – Christmas Blues
9. The Soulful Strings – Snowfall
10. Rotary Connection – Christmas Love
11. Chuck Berry – Christmas
12. Lenox Avenue – Little Drummer Boy*
13. The Salem Travelers – Merry Christmas to You*
14. Kenny Burrell – Silent Night
*= never-before-released on digital
Let’s Play Chess: A Chess Records Anthology was specially curated by Grammy®-winning producer for the 2008 feature film, Cadillac Records, Chess Records scholar and inimitable drummer, Steve Jordan. The set offers 25 of the label’s best and most thrilling recordings. From Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy to Bo Diddley and Etta James this anthology showcases the now legendary songs that still influence popular culture today. Pre-Order the album HERE.
Let’s Play Chess: A Chess Records Anthology Tracklist
Disc 1 – Side A
1. Muddy Waters – (I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man
2. Little Walter – Juke
3. Howlin’ Wolf – Smokestack Lightnin’
4. Chuck Berry – Maybellene
5. Lowell Fulson – Reconsider Baby
6. Etta James – At Last
7. The Moonglows – Sincerely
Disc 1 – Side B
1. Ramsey Lewis Trio – The “In” Crowd
2. Fontella Bass – Rescue Me
3. Tommy Tucker – High Heel Sneakers
4. Buddy Guy – First Time I Met the Blues
5. Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats – Rocket 88
6. Chuck Berry – Johnny B. Goode
Disc 2 – Side A
1. John Lee Hooker – Ground Hog Blues
2. Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley
3. Billy Stewart – I Do Love You
4. The Dells – Stay in My Corner
5. Etta James – All the Way Down
Disc 2 – Side B
1. Little Walter – Crazy Mixed Up World
2. Muddy Waters – Rollin’ Stone
3. Otis Rush – So Many Roads, So Many Trains
4. Sonny Boy Williamson – Don’t Start Me To Talkin’
5. Jimmy Rogers – That’s All Right
6. Howlin’ Wolf – Spoonful
7. Gene Ammons – My Foolish Heart
Founded in 1950 by Polish immigrant brothers Leonard and Phil Chess, Chess Records emerged from the south side of Chicago and quickly crossed lines of color and culture to create rhythm and blues music that influenced listeners the world over. Chess’ unmatched roster – and its canny founders – enhanced and transformed the blues from folk music to popular sound.
The story of Chess Records is the story of American popular music in the second half of the twentieth century. Best-known for capturing the sound of acoustic blues, originating from the Mississippi Delta and filtered through Chicago’s South Side, going electric and for releasing some of the earliest rock and roll singles, Chess also has a deep catalog of jazz, R&B and soul recordings. The legacy of Chess Records endures more than 75 years later.
The influence of Chess Records is felt across generations of popular music—from the British Invasion and acts like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton citing Chess artists as influences to today’s marquee acts that include Beyoncé, Jack White, Questlove, and Bruce Springsteen.
In celebrating its 75th anniversary, Chess Records is not only recognizing its own rich musical heritage but inviting fans and new audiences to discover their storied roster and the music revolution that was born over seven decades ago in Chicago.