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Our Review

The urban par-tay never stops with Bootsy Collins' funkalicious Christmas Is 4 Ever. This generous release (over an hour of music!) is playful, exuberant, and sometimes outrageous.

Collins is a funk icon whose popularity initially soared in the late 1970s. Here, he makes standard holiday chestnuts his own, renaming many appropriately to reflect his own creative reworkings, and employing arrangements that are irreverent, but not mean-spirited. This is a fun, get-down, dance-worthy, DJ-style Christmas offering!

The album cover sets the over-the-top tone, with Collins adorned in star-sequined sunglasses and a magician-style top hat as he levitates a crystal star in his Bootsy Collins snow globe. Although far from standard holiday fare, Christmas Is 4 Ever should not be dismissed as novelty fluff; this is honest-to-goodness, well-crafted R&B funk in the seasonal vein. Collins has assembled quite a cast of characters, including his favorite musical colleagues from years past (including George Clinton!) and a few fresh surprises, like Snoop Dogg and Charlie Daniels.

Ready for some Big City adventure? Put on your dancing shoes, get those turntables tablin', rev up the rappin', and get funky with Bootsy Collins!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2007)

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From the liner notes:

Bootsy Collins: Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Percussion

Produced, Recorded, and Mixed by Bootsy Collins
Executive Producer: Barry Benson

Don Bynum: Saxophone
Bobby Byrd: Background Vocals
Tobe Casual-T: Turntables
Candis Cheatham: Vocals, Beats
Keith Cheatham: Guitar, Keyboards, Background Vocals, Beats
Keith Cheatham, Jr., Miguel Cheatham: Beats & Raps
Catfish Collins: Guitar
Charlie Daniels: Fiddle, Background Vocals
Matt Dawson: Vocals
Snoop Dogg: Raps
Tobe Donohue: Percussion
Tyreka & Tyesha Grissom (Da Blessed Twins): Background Vocals
Mike "Kid Funkadelic" Hampton: Guitar
Ian "Haiku" Herzog: Beatbox
Jerome Johnson: Background Vocals
Razor Johnson: Keyboards
Ron Kat: Vocals
Kendra & Kim: Background Vocals
Johnny Mayfield: Background Vocals
Blackbyrd McKnight: Guitar
Morris Mingo: Keyboards & Drums
The NastyNattihorns: Horns
Melvin Parker: Drums
Paul Patterson: Live Strings, Mandolins & Violins
MC Danny Ray: Vocal Raps
Razzberry: Vocals
Garry Shider: Vocals, Guitar
Sugarfoot: Background Vocals
Randy Villars: Saxophone
Frankie "Kash" Waddy: Drums
Fred Wesley: Trombone
Teddy Wilburn: Drums
Danielle Withers: Vocals
Belita Woods: Vocals
Bernie Worrell: Clavinet, Piano

And Christmas Messages from:
Bishop Don Magic Juan
Buckethead
Moma Willis
George Clinton
Roger Troutman

Bootsy Collins

Christmas Is 4 Ever

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Track List