The Questlove Show - QLS Bonus: Questlove's Favorite Christmas Songs

Episode Date: December 23, 2025

In this bonus mini episode of The Questlove Show, Ahmir takes listeners through over a dozen of his favorite Christmas songs. From personal holiday memories to beloved classics from legendary artists and music innovators—plus a few modern favorites—it’s a festive deep dive into seasonal sounds. Happy holidays from Ahmir and the team at The Questlove Show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media.

Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clivert Show on the I-Heart Radio app,

Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else.

If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, Bachelor star Clayton Eckerd was accused of fathering twins. But the pregnancy appeared to be a hoax. You doctored this particular test twice, Ms. Owens, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to.

to uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg Gillespie and Michael Mancini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trapped. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences.

Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist, They take matters into their own hands. I vowed. I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves.

We always say that trust your girlfriends. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Wood. My next guest, it's Will Ferrell. My dad gave me the best.

advice ever. He goes, just give it a shot. But if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right. It wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to thanks dad on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Questlove show is a production of I Heart Radio. What's up, y'all? This is Questlove, Questlove show.

It's the holidays. And if you know me, I love curating music. I'm the guy that will, you know, sit for five hours and do deep dives and looking for the perfect song to capture the mood. Even though I've taken a year off from CQLS wasn't the only thing that I needed time away from. I once had the dawning task of curating 400 playlists a month for people, two times over, actually. You know, I would do slow songs and fast songs. So there are a bunch of people sort of tugging on my coattails for Christmas music recommendation. So I guess I'll share some of my favorite ones with you.

Of course, you know what, the all-time classic Christmas time is here, Vince Goraldi and I recently found out how unsupportive the CBS network was to the Charlie Brown Christmas special, which I believe that special was now 60 years old. Actually, I heard that because they rejected it so late, they actually never wanted to air it at all. It was jarring for them to see a Christmas special, you know, with a, uh, with a manically depressive kid as the lead. And even the fact that they said that, you know,

jazz music is going to turn off their viewers. Like, everything is wrong about this. And so they kind of were forced to air it because they had nothing else to put in this place. And much to their surprise and chagrin, it wound up being a hit. I know that one of the things that they insisted on was that one of those jazz songs had to have vocals on it.

So at the very last minute, I believe one of the execs at CBS, who was sort of in charge of the project, had their kid and his classmates go into the studio at the last minute to sing, Christmas Time is here. So it was kind of like an 11th hour decision. But, you know, they kind of accidentally stumbled on to a classic. So that's for that. There's a song that I feel is,

Philadelphia to its core. Whenever I hear it, sometimes I like listening to the song, even on non-holiday timelines, and that is a song called Merry Christmas All. Not too original of a title, but this is by the Sassall Orchestra, led by remixer and editor and producer Tom Moulton. It's just a very jazzy Philadelphia. song. I was under the impression that anything that came out of Sigma sound recording studios, the same studio that all those disco classics came from in the 70s, the sound of Philadelphia, and also five Roots albums came out of there as well. I was under the impression that they were all kind of like one giant organization, only for me to realize that various Philadelphia

producers had no choice but to use the same musicians. So yes, even though this is the sound of Philadelphia, and this sounds very much like something Gamble and Huff would do for their artists, the only common ground is that after Gamble and Huff is done there for our session, another producer is coming in to use the same musicians, and he adds out the sheet, and they play the same thing, same engineering, same texture, same sound. So I was kind of on the impression that this was a gambled Huff song. But no, it was recording the same studio, same musicians, but totally different production.

But Merry Christmas, all, one of the jazziest, coolest Philadelphia songs ever. Third up. Okay, so James Brown, I will say that his Christmas album was probably the very first James Brown album I ever heard. I remember listening to that record at my aunt's house. My Aunt Barbara, that would be the destination for Christmas time every year from my childhood on up to maybe I stopped going when I was 20-something. But she used to always play the Soulful Christmas album by James Brown. And the opening cut, Go Power at Christmas time.

When you're three years old, I have no idea what James Brown is singing. So I thought he was talking about. gold powder, like gold metal flour. Give me some gold power. Never understood why James, I thought he was frying chicken or something. I don't know, but I now realize, I guess go power was kind of his motivational. Give me some excitement for Christmas. But yeah, it's one of those old-timey terms, like elbow grease, like something you don't hear anymore.

Also, the title cut. Soulful Christmas, it's probably the first time I heard Clyde Stubblefield drum before I discovered funky drummer. Like, honestly, it's weird that James Brown's most popular boutique song was the one flop in his otherwise flawless top 10 run between 1965 and 1975. Most of the singles that he released between 65 and 75 were at the very very. least top 20 singles on the soul chart. 80% of them were top 10 songs. A lion's share were top five and number one songs. But the one single that he released that didn't fare well on the black

charts was an instrumental called Funky Drummer. And the irony of that. But that drum pattern, and that's done on funky drum, is also done on Soulful Christmas Time. And so that holds dear to my heart. So I will say that even as a kid, I used to practice Soulful Christmas just to get that left-handed kind of a ghost note thing that Clyde's doublefield does with the snare drum. As an album, if you are into psychedelic pop, psychedelic soul, or just psychedelics, I highly recommend the Rotary Connection album called Peace. Rotary Connection, of course, the Chicago outfit that includes Maya Rudolph's mother, Minnie Ripperton, also produced by Charles Stepany,

who later produced an amazing band called Earth, One, and Fire, to whom I just finished directing their documentary will be out on HBO soon. But that entire piece album is just weird. It might be like the dark side of the moon of Christmas albums. And it's less about the holidays and more about peace, because, of course, they're all hippies. So stamp hippies want peace all the time. But yeah, for a cohesive listening experience from start to finish

that you could put on at any time period, I would highly recommend the peace album by the Rotary Connection. You know, on QLS, of course, if you listen to our very first, or was it our second Christmas special when Fonte talks about the magic of hearing Silent Night by the Temptations. Yes, that is definitely one of the classics, but I will say that Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer by the Temptations, which, of course, if you are familiar with D.M.M. X's kind of rendition of it. The beginning, he's basing it on the temptations. There's dancer and prancer and vixen. Like, when you listen to that intro that DMX does,

he's based on the temptations version of Rudolph, the Red Nose Reindeer. I only pick it because, you know, I know Motown acts of the 60s, they had to sort of straddle, just ride that line between sophisticated pop and just a nubstated pop and just a nondon. enough blackness to not scare middle America.

But this version of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, like there's so many correct, incorrect notes. If you're a real musician, you know what I'm talking about. When I mean incorrect notes, I don't mean like they played something wrong, but there's just a soulful way that black keys are used sometimes when you're taking pop songs that are pristine and major key, and you put it in a minor key from Eddie Kendrick's singing to James James James Jamerson's baseline delivery this is probably the blackest thing that pre-psychedelic

temptations has ever done so I recommend that I recently discovered that uh on the Earth When and Fire Christmas album which I think came out in the last 10 years that they've remade September into December. Genius idea. So when you're tired of listening to September, you can also listen to December, and it's Christmas, apropos, lyrics for that. So, of course, shout out to Earth, Wind and Fire. I think the Jackson Five Christmas album should be also in every household. This is probably their last album of that kid, Innocence, era, before they all turned to teenagers. You know, a year later, they're going to do, like, dance machine.

But there's two songs on that record that I always wondered about because, again, I encountered this record when I was, like, two or three. And, of course, I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. Is a song in which the child does know that Daddy's really Santa Claus and why is Mommy kissing the stranger. And, but the way that Michael in the bridge will yell out, and I'm going to tell my daddy. I didn't know about the legend of Joe Jackson back. when I was three, but, you know, just transferring and paralleling it to my own household,

I wouldn't want to snitch on my mom like that. Are you crazy? I just throwing everywhere, no. So Mike, stop snitching. But also the monologue, while most of America would ask their kids to come down, like I lived in the 70s and when the 70s was the last decade, where the adults would have a gathering. And it was pretty much expected once a month that you would be awakened out of your sleep to come downstairs in front of the poker table or the drinking table, wherever the adults are.

And then you provide entertainment. Amir, sing a dream the impossible dream. Watch, he can sing this. And, you know, or Amir, do the robot by the Jackson 5. And then, you know, just be one in the morning. and I'm like, sleep dancing. But I would often, my family would get tickled by my rendition of the monologue of Jermaine Jackson crying after getting dumped by his girlfriend on Christmas won't be the same this year.

So literally, Amir, do the speech, do the speech. Oh, he's crying. You know, and now we have to just listen to Christmas won't be the same this year by the Jackson 5. and that whole monologue where Jermaine gets dumped and whatever. Like I somehow committed, that's the first Jackson Five song I committed to memory. So that's that. I'm rounded out with, of course, Otis Redding's Merry Christmas Baby. Weirdly enough, sampled by Prince Paul and Queen Latifah's Mama gave birth to the Soul Children,

which is how I came to know it. But I will actually say that now that I'm familiar with the entire. Stax vault cannon for the early part of the MGs. And I'm talking about the legendary Booker T, Al Jackson, of course, the late Steve Cropper on on guitar. I will say that's probably and, you know, of course, like, everyone knows Soul Man and like just all these other iconic Steve Cropper guitar performances. But for me, his guitar performance on Merry Christmas, baby for Otis Redding to me is one of the most flawless, awesome examples of his kind of gut bucket down south quartet gospel sliding on a guitar. That's one of my favorite songs ever.

I'm going to close this out with a Christmas song that I wish I made, The Dap Kings. I'm a big fan. So big, I stole two of their members for The Roots. Shout out to Dave Guy and Uncle Chief Ian Hendrickson of the Dap Kings and their version of God Resty Merry Gentleman. There is somewhere on the shelf a Roots Christmas song using Matt music as the backdrop that we created that we never released. There's a lot of songs on the shelf. So the Dap Kings got rusty, Merry Gentleman is definitely a favorite. The last two, I will say Fishbone released two EPs early in their career. The second one is called, we're going to have a wonderful life, which is kind of a Christmas EP. And there's a song called Slick Nick, U-Devil-U, which Angelo, the lead singer Fishpone,

sort of expresses his disdain for Santa Claus and the fact that he's been neglectful and delivering the wrong gifts, that his health is, you know, that he has poor health. And And basically, it's an 11-year-old telling him about himself, which, you know, it's called Slick Nick UW. And I will close it out by giving my man DROM, whom I haven't heard from him in a long time. Drum, you need to, you know, come with it. All right. So I will say that DROM, his Christmas EP, he does a duet with his mother, big baby mom. and their rendition of Silver Bells is one of my favorites.

It's so good, I can't believe I actually talked Jimmy and the staff of the Tonight Show of having them do it on the show. So those are kind of my off-the-top go-to Christmas choices. And you have a great Christmas. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest, The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco,

joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar, this is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the IHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12. and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. In 2023, Bachelor star Clayton Eckerd was accused of fathering twins, but the pregnancy appeared to be a hoax. You doctored this particular test twice, Ms. Sondland's, correct? I doctored the test ones.

It took an army of internet detectives to uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg, a lesbian, Michael Mancini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is love trapped. Laura, Scottsdale Police.

As this season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist, they take matters into their own hands.

I vowed, I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves. We always say that, Trust your girlfriends. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

What's up, everyone? I'm Ago Vodam. My next guest, it's Will Ferrell. Woo, woo, woo, woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. He goes, just give it a shot. But if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration.

It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah. It would not be. Right. It wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.