(October 3, 2007 New York, NY) I’ll Be Home For Christmas, the first holiday album ever recorded by the Isley Brothers featuring Ronald Isley, will arrive in stores October 9th on Def Soul Classics, a division of the Island Def Jam Music Group. The new album was executive produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis for Flyte Tyme Productions, Inc., with all tracks recorded and mixed at Flyte Tyme Studios in Santa Monica.Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees the Isley Brothers, who now include Ronald Isley and his brother, guitarist and singer Ernie Isley, celebrated their 50th year as a recording group in 2007. Their new album’s 10 songs are a mix of contemporary Christmas standards (Winter Wonderland, I’ll Be Home For Christmas, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, with passionate guitar work by Ernie); traditional fare (Silent Night, and the medley of The First Noël/What Child Is This?/Joy To The World); and two songs co-written for the occasion by Jimmy Jam (James Harris III) & Terry Lewis that are destined to become classics: I’m In Love and What Can I Buy You? (the latter also featuring Ernie on guitar).The Isley Brothers are joined by jazz guitarist Doc Powell (known for his work with Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, and dozens of others) for an unforgettable version of Mel Tormé’s The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire). The final sequence for I’ll Be Home For Christmas is: 1. Winter Wonderland * 2. I’m In Love * 3. I’ll Be Home For Christmas * 4. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas * 5. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town * 6. Christmas Medley * Medley (The First Noel, What Child Is This?, Joy To The World) * 7. What Can I Buy You? 8. The Christmas Song featuring Doc Powell * 9. White Christmas * 10. Silent Night.
I’ll Be Home For Christmas follows up the May 2006 release of Baby Makin’ Music by the Isley Brothers featuring Ronald Isley a.k.a. Mr. Biggs, their first album for Def Jam’s Def Soul Recordings.
The album, which hit #1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and #5 on the pop side, went on to win the Soul Train Music Award in March 2007, for Best R&B/Soul Album, Group, Band or Duo.