Donnoya Drake & Junior Dell - Dear Mr Santa Claus/Merry Xmas Everybody Donnoya Drake & Junior Dell

During the 1960s and 1970s, a small group of highly successful producers dominated the Jamaican music scene. They collaborated with the country's most talented musicians and vocalists, releasing the music they recorded on their own labels. Notable producers included Duke Reid (Treasure Isle), Coxsone Dodd (Studio One), Lee "Scratch" Perry (Upsetter) and Leslie Kong (Beverley's). They were responsible for launching the careers of some of Jamaica's biggest stars, including Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff and Desmond Dekker. UK-based producer, musician, music teacher and studio and label owner Neil Anderson continues this tradition. He initially started recording music to use as soundtracks for videos of his mountain bike trips. Following positive feedback about the music, he decided to release his recordings and founded Original Gravity in 2017.
Much of the music released on Original Gravity is produced and recorded at Neil’s Farm Factory Studios in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, while Neil also works remotely with session musicians and vocalists from around the world. Neil draws inspiration from 1960s and early 1970s music, including ska, rocksteady, early reggae, rhythm & blues, funk and Latin music. Many of the artists released on Original Gravity are Neil's alter egos, including Prince Alphonso & The Fever (ska), Brentford Rd Soul Rebels (reggae), Curtis Baker & The Bravehearts (R&B) and Néstor Álvarez (Latin). In recent years, he has also started recording and releasing music by other artists, including legendary groups such as the Heptones, the Pioneers and Maroon Town, as well as vocalists like Roy Ellis, Dave Barker, Junior Dell, and Donnoya Drake.
The last two vocalists are featured on the single that Neil recorded for the Snowflakes Christmas Singles Club. Junior Dell, a Jamaican singer who had been performing for over a decade, teamed up with Neil to record a series of songs as Junior Dell & The D-Lites. The group's sound is inspired by the ska, rocksteady and reggae of the late 1960s. Junior Dell & The D-Lites were responsible for some of the biggest sellers on Original Gravity, with both original songs and covers. They transformed classics such as "Just Can't Get Enough", "I'm A Man", "Jump Around" and "Valerie" into ska and reggae songs. Now, Junior Dell and Neil have given Slade's classic Christmas rock song, "Merry Xmas Everybody", a ska makeover. So put on your dancing shoes and start skanking!
The A-side of the single features the Neil Anderson original "Dear Mr. Santa Claus", performed by Jamaican singer Donnoya Drake, who is currently based in Trinidad. Donnoya has been working with Neil since 2022, mostly recording rocksteady songs including originals such as "Rocksteady Boy" and covers such as "Groove Is In The Heart" and "Be My Baby". "Dear Mr. Santa Claus" is another rocksteady song that sounds as if it were recorded in Jamaica in the late 1960s. In the song, Donnoya, who claims to have been a good girl all year long, asks Santa Claus to send her darling home, as that is the only thing she really wants for Christmas. The perfect blend of Donnoya's vocals and the authentic-sounding music makes this song a guaranteed hit!