It’s that time of year when the world falls in love with a new Christmas album by The Philly Specials, a music group made of current and former Philadelphia Eagles offensive linemen Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, and Jordan Mailata. Their work is also produced by Philadelphia producer and Grammy award-winning drummer for the War on Drugs, Charlie Hall, and executively produced by former Eagle Connor Barwin.
This year, the Philly Specials released the third and final record in the Philly Special Christmas trilogy: A Philly Special Christmas Party. With as impressive a guest list as ever, this latest holiday album includes appearances by friends and local musicians, Boyz II Men, Devon Gilfillian, Brandon Beaver (MewithoutYou), Kevin Hanson (The Fractals, Huffamoose) James Poyser (The Roots), Zach Miller (Dr. Dog), Eliza Hardy Jones (The War on Drugs), and many more.
Ahead of the album’s release, Metro Philadelphia caught up with producer Charlie Hall to discuss this latest project and what goes into making not one, but three albums with such an impact on both fans and the community at large.
What initially got you involved in this project?
I think in a way the same thing that got the guys all involved together, which was friendship and a love of music. That was sort of the initial spark, Jason [Kelce] and Lane [Johnson] and Jordan [Mailata] and those guys, they obviously have this connection from what they do for their job, and I think they all found this other connection through [their] love of music and singing, and they’re all amazing musicians, in their own ways.
I was friends with Jason and Connor [Barwin], and they called, they’re like, ‘Hey, want to make a Christmas record, and donate all the proceeds to nonprofits?’ And I was like, ‘Cool, let’s go.’
What do you think really brings together such a special group for a project like this?
It’s sincere, and it’s heartfelt, and if I could say so, it’s really good. There’s just so much mutual admiration between the musicians and the guys. To be a part of something that’s so unique is pretty, is, I think, one of the reasons why it just always feels so great.
What goes into making the set list each album, and specifically this year?
For me, I want to choose songs that I personally think are great, but more importantly, they need to be songs that the guys, whoever’s singing the song, needs to feel a connection to it. This isn’t like some thing where you show up and read the notes and go, it’s like, you’re singing. So it’s always important to me that the guys feel a connection to a song.
A song that I really wanted to include, and fortunately, Jason kind of latched onto is Ron Sexsmith’s ‘Maybe This Christmas’, which I think is one of the most beautiful songs and it’s this kind of song of hope and forgiveness, and looking at the holidays from that perspective… You just pick your moments where it’s like, I would like share songs with the guys, but that one in particular, I wanted to find a right moment when I thought Jason would be receptive to it.
I wanted to ask specifically about ‘Santa Drives an Astrovan’. Is that an allusion to Mt. Joy?
It is very much an illusion of Mt. Joy, because it is Mount Joy. Like Matt [Quinn] came down to the studio a couple times just to hang, and he was like, ‘Oh yeah, we got an idea. Maybe this is crazy, but, they have that song, ‘Jesus Drives an Astrovan,’ right?’ And he kind of reworked the lyrics. And then, the way he and Jason trade verses, and Mt. Joy plays on it. And then the Philly Specials play, sort of like a giant party.
Part of my construct, for this year especially, was like in years past, we’ve had kind of different groups of people playing on different songs. And this year, we all came together and just sort of had everybody playing together, almost like a Motown sort of thing, where we just had all kinds of people on the floor.
So the Mt. Joy one was really a fun collaboration between the whole Mt. Joy crew and the whole Philly Specials crew. So grateful that they entrusted us with their song, to set it in the context of the sonic palette of this record and to sort of open up to sort of having it be reimagined a little bit the way that Matt reimagined the song itself to sort of be about Santa, and it’s so fun.
How does it feel to be a part of something that is such a fun experience for everyone involved, everyone who listens, and also benefits so many people in need?
Even if we were just making music together for fun and not even releasing it, it’s been such an enriching experience, just musically, personally, interpersonally and professionally. But then, the fact that we’re able to make such an impact on the community, it makes it the most incredible thing that I could ever dream of.
I mean, honestly, I never in a million years imagined that I would be a part of something that could contribute to Children’s Crisis Treatment Center or the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, which we’re so fortunate to have here in our backyard. I’ve got two kids. I can tell you firsthand, I’ve been there more than a couple times in a pinch.
And all of the probably 50 to 60 other organizations that we’ve been able to support. I would say most of them are sort of child facing organizations on some level, whether it’s music education or community stuff or immigration related, immigration services, all kinds of things. It’s just been so cool.”
The Philly Specials have raised over $4 million in funds for local charities including Children’s Crisis Treatment Center’s Holiday Toy Drive and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s (CHOP) Snowflake Station. To preorder their latest album, visit phillyspecialchristmas.com
