"Christmas spirit should last all year and that's what I hope these songs will do, too."

So says Chris Isaak on the sixteen musical ornaments that comprise Chris Isaak Christmas, his latest Wicked Games/Reprise Records release and a very special holiday gift to his worldwide fans. And, while Chris Isaak Christmas is definitely a year-round musical delight, there's nothing like getting cozy in front of a yuletide log with these distinctive renditions of such classics as "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "Let It Snow," "Blue Christmas," "Auld Lang Syne" and a host of others.

Nothing that is, except maybe everyone's favorite crooner delivering his own unique brand of seasonal cheer with five Christmas originals including "Washington Square," "Gotta Be Good" and "Christmas On TV."

No question about it: naughty or nice, Chris Isaak gives a whole new reason for the season on Chris Isaak Christmas.

While carefully culling a selection of seasonal perennials and after "listening to every Christmas album there is, especially the true greats like Elvis Presley, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and so many others," Chris' Christmas inspiration sparked a surge of creativity all its own. "I wrote the new songs in about three weeks," he continues. "And I'd like to think that, they truly fit together style wise with the rest of the record."

Chris Isaak Christmas is, in fact, a labor of love that the artist found time to fit in around an otherwise busy schedule, including the release of his Reprise Records album, Always Got Tonight and his starring role in the hit TV series The Chris Isaak Show. "I've been thinking about doing a Christmas CD for a really long time," he explains. "I've always been inspired by great holiday music, the songs you come back to year in and year out. I wanted an album that you put on while your guests come in and take off their coats. They're eating turkey and listening to the music. They're starting to argue about politics and you turn it up a little louder."

At the same time, Chris continues, "I was inspired to write the song 'Washington Square' by the trips I took to Iraq and Afghanistan to entertain the troops. I thought about how the men and women are so far from home. There's nothing lonelier than missing someone at Christmas when you're far away and not safe."

Aside from his longtime collaborators Kenney Dale Johnson (drums, vocals), Rowland Salley (bass, vocals) and Hershel Yatovitz (guitar, vocals), Chris was joined for the recording studio festivities by Stevie Nicks. "She was amazing," says Chris. "She has the same vocal quality as Buck Owens. No matter how softly she sings, you can still hear her voice. And while she was singing, she kept time by slapping her leg with her hand. She added her own percussion and we kept that on the record."

Produced by Chris so that "he wouldn't have to hear someone else's good ideas," Chris Isaak Christmas is the renowned singer and vocalist's quintessential contribution to an enduring holiday tradition. "Sometimes Christmas is a lonely thing," he concludes. "Maybe you're alone and watching Jimmy Stewart in It's A Wonderful Life where Christmas looks so good. I think of the warm nostalgia of a family lighting a fire - or turning on their fake long - and, all of a sudden, it's Christmas."

A Chris Isaak Christmas to be exact.