Originally released in 1968, A Soulful Christmas is the Godfather of Soul's 22nd studio album and 2nd Christmas album (following 1966's James Brown Sings Christmas Songs).

It was unlike any other Christmas album at the time: raw, funky, socially conscious and unmistakably James Brown. It was also comprised entirely of original songs, including the now classic "Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto".

James Brown's Christmas works extended far beyond his music. In the 1990s, he started the James Brown Toy Giveaway and, from the Imperial Theatre in Augusta, Georgia, gave away hundreds of toys each year in the days before Christmas.