Hear Norah Jones Reinvent the Chipmunks’ ‘Christmas Don’t Be Late’

Norah Jones has released a new version of the Chipmunks’ holiday favorite “Christmas Don’t Be Late.” The track, produced by Leon Michels, is a bluesy number complete with horns and sultry vocals.

The cover comes off Jones’ new album, I Dream of Christmas, out this week via Blue Note Records. The singer previously previewed the collection with a original single, “Christmas Calling (Jolly Jones).”

“I’ve always loved Christmas music but never had the inclination to make a holiday album until now,” Jones said in a statement. “Last year I found myself listening to James Brown’s Funky Christmas and Elvis’s Christmas Album on Sundays during lockdown for a sense of comfort. In January 2021, I started thinking about making a Christmas album of my own. It gave me something fun to work on and look forward to.”

The album, Jones’ first-ever holiday record, includes a selection of classics and originals. It features Jones’ take on “White Christmas,” “Blue Christmas,” “Winter Wonderland,” and “Christmas Time Is Here,” among others. The musician also wrote several of the songs herself.

“When I was trying to figure out which direction to take, the original songs started popping in my head,” Jones said. “They were all about trying to find the joys of Christmas, catching that spark, that feeling of love and inclusion that I was longing for during the rest of the year. Then there are all the classics that have that special nostalgia that can hit you no matter who or where you are in life. It was hard to narrow down, but I picked favorite classics that I knew I could make my own.”