Jordan Mailata, 6-foot-8, 365-pound tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles, was tense like he was before a game. It was August, he went to a studio to record with soul singer Patti LaBelle.
After the vocal warm-up, the singer was impressed.
They sang This Christmas by Donny Hathaway. The song is part of A Philly Special Christmas Special, a Christmas album released in early December by three Eagles offensive linemen, Mailata – a tenor with a velvet voice, in the high notes –, Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson.
It’s the trio’s second Christmas album, with proceeds donating to charitable causes in Philadelphia. Along with longtime Eagles fan Patti LaBelle, the chorus members include Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
The singer admitted she was a little disappointed that Taylor Swift, who is dating Travis Kelce, didn’t accompany her date on the album, but she said she would be happy to do a duet with her in the future. “Here’s a girl I want to meet,” said LaBelle, who said she’s excited to be part of a project that brings together Philadelphia sports and music.
The idea comes from center Jason Kelce. “I love Christmas and I always thought it would be great to make a Christmas album,” he explained last year in a video about the creation of the album. “The problem is that I sing badly. »
He therefore called on Johnson and Mailata, a former rugby player and former participant in the Fox television network musical competition The Masked Singer.
“Here are three incredibly talented artists who are also some of the best soccer players in the world,” says Barwin, executive producer of the album recorded on Vera Y Records, which he co-founded with Jason Kelce. “Put that together and it’s magic. »
The album was recorded in ten sessions at Elm Street Studio in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Its 11 tracks include Christmas songs, including Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You and Jason Kelce’s original song, Santa’s Night. The Kelce brothers sing Fairytale of Philadelphia, which reached #1 on Billboard’s digital rock Christmas song sales chart.
“This project was never a joke,” says Charlie Hall, the album’s producer and drummer for the rock band The War on Drugs. He has worked with sound engineer Nick Krill and Philadelphia artists including folk-soul singer Amos Lee, indie band Waxahatchee and saxophonist Marshall Allen of the Sun Ra Arkestra.
To come up with the song list, Hall spoke at length with Eagles players to find Christmas songs that resonated with them growing up. “Singing is deep and emotional. I wanted everyone to have a connection with each song. (Mailata, who grew up in Australia, didn’t know most of them.)
Proceeds from the album benefit two children’s hospitals in Philadelphia. According to Vera Y Records, 50,000 vinyls had been sold by the end of November, already double the sales of the 2022 album.
The album’s title is a nod to the “Philly Special,” a trick play used to score a touchdown in the Eagles’ Super Bowl win in 2018. The Eagles lost the Super Bowl to the Chiefs that year. last, but currently have the best record in the NFL.
Patti LaBelle is convinced that her Eagles will be champions this season. “After they win, they will all come to my house for supper,” she said.
