Percy Sledge Recording Christmas and Spiritual Albums in 2011

Here's a nice present to look forward to: iconic soul singer Percy Sledge tells Spinner he's looking to return to the studios in spring 2011 to record a pair of albums in the holiday tradition. The first would be more of gospel-leaning spiritual album and the other would focus more on classic Christmas tunes.

"I've got letters for years and years about doing a Christmas album and a spiritual album," Sledge tells Spinner. "I'm going to let my kids sing on the spiritual album. On my Christmas album, I'm going to have a producer out of Muscle Shoals do it. I'm going to try to get one of my old producers because they know me so well."

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Sledge -- known worldwide for his 1966 hit 'When a Man Loves a Woman' -- recorded many of his best songs at Muscle Shoals studios, which he grew up near in Alabama. These new albums would certainly satiate fans who have seen Sledge's output slow down considerably -- in the last 16 years, he's just released two studio efforts, 1994's 'Blue Night' and 2004's 'Shining Through the Rain.'

For the Christmas record, Sledge plans to record the classics, including the country-tinged 'Blue Christmas,' Irving Berlin's 'White Christmas' and the Mel Torme classic, 'The Christmas Song,' also known as 'Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.'

"I've got a big selection," Sledge says. "I'm so excited. I can't wait to get in there and do this."

Rhino recently released a four-disc box set, 'Percy Sledge: The Atlantic Years,' which culls together his early, highly influential work.