A Christmas Album (Amy Grant album)
| A Christmas Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Amy Grant | ||||
| Released | September 27, 1983 | |||
| Recorded |
July 3-August 26, 1983, Caribou Ranch, Nederland, Colorado; Air Studios, London, England; Sound Stage Studios, Nashville, TN; CBS Studios, London, England; Ocean Way Recording, Hollywood, CA; Mama Jo's, North Hollywood, CA; Bullet Recording, Nashville, TN; Woodland Sound, Nashville, TN; Bill Schnee Studio, N. Hollywood, CA | |||
| Genre | Gospel/Christian | |||
| Length | 37:35 | |||
| Label | Myrrh | |||
| Producer | Brown Bannister | |||
| Amy Grant chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |  [1] |
A Christmas Album is the seventh album by Christian music singer Amy Grant, released in 1983. The release was Grant's first of many Christmas albums.
A Christmas Album was issued on the heels of Grant's immensely successful 1982 LP Age to Age. Primarily for the audiences she attracted with Age to Age, A Christmas Album featured well-known religious and secular standards alongside original songs. Although not as successful as Age to Age, A Christmas Album still peaked in the Top Ten of the Christian chart and spawned a Top 20 Christian radio single in "Emmanuel." A Christmas Album would eventually be certified gold in 1985, and platinum in 1989. A Christmas Album was listed at No. 40 in the 2001 book, CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Tennessee Christmas" | Amy Grant, Gary Chapman | 4:33 |
| 2. | "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" | William H. Cummings, Felix Mendelssohn, Charles Wesley | 2:53 |
| 3. | "Preiset Dem Konig! (Praise the King!)" | Shane Keister | 1:39 |
| 4. | "Emmanuel" | Michael W. Smith | 2:54 |
| 5. | "Little Town" | Phillips Brooks, Chris Eaton, Lewis H. Redner | 2:47 |
| 6. | "Christmas Hymn" | Grant, Smith | 2:32 |
| 7. | "Love Has Come" | Grant, Keister, Smith | 4:02 |
| 8. | "Sleigh Ride" | Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish | 3:35 |
| 9. | "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On an Open Fire)" | Mel Tormé, Robert Wells | 3:45 |
| 10. | "Heirlooms" | Grant, Bannister, Bob Farrell | 3:42 |
| 11. | "A Mighty Fortress/Angels We Have Heard On High" | Traditional | 5:00 |
Personnel
- Amy Grant: lead vocals, background vocals (1)
- Gary Chapman: acoustic guitar and pedal steel (1), background vocals (1)
- Jon Goin: electric guitar (1), acoustic guitar (2), guitar (4,5,7-10)
- Paul Leim: drums (1,2,5,7,9,10), Simmons drums (4), LinnDrum (4), sleigh bells (5,8), woodblocks (8)
- Dean Parks: acoustic guitar (1)
- Mike Brignardello: bass guitar (1,2,4,5,7,8,9,10)
- Lenny Castro: percussion (4)
- Victor Feldman: shaker (1), percussion (2,5,6)
- Farrell Morris: percussion (7,9), coconut shells, bell tree and glockenspiel (8)
- Michael W. Smith: piano (2,5,6,11), Yamaha GS1 (4), Yamaha GS2 (7,8), vocoder (10)
- Shane Keister: Fender Rhodes (1), Yamaha GS1 (2,3,5,8), Oberheim OB-X (3), Oberheim OB-8 (4,5,8), piano (7,9,10), Memorymoog (4), Mini Moog (4)
- Thomas McAninch: horns (5,6,11)
- Bill Champlin: background vocals (4,7)
- Tamara Champlin: background vocals (4,7)
- David Page: background vocals (5)
- Richard Page: background vocals (5)
- Steve George: background vocals (5)
- Debbie Hall: background vocals (8,9)
- Sandy Hall: background vocals (8,9)
- Edie Lehmann: background vocals (8,9)
- Carmen Twillie: background vocals (4,7)
- The Hollywood Presbyterian Choir (2,6,11)
- Fred Bock: choir director
- The Martyn Ford Orchestra: strings (1,2,7,8-11), woodwinds (2,8,10), horns (2)
- Gavyn Wright: concertmaster
- The Nashville Contemporary Brass Quintet: horns (5,6,11)
- Alan Moore: string arrangements (1,2,5-11), woodwind arrangements (2,6,8,10), horn arrangements (2,5,6,11), choir arrangements (2,6,11)
Production
- Producer: Brown Bannister
- Executive producers: Michael Blanton, Dan Harrell, Gary Chapman
- Engineer and mix: Jack Joseph Puig
- Assistant engineers: Jerry Mahler, Kevin Burns, Rich Markowitz, Steve Ford, Daniel Garcia and David Schober
- Additional engineering: Jim Baird, Mike Ross, Ken Corlew, Gene Eichelberger, Brent King
- Mastered by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab (Los Angeles, CA)
- Art Direction: Dennis Hill
- Cover Art Concept: Michael Blanton, Dan Harrell
- Photography: Mike Borum
- Artwork, photography and scenery: Bill Farrell
Charts
Album – Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Top Contemporary Christian | 9 |
| 1985 | Top Holiday Albums | 5 |
| 1991 | Top Pop Catalog | 5 |
Singles – CCM Magazine (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | "Emmanuel" | Christian Radio–Adult Contemporary | 20 |
Awards
| Year | Winner | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | A Christmas Album | Recorded Music Packaging of the Year |
Pressings
A Christmas Album was the first Amy Grant album to be released in the Compact Disc format. The original CD issue had a manufacturing flaw that caused a small, but noticeable jump during the transition between tracks 3 and 4. The remastered version does not have this defect. The album was also released as a promotional only vinyl picture disc version in a die cut sleeve.
References
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Christmas albums |
|
| Compilation albums | |
| Live albums | |
| Singles/EPs |
|
| TV shows & movies | |
| Books | |
| Related articles | |
 Book:Amy Grant | |
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