(Red) Christmas EP | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
EP by | ||||
Released | November 29, 2011 | |||
Recorded | 2006–2011 | |||
Length | 26:42 | |||
Label | Island | |||
Producer |
| |||
The Killers chronology | ||||
|
(Red) Christmas EP is the first extended play (EP) by American rock band The Killers. It was released digitally on November 29, 2011, by Island Records. [1] The EP features the band's yearly Christmas singles from 2006 to 2011. Proceeds from the sales from the (Red) Christmas EP have been donated to the Product Red campaign, headed by Bobby Shriver and U2 lead singer Bono.
The Killers have become recognized for their work with the Product Red campaign, headed by Bono and Bobby Shriver. Every year between 2006 and 2016, the band released a Christmas song in support of the campaign. Every single came out around December 1 (coinciding with World AIDS Day). As of the EP, they had released six Christmas-themed songs and music videos: "A Great Big Sled" (2006), "Don't Shoot Me Santa" (2007), "Joseph, Better You Than Me" (2008), "¡Happy Birthday Guadalupe!" (2009), "Boots" (2010), and "The Cowboys' Christmas Ball" (2011).
On November 30, 2011, the band released the (Red) Christmas EP on iTunes which features the first six songs. All proceeds from the songs have been donated to Product Red campaign and the fight against AIDS in Africa. The EP also features guest appearances from Elton John, Neil Tennant (Pet Shop Boys), Toni Halliday (Curve), Wild Light, and Mariachi El Bronx.
The Killers' 2011 Christmas single, "The Cowboys' Christmas Ball", was released as the lead single from the EP.
The album debuted on the US Billboard 200 at number 85. It also opened on the Billboard Digital Albums chart at number 10, Rock Albums at number 11, and Alternative Albums at number nine.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "A Great Big Sled" (featuring Toni Halliday) | Brandon Flowers | 4:18 | |
2. | "Don't Shoot Me Santa" | Flowers |
| 4:03 |
3. | "Joseph, Better You than Me" (featuring Elton John and Neil Tennant) |
|
| 4:51 |
4. | "¡Happy Birthday Guadalupe!" (featuring Wild Light and Mariachi El Bronx) |
|
| 4:33 |
5. | "Boots" | The Killers |
| 5:27 |
6. | "The Cowboys' Christmas Ball" (lyrics taken from the 1890 poem of the same name) |
| 3:30 | |
Total length: | 26:42 |
Notes
Chart (2011) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [2] | 77 |
UK Albums (OCC) [3] | 104 |
US Billboard 200 [4] | 85 |
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [5] | 9 |
US Top Holiday Albums (Billboard) [6] | 29 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [7] | 11 |
Brooks & Dunn is an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, both of whom are vocalists and songwriters. The duo was founded in 1990 through the suggestion of songwriter and record producer Tim DuBois. Before their formation, both members were solo recording artists, having charted two solo singles apiece in the 1980s. Brooks also released an album for Capitol Records in 1989 and wrote hit singles for other artists.
The Killers are an American rock band formed in Las Vegas in 2001 by Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning. After going through a number of short-term bassists and drummers in their early days, both Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. joined the band in 2002. The band's name is derived from a logo on the bass drum of a fictitious band portrayed in the music video for the New Order song "Crystal".
Brandon Richard Flowers is an American musician. He serves as the co-founder, lead vocalist, primary songwriter, keyboardist, and occasional bassist of the Las Vegas-based rock band the Killers, which he formed with Dave Keuning in 2001.
Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara. The band's touring line-up also includes former core member Sarah Neufeld and multi-instrumentalists Paul Beaubrun and Dan Boeckner. Each of the band's studio albums features contributions from composer and violinist Owen Pallett.
"One" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track from their seventh album, Achtung Baby (1991), and it was released as the record's third single on 24 February 1992. During the album's recording sessions at Hansa Studios in Berlin, conflict arose between the band members over the direction of U2's sound and the quality of their material. Tensions almost prompted the band to break up until they achieved a breakthrough with the improvisation of "One"; the song was written after the band members were inspired by a chord progression that guitarist the Edge was playing in the studio. The lyrics, written by lead singer Bono, were inspired by the band members' fractured relationships and the German reunification. Although the lyrics ostensibly describe "disunity", they have been interpreted in other ways.
American rock band the Killers have released seven studio albums, one live album, four compilation albums, one extended play, 42 singles, four promotional singles, and 39 music videos. Part of the post-punk revival movement, the Killers are influenced by music styles of the 1980s and 1990s. The band has sold over 28 million records worldwide. The group's debut album, Hot Fuss (2004), brought the band mainstream success, spawning four UK top-20 singles, including "Mr. Brightside". The album has since been certified six-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and height-times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), selling seven million copies worldwide.
Product Red is a licensed brand by the company Red that seeks to engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds to help eliminate HIV/AIDS in eight African countries, namely Eswatini, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia. It is licensed to partner companies including Apple Inc., Nike, American Express (UK), The Coca-Cola Company, Starbucks, Converse, Electronic Arts, Primark, Head, Buckaroo, Penguin Classics, Gap, Armani, FIAT, Hallmark (US), SAP, Beats Electronics, and Supercell.
"A Great Big Sled" is a song by Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers. It was recorded in mid-November 2006 with record producer Alan Moulder as a one-off track and the band's Christmas 2006 single. Moulder's wife Toni Halliday, the former lead vocalist of Curve, features on backing vocals.
"Don't Shoot Me Santa" is a song by Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers. The song was released November 27, 2007, as a digital download. A portion of the proceeds from this song went to AIDS charities as part of the Product Red campaign, headed by Bono and Bobby Shriver. It is The Killers' second Christmas download single following 2006's "A Great Big Sled".
"Joseph, Better You Than Me" is a song by Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers featuring English musicians Elton John and Neil Tennant. The song was released on December 16, 2008, as a download-only single. All proceeds from the song benefit the Product Red campaign, headed by Bono and Bobby Shriver. The music video features footage from The Living Christ series.
"¡Happy Birthday Guadalupe!" is a Christmas song by Las Vegas rock band The Killers featuring Wild Light and Mariachi El Bronx, released as a digital download on December 1, 2009.
"Boots" is a Christmas song by Las Vegas rock band The Killers, which was released as a digital download on November 30, 2010, despite the band being on hiatus. All proceeds from the song go to AIDS charities as part of the (PRODUCT)RED campaign, headed by Bono and Bobby Shriver.
WHY is a Canadian Alternative Rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba.
"The Cowboys' Christmas Ball" is a country Christmas song recorded by Las Vegas rock band, The Killers. The lyrics of the song were taken from the 1890s poem of the same name by William Lawrence Chittenden. John Lomax included the lyrics to this song in his book "Cowboy Songs" with these notes: "This poem was one of the Larry Chittenden's Ranch Verses, published by GP Putnam's Sons, New York, has been set to music by cowboys and its phraseology slightly changed, as this copy will show, by oral transmission. I have heard it in New Mexico and it has been sent to me from various places, — always as a song. None of those who sent in the song knew that it was already in print." The Killers version has slight lyrical changes. For instance, the first line was changed from "Way out in Western Texas, where the Clear Fork's waters flow" to "Way out in Old Nevada, where the Truckees' waters flow".
Jonathan David "JD" McPherson, is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He is known for a retro sound rooted in the rock and roll, rockabilly, and rhythm and blues music of the 1950s. Among influences such as Little Richard and Fats Domino, McPherson also draws inspiration from artists as diverse as the Wu-Tang Clan, Pixies, and Led Zeppelin.
"I Feel It in My Bones" is a song by Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers. The song was the band's 7th consecutive Christmas song and is a sequel to their 2007 song, "Don't Shoot Me Santa". As with their six previous releases, all proceeds from this song goes to AIDS charities as part of the Product Red campaign.
"Christmas in L.A." is a song by Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers featuring Dawes, released on December 1, 2013. The song marks the eighth consecutive year in which the band has released a Christmas song. As with their seven previous releases, all proceeds from this song goes to AIDS charities as part of the Product Red campaign. The song was written by Brandon Flowers and Mark Stoermer of The Killers and Taylor Goldsmith from Dawes. Irving Berlin also has a writing credit due to the song featuring lyrics from "White Christmas".
"Invisible" is a song by Irish rock band U2. Produced by Danger Mouse, it was released as a non-album single on 2 February 2014. The song was unveiled in a Super Bowl XLVIII television advertisement, launching a promotion that offered the song as a free digital download in the iTunes Store from 2–3 February. For each download of the track, Bank of America donated $1 to (RED), an organisation co-founded by lead vocalist Bono, to fight HIV/AIDS. Ultimately, $3.1 million was raised during the 36-hour promotion. Since 4 February, "Invisible" has been available as a paid download that continues to benefit (RED).
"Joel the Lump of Coal" is a song by Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers featuring late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. It was released on December 1, 2014. The song marks the ninth consecutive year in which the band has released a Christmas song. As with their previous Christmas releases, all proceeds from this song go to AIDS charities as part of the Product Red campaign. The song's announcement and debut occurred on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where the music video and a montage about the recording process aired.
Don't Waste Your Wishes is a Christmas compilation album by American rock band The Killers, featuring their yearly Christmas singles released from 2006 to 2016. One hundred percent of proceeds from sales of the album were donated to the Product Red campaign, headed by Bobby Shriver and U2 lead singer Bono. The album was released exclusively on the iTunes Store on November 18, 2016, and a limited-edition CD was released on December 9, 2016. A re-release of the vinyl was announced in December 2023.