40 Christmas Classics

Last updated
40 Christmas Classics
Williams-40.jpg
Compilation album by
ReleasedOctober 31, 2014
Recorded1963–1974
Genre Christmas
Length1:56:30
Label Sony Music Entertainment
Andy Williams chronology
The Classic Christmas Album
(2013)
40 Christmas Classics
(2014)
Gold
(2020)

40 Christmas Classics is a digital compilation album by American pop singer Andy Williams that was released on October 31, 2014, [1] and includes all of the songs from his first three solo holiday LPs, The Andy Williams Christmas Album , Merry Christmas , and Christmas Present . Three tracks not originally appearing on holiday albums by Williams are also included: "My Sweet Lord" from his 1971 album Love Story , "Amazing Grace" from his 1972 album Alone Again (Naturally) , and the Latin Catholic Prayer version of Franz Schubert's "Ave Maria", which Williams recorded in honor of Senator Robert F. Kennedy just days after his funeral in 1968. [2]

Contents

The album appeared on Billboard magazine's lists of the top pop albums and top holiday albums in 2018 and 2019.

Track listing

Disc one

  1. "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells) – 2:34
  2. "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" (Robert MacGimsey) – 3:17
  3. "O Holy Night" (Adolphe Adam, John Sullivan Dwight) – 3:24
  4. "Silent Night, Holy Night" (Franz Xaver Gruber, Joseph Mohr) – 2:15
  5. "The Little Drummer Boy" (Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati, Harry Simeone) – 2:17
  6. "Away in a Manger" (Traditional) – 2:51
  7. "Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells" (James Pierpont, Kay Thompson) – 2:06
  8. "Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season" (Irving Berlin/Kay Thompson) – 2:38
  9. "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" (Edward Pola, George Wyle) – 2:33
  10. "A Song and a Christmas Tree (The Twelve Days of Christmas)" (Traditional) – 3:57
  11. "The First Noël" (Traditional) – 3:08
  12. "White Christmas" (Irving Berlin) – 2:29
  13. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" from Meet Me in St. Louis (Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin) – 3:27
  14. "Winter Wonderland" (Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith) – 2:14
  15. "Silver Bells" from The Lemon Drop Kid (Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) – 3:12
  16. "Mary's Little Boy Child" (Jester Hairston) – 3:57
  17. "Some Children See Him" (Alfred Burt, Wihla Hutson) – 3:26
  18. "Do You Hear What I Hear?" (Gloria Shayne Baker, Noël Regney) – 2:55
  19. "Christmas Holiday" (Craig Vincent Smith) – 1:56
  20. "Sleigh Ride" (Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish) – 2:11

Disc two

  1. "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne) – 2:20
  2. "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music (Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers) – 2:29
  3. "Little Altar Boy" (Howlett Peter Smith) – 4:59
  4. "The Bells of St. Mary's" (A. Emmett Adams, Douglas Furber) – 2:38
  5. "Christmas Present" (Larry H. Brown, [3] Keats Tyler) – 2:30
  6. "Joy To The World" (Lowell Mason, Isaac Watts) – 2:52
  7. "O Little Town of Bethlehem" (Phillip Brooks, Lewis H. Redner) – 2:32
  8. "Ring Christmas Bells" (Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych, Peter Wilhousky, Minna Louise Hohman) – 1:52
  9. "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" (Edmund Hamilton Sears, Richard Storrs Willis) – 3:12
  10. "Ave Maria" (Franz Schubert) – 4:34
  11. "O Come All Ye Faithful" (Frederick Oakeley, John Francis Wade) – 2:35
  12. "Angels We Have Heard On High" (traditional) – 2:32
  13. "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" (Felix Mendelssohn, Charles Wesley) – 2:39
  14. "Ave Maria" (Johann Sebastian Bach, Charles Gounod) – 3:05
  15. "What Child Is This" (William Chatterton Dix) – 2:31
  16. "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" (John Baptiste Calkin, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) – 2:47
  17. "The Lord's Prayer" (Albert Hay Malotte) – 2:40
  18. "Ave Maria" (Franz Schubert) – 4:55
  19. "Amazing Grace" (John Newton) – 3:27
  20. "My Sweet Lord" (George Harrison) – 4:14

Charts

Related Research Articles

<i>When My Heart Finds Christmas</i> 1993 studio album by Harry Connick Jr.

When My Heart Finds Christmas is American artist Harry Connick Jr.'s first Christmas album. Released in 1993, it is among the most popular holiday collections of the past two decades in the United States. Connick Jr composed four songs for the album: "When My Heart Finds Christmas", "(It Must've Been Ol') Santa Claus", "The Blessed Dawn Of Christmas Day" and "I Pray On Christmas". The other songs are traditional Christmas songs and carols.

<i>Christmas Songs by Sinatra</i> 1948 studio album by Frank Sinatra

Christmas Songs by Sinatra is the name of the third studio album by the American singer Frank Sinatra. It was released in 1948 as a 78 rpm album set and a 10" LP record featuring a collection of 8 holiday songs. A compilation album was released in 1994 including the songs released on the 1948 album along with Christmas songs from his years recording at Columbia.

<i>Faith: A Holiday Album</i> 1999 studio album by Kenny G

Faith: A Holiday Album is the second holiday album and tenth studio album by saxophonist Kenny G. It was released by Arista Records on November 16, 1999 and peaked at number 1 on the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart, number 4 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, number 5 on the Internet Albums chart, and number 6 on the Billboard 200. The album also received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Instrumental Album.

<i>Merry Christmas from London</i> 1993 studio album by Lorrie Morgan

Merry Christmas from London is an album of Christmas music, released in 1993 by country music artist Lorrie Morgan. It features duets with guest stars Andy Williams, Johnny Mathis, and Tammy Wynette. The New World Philharmonic and Choir provide traditional orchestral and vocal backing throughout the album.

<i>Dream a Dream</i> 2000 studio album by Charlotte Church

Dream a Dream is the third music recording/album featuring the voice of 14-year-old soprano Charlotte Church, released in 2000. The album is principally a collection of Christmas carols, but also includes the non – Christmas title track "Dream a Dream", Charlotte's first foray into a more pop-influenced genre, composed by James Shearman and Simon Greenaway based on the melody from Fauré's Pavane with lyrics by Sam Babenia.

<i>The Perry Como Christmas Album</i> 1968 studio album by Perry Como

The Perry Como Christmas Album is Perry Como's 15th RCA Victor 12" long-play album.

<i>The Greatest Holiday Classics</i> 2005 greatest hits album by Kenny G

The Greatest Holiday Classics is the fourth greatest hits album by saxophonist Kenny G. It was released by Arista Records in October 18, 2005, and peaked at number 1 on the Contemporary Jazz chart, number 26 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number 39 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Christmas in Vienna</i> (album) 1993 live album by Plácido Domingo, Diana Ross and José Carreras

Christmas in Vienna is a 1993 album released by American soul singer Diana Ross, and Spanish tenors Plácido Domingo and José Carreras for the Sony Classical label. The concert that formed the basis of this album was Domingo's first in his series of televised Christmas in Vienna concerts.

<i>Sounds of Christmas</i> 1963 studio album by Johnny Mathis

Sounds of Christmas is the second holiday-themed album by vocalist Johnny Mathis and the first of his 11 studio projects for Mercury Records. His first yuletide effort, 1958's Merry Christmas, relied heavily on popular holiday carols and standards, but this 1963 release also included two new songs as well as covers of some lesser-known recordings by Andy Williams and Bing Crosby.

Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year 1963 single by Andy Williams

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is a popular Christmas song written in triple time in 1963 by Edward Pola and George Wyle. It was recorded and released that year by pop singer Andy Williams for his first Christmas album, The Andy Williams Christmas Album. However, the song was not released as a promotional single by Williams' record label that year, as they instead opted to promote his cover of "White Christmas" as the official promo single from the album. The song peaked number 21 on the UK Singles Chart in 2007 and into the Top 10 consistently over the past several years, peaking at #5 in 2020 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the USA.

<i>Christmas Present</i> (Andy Williams album) 1974 studio album by Andy Williams

Christmas Present is the third Christmas album by American pop singer Andy Williams that was released in October 1974 by Columbia Records and, apart from the title track, focused strictly on traditional carols. While his previous holiday LPs were released during the run of his variety series, which ended in 1971, this album was promoted the December following its release through one of his many Christmas specials. An article titled "MOR Artists Are Ailing" in Billboard magazine's November 23, 1974, issue describes the hopes that the record company had for the album: "Columbia is releasing Andy Williams' newest LP, 'Christmas Present,' with considerable advance orders and expects it to become a holiday classic to continue the string of album winners for the artist."

<i>The Andy Williams Christmas Album</i> 1963 studio album by Andy Williams

The Andy Williams Christmas Album is the first Christmas holiday album released by singer Andy Williams and his twelfth studio album overall. It was issued by Columbia Records in 1963, and it would prove to be the first of eight Christmas albums released by Williams. Though it was also the album that introduced Williams' perennial holiday classic "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year", Columbia instead opted to release Williams' cover of "White Christmas" as the album's promotional single at the time.

<i>Merry Christmas</i> (Andy Williams album) 1965 studio album by Andy Williams

Merry Christmas is the second Christmas album by American pop singer Andy Williams that was released by Columbia Records in 1965, and his seventeenth studio album overall. This seasonal LP is focused exclusively on 20th century compositions, unlike 1963's The Andy Williams Christmas Album, which, of its 12 tracks, had six with origins predating the turn of the century.

<i>B Sides and Rarities</i> (Andy Williams album) 2003 compilation album by Andy Williams

B Sides and Rarities is a compilation album by the American pop singer Andy Williams that was released by Collectables Records on May 27, 2003. Although the collection starts with two 1947 recordings by Kay Thompson and The Williams Brothers, the rest of the material comes from his time at Columbia Records and includes covers of contemporary hits as well as lesser-known material from the songwriters of "Can't Get Used to Losing You", "Home Lovin' Man" and "Moon River".

<i>The New Andy Williams Christmas Album</i> 1994 live album by Andy Williams

The New Andy Williams Christmas Album is a live Christmas album by American pop singer Andy Williams that was digitally recorded live in concert at the Andy Williams Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri in 1993 and released by the LaserLight division of Delta Music Inc. in 1994. It includes performances of songs that he had previously recorded for his four solo holiday releases as well as a new spoken word track that briefly summarizes the life of Jesus Christ.

<i>Silver & Gold</i> (Sufjan Stevens album) 2012 box set by Sufjan Stevens

Silver & Gold: Songs for Christmas, Vols. 6–10 is a five-EP box set of Christmas-related songs and carols recorded by Sufjan Stevens between 2006 and 2012. It is a follow-up to Songs for Christmas, which was released six years prior. On October 2, 2012, it was announced that Stevens would release Silver & Gold on November 13, 2012 in digital format, CD and LP boxset. On October 24, 2012, a claymation music video, animated by Lee Hardcastle, was released for "Mr. Frosty Man".

<i>A Nancy Wilson Christmas</i> 2001 studio album by Nancy Wilson

A Nancy Wilson Christmas is a 2001 studio album of Christmas music by the American singer Nancy Wilson. As well as being Wilson's first album of Christmas music, it was the first album that Wilson recorded for the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild record label, MCG Jazz.

<i>The Complete Christmas Collection 1958–2010</i> 2015 box set by Johnny Mathis

The Complete Christmas Collection 1958–2010 is a three-disc box set by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released in 2015 by Real Gone Music under license from Columbia Records. The set includes Mathis's five holiday albums from the period in their entirety: Merry Christmas, Sounds of Christmas, Give Me Your Love for Christmas, Christmas Eve with Johnny Mathis, and The Christmas Album. It also compiles all of Mathis's holiday songs that were only released as singles, as well as thematically-appropriate tracks from his non-holiday albums: "When a Child Is Born" from I Only Have Eyes for You, the holiday version of "What a Wonderful World" from Let It Be Me, and his two recordings of "Ave Maria" from Good Night, Dear Lord, which bookend the set.

<i>Personal Christmas Collection</i> 1994 compilation album by Andy Williams

Personal Christmas Collection is a compilation album by American pop singer Andy Williams that was released by Columbia Records in 1994 and includes selections from his first three solo holiday LPs, The Andy Williams Christmas Album, Merry Christmas, and Christmas Present.

<i>The Classic Christmas Album</i> (Andy Williams album) 2013 compilation album by Andy Williams

The Classic Christmas Album is a compilation album by American pop singer Andy Williams that was released by Sony Music Entertainment on October 8, 2013, and includes selections from his first three solo holiday LPs, The Andy Williams Christmas Album, Merry Christmas, and Christmas Present.

References

  1. "40 Christmas Classics – Andy Williams". allmusic.com. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  2. (2003) Album notes for B Sides and Rarities by Andy Williams, [CD booklet]. New York: Sony Music COL-CD-7529.
  3. "BMI | Repertoire Search for song title "Christmas Present"". Archived from the original on 2004-03-25. Retrieved 2011-09-29.
  4. "Billboard 200: The week of January 5, 2019". billboard.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  5. "Billboard 200: The week of January 4, 2020". billboard.com. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  6. "Top Holiday Albums: The week of January 5, 2019". billboard.com. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  7. "Top Holiday Albums: The week of January 4, 2020". billboard.com. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.