A Christmas Album (Amy Grant album)

Last updated

A Christmas Album
A Christmas Album.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 27, 1983
RecordedJuly 3 – August 26, 1983
Studio
Genre Christian, Christmas
Length37:35
Label Myrrh
Producer Brown Bannister
Amy Grant chronology
Ageless Medley
(1983)
A Christmas Album
(1983)
Straight Ahead
(1984)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [1]

A Christmas Album is the fifth studio album and the first Christmas album by Christian music singer Amy Grant. The album was recorded in nine studios in mid-1983 and was released later that same year.

Contents

It 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 features well-known sacred and secular standards alongside original songs, and tracks from this album continue to receive airplay to this day during the holiday season on both secular and Christian radio stations. 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." The album would eventually be certified Gold in 1985, and Platinum in 1989. [2] A Christmas Album was listed at No. 40 in the 2001 book, CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music . In 2016, Grant re-recorded the song "Tennessee Christmas" as the opening track of her Christmas album of the same name. The song was released as a single from the album and charted at No. 50 on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart in December 2016. [3]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(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 (new melody to O Little Town of Bethlehem)" Phillips Brooks (words), Chris Eaton (music)2:47
6."Christmas Hymn"Grant, Smith2:32
7."Love Has Come"Grant, Keister, Smith4:02
8."Sleigh Ride" Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish 3:35
9."The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On an Open Fire)" Mel Tormé, Robert Wells3:45
10."Heirlooms"Grant, Bannister, Bob Farrell3:42
11."A Mighty Fortress/Angels We Have Heard On High"Traditional5:00

Personnel

Production

Chart positions

YearChartPosition
1984Top Contemporary Christian9
1985Top Holiday Albums5
1991Top Pop Catalog5

Awards

GMA Dove Awards

YearWinnerCategory
1984A Christmas AlbumRecorded 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.

Related Research Articles

<i>Unguarded</i> (Amy Grant album) 1985 studio album by Amy Grant

Unguarded is the seventh studio album by Christian and Pop singer Amy Grant, released in 1985 on A&M Records. It is Grant's first album released by A&M.

<i>Straight Ahead</i> (Amy Grant album) 1984 studio album by Amy Grant

Straight Ahead is the sixth studio album by Christian music artist Amy Grant, released in 1984.

<i>Lead Me On</i> (Amy Grant album) 1988 studio album by Amy Grant

Lead Me On is the eighth studio album by Christian music singer-songwriter Amy Grant, released in 1988 through A&M Recordings.

<i>Blue Skies</i> (Diana DeGarmo album) 2004 studio album by Diana DeGarmo

Blue Skies is the debut album by American Idol runner-up Diana DeGarmo, released in December 7, 2004 on RCA Records. It debuted at number 52, selling 47,000 copies in its first week and currently 168,000 copies.

<i>Never Alone</i> (Amy Grant album) 1980 studio album by Amy Grant

Never Alone is the third studio album by Christian singer Amy Grant, released in 1980 through Myrrh Records.

<i>Home for Christmas</i> (Amy Grant album) 1992 studio album by Amy Grant

Home for Christmas is the tenth studio album by Christian music and pop music singer Amy Grant, released on October 6, 1992. It is Grant's second holiday album, the first being 1983's A Christmas Album.

<i>House of Love</i> (Amy Grant album) 1994 studio album by Amy Grant

House of Love is the eleventh studio album by Christian and Pop singer Amy Grant, released in 1994.

<i>Behind the Eyes</i> (Amy Grant album) 1997 studio album by Amy Grant

Behind the Eyes is the twelfth studio album by Christian music and pop music singer Amy Grant, released in 1997.

<i>The Music of Christmas</i> 1995 studio album by Steven Curtis Chapman

The Music of Christmas is the first Christmas album and seventh studio album overall by American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman. It was released on September 26, 1995.

<i>Legacy... Hymns and Faith</i> 2002 studio album by Amy Grant

Legacy... Hymns and Faith is the fourteenth studio album by Christian singer and songwriter Amy Grant. It was her first overtly religious album since Lead Me On in 1988, and consists primarily of well-known hymns with a few original songs. Early pressings of the CD are in "double disc" format containing a music CD and a bonus DVD with a behind the scenes documentary in the studio recording the album. Grant released a follow-up to this album, Rock of Ages... Hymns and Faith in 2005.

<i>i 2 (EYE)</i> 1988 studio album by Michael W. Smith

i 2 (EYE) is Michael W. Smith's fifth album overall and his second album to be certified gold. Smith collaborated again with lyricist Wayne Kirkpatrick, and produced a music video for the song "Secret Ambition". The album peaked at No. 1 on the Top Contemporary Christian charts.

<i>Change Your World</i> 1992 studio album by Michael W. Smith

Change Your World is a 1992 album by Contemporary Christian music artist Michael W. Smith.

<i>Christmastime</i> (Michael W. Smith album) 1998 studio album by Michael W. Smith

Christmastime is a studio album by Michael W. Smith. It was his second holiday-themed release, following 1989's Christmas.

<i>December</i> (Kenny Loggins album) 1998 studio album by Kenny Loggins

December is the tenth studio and first Christmas album by American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins. Released in 1998, it contains several Christmas music standards, such as "White Christmas" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," along with several other lesser-known holiday songs, as well as a few Loggins originals. Musicians include Peter Kater also the co-producer, Russ Kunkel, veteran Loggins and Messina reed player Jon Clarke, David Crosby and Graham Nash.

<i>Its About Time</i> (Kenny Loggins album) 2003 studio album by Kenny Loggins

It's About Time is the twelfth studio album released by American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins. Released in 2003, it was his first non-Christmas, non-children's album since 1997's The Unimaginable Life as well as his first following termination from Columbia Records while working on the album. Besides Loggins, several other noteworthy musicians co-wrote and performed on the album. These include frequent Loggins cohort Michael McDonald, as well as fellow soft-rocker Richard Marx and country singer Clint Black.

<i>7</i> (David Meece album) 1985 studio album by David Meece

7, sometimes called Seven, is the seventh album by artist David Meece. Five of the nine tracks charted on Christian radio in 1985 and 1986.

<i>Civilized Man</i> 1984 studio album by Joe Cocker

Civilized Man is the ninth studio album by the British artist Joe Cocker, released in May 1984, his first on the Capitol label. It includes a cover of the 1981 Squeeze hit "Tempted", as well as "There Goes My Baby", a 1959 hit single from The Drifters.

<i>Christmas Wish</i> (Olivia Newton-John album) 2007 studio album by Olivia Newton-John

Christmas Wish is the twenty-second studio album by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John. It is the second original album of Christmas music recorded by Newton-John after 'Tis the Season with Vince Gill, and the compilation partly from that, The Christmas Collection. It is her second album produced by Amy Sky. It features versions of classic Christmas songs and guest appearances from Barry Manilow, Jon Secada, Michael McDonald and others. In 2008, the album was re-released as a Target exclusive and included the bonus track "In the Bleak Midwinter".

<i>The Christmas Album, Volume II</i> 1994 studio album by Neil Diamond

The Christmas Album, Volume II is the twenty-second studio album by Neil Diamond, and his second to feature Christmas music. It was produced by Peter Asher and released by Columbia Records in 1994, only two years after Diamond's previous Christmas album. It features orchestral and choir arrangements by David Campbell, who also worked on the first Christmas album, as well as several of Diamond's other works. The album reached number 9 on the Billboard Holiday Album chart and was certified as gold by the RIAA on December 6, 1994.

<i>Walls of Glass</i> (album) 1983 studio album by Russ Taff

Walls of Glass is the debut solo album by former Imperials lead singer Russ Taff, released in 1983 on Myrrh Records. After he left the Imperials in 1981, Taff started work on his first solo album featuring songs that he co-wrote with his wife Tori and his guitarist and songwriter James Hollihan Jr. "We Will Stand" was released as the first single and became his first Christian radio hit topping the Christian AC chart for 15 weeks. The song is ranked at number 29 by CCM Magazine's 100 Greatest Songs in Christian Music. Taff won his first solo Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance, Male at the 26th Grammy Awards. At the 15th GMA Dove Awards, Taff won his third Male Vocalist of the Year title, his first as a solo artist. "We Will Stand" was nominated for Song of the Year twice at the Dove Awards in 1984 and 1985. Walls of Glass reached No. 5 on the Billboard Top Inspirational Albums chart.

References

  1. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r132965
  2. "RIAA searchable certification database: Amy Grant". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  3. "Amy Grant Chart History". Billboard.