Christmas Gift | ||||
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![]() French edition slipcase cover | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 22, 2008 (France) [1] November 12, 2008 (Japan) | |||
Recorded | 2008 | |||
Genre | J-pop, folk, Christmas carol | |||
Length |
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Label | Victor Entertainment, Wasabi Records | |||
Producer | Kokia | |||
Kokia chronology | ||||
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Christmas Gift is Kokia's eighth studio album, released in October/November 2008. [2] It is her first full-length Christmas album, though she had released a special Christmas EP for fans, A Piece of Christmas , in November 2006. It is the final of four albums released in 2008 to celebrate her 10th anniversary as a singer.
One song from the album, "Kokoro no Rōsoku," features on Kokia's 2009 greatest hits collection Coquillage: The Best Collection II . [3]
Kokia began recording the album in May 2008, though refused to mention what the sessions were for. [4] In September, the album was still gradually being recorded, with Kokia working with producer Kiyohide Ura for several tracks. [5] The album was confirmed in Kokia's blog on September the 1st, though recording was still continuing at this point. [6]
Kokia also travelled to New York City for a week to record for her "Remember the Kiss Music Gift" project in early September. [7] These sessions were for Kokia's special Music Gift EP, which featured Christmas recordings. [8] One of the songs from these sessions, "Remember the Kiss (Dedicated to "New" NY)," was released as a bonus track on the Japanese edition. [2] It was recorded on the organ with a church choir at the Institutional Church of God Church in Brooklyn. [9] [10]
Of the songs included in the album, 12 are covers and three are original Kokia songs (if counting medley songs and bonus tracks).
Of the covers, five are religious Christmas carols: "Amazing Grace," "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear," "The Little Drummer Boy," "The First Noël" and "We Three Kings of Orient Are". Four of the songs are secular Christmas songs: "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "Jingle Bells," "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" and "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town." Three of these four secular songs are a part of the Christmas medley.
Two songs are covers of songs not directly related to Christmas by popular Western musicians. The first is Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," and the second is Queen's Japanese song, "Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)."
"Ave Maria" is a cover of the Johann Sebastian Bach classical piece of music with lyrics from Hail Mary prayer in Latin. Earlier the same year Kokia recorded Vavilov's "Ave Maria" on her "The Voice" album.
Much like Kokia's first album released on Wasabi Records, Aigakikoeru: Listen for the Love , it was released in France prior to the Japanese release. The French edition was released on October 22, three weeks before the Japanese release. [1] [2]
Christmas Gift was also simultaneously released in France as a part of a 3CD set called Kokia Collection. The album also featured 2006's Aigakikoeru: Listen for the Love 2008's and The Voice, and featured a cover similar to the Christmas Gift photoshoot cover. [11]
The album reached #56 on the Japanese Oricon albums charts, selling 3,000 copies. [12] CDJournal called the album a "Christmas song selection you can enjoy with your family." [13]
The French and Japanese versions were released with different track orders. The Japanese version also had a bonus track, "Remember the Kiss (Dedicated to "New" NY)."
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Arranger(s) | Length |
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1. | "Amazing Grace" | John Newton | Kokia | 4:46 |
2. | "Ave Maria" | Bach | Ryosuke Nakanishi | 3:00 |
3. | "I'll Be Home for Christmas" | Buck Ram, Kim Gannon, Walter Kent | Nakanishi | 4:15 |
4. | "Christmas Medley: Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town, Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!, The Little Drummer Boy, The First Noël, Jingle Bells" | J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie, Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne, Katherine K. Davis, Traditional, James Lord Pierpont | Sunny | 13:19 |
5. | "Hallelujah" | Leonard Cohen | Kiyohide Ura | 4:41 |
6. | "Sei Naru Yoru ni (Holy Night) (聖なる夜に~holy night, In the Holy Night)" | Kokia | Ura | 4:34 |
7. | "Kokoro no Rōsoku (心のロウソク, Candle in the Heart)" | Kokia | Kokia | 5:33 |
8. | "We Three Kings of Orient Are" | John Henry Hopkins Jr. | Yasuhisa Yamamoto | 4:36 |
9. | "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" | Edmund Sears | Yamamoto | 5:09 |
10. | "Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)" | Brian May | Sunny | 4:33 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Arranger(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Amazing Grace" | Newton | Kokia | 4:46 |
2. | "Hallelujah" | Cohen | Ura | 4:41 |
3. | "I'll Be Home for Christmas" | Ram, Gannon, Kent | Nakanishi | 4:15 |
4. | "We Three Kings of Orient Are" | Hopkins | Yamamoto | 4:36 |
5. | "Christmas Medley: Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town, Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!, The Little Drummer Boy, The First Noël, Jingle Bells" | Coots, Gillespie, Cahn, Styne, Davis, Traditional, Pierpont | Various | 13:19 |
6. | "Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)" | May | Sunny | 4:33 |
7. | "Ave Maria" | Bach | Nakanishi | 3:00 |
8. | "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" | Sears | Yamamoto | 5:09 |
9. | "Sei Naru Yoru ni (Holy Night) (聖なる夜に~holy night, In the Holy Night)" | Kokia | Ura | 4:34 |
10. | "Kokoro no Rōsoku (心のロウソク, Candle in the Heart)" | Kokia | Kokia | 5:33 |
11. | "Remember the Kiss (Dedicated to "New" NY)" | Kokia | Toney Rhodes | 6:22 |
Release | Chart | Peak position | First week sales | Sales total |
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February 20, 2008 | Oricon Weekly Albums Chart [12] | 56 | 2,297 | 3,020 |
Akiko Yoshida is a Japanese singer and songwriter performing under the stage name Kokia. Her most well known songs are "Arigatō..." and "The Power of Smile" (which topped at No. 8 in the singles chart). She is also recognized for her numerous contributions to anime/game soundtracks, the most notable being "Ai no Melody/Chōwa Oto " for the film Origin: Spirits of the Past, "Follow the Nightingale" for the game Tales of Innocence, "Tatta Hitotsu no Omoi" for the anime Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino, "Dance of the Spirits" for the anime “Ancient Magus' Bride” and "For Little Tail" for the game Tail Concerto.
Songbird is Kokia's debut album, released on July 16, 1999. It is her only album released under Pony Canyon, the rest being released with Victor Entertainment or Wasabi Records.
Trip Trip is Kokia's second album, released in January 2002. It was her first album released with Victor Entertainment, and her only released under Gai Records management. Unlike Songbird, the album was self-produced.
Remember Me is Kokia's third album, released in November 2003. It is currently her most commercially successful release, reaching #15 on the charts due to the success of the singles "Kawaranai Koto " and "The Power of Smile/Remember the Kiss."
Real World is Kokia's 11th studio album, released on March 31, 2010. Kokia travelled to the Tunisian Sahara for inspiration for songs on the album. Because of this, much of the promotional material is themed around her trip to Tunisia, including the album booklet and the music video for "The Woman."
Aigakikoeru: Listen for the Love is Japanese singer Kokia's fifth album. It was originally released under Wasabi Records in France in November 2006, however was eventually released in Japan six months later. "Aigakikoeru" means "Love Can Be Heard."
The Voice is Kokia's sixth studio album, released in February 2008. It is the first of four album releases in 2008 celebrating her 10th anniversary as a singer.
Fairy Dance: Kokia Meets Ireland is Kokia's seventh studio album, released in September 2008. It is the third of four albums released in 2008 to celebrate her 10th anniversary as a singer. One song from the album, "Song of Pocchong ," features on Kokia's 2009 greatest hits collection Coquillage: The Best Collection II.
Kokia Infinity Akiko: Balance is Kokia's ninth equal studio album, released simultaneously with Akiko Infinity Kokia: Balance in March 2009.
Akiko Infinity Kokia: Balance is Kokia's ninth equal studio album, released simultaneously with Kokia Infinity Akiko: Balance in March 2009.
"Follow the Nightingale" is a song by Kokia, released as her 18th single on November 21, 2007. The song, along with the single's B-side "Say Goodbye & Good Day," were used as the opening and ending theme songs for the Nintendo DS game Tales of Innocence.
"Tatta Hitotsu no Omoi" is a song by Kokia, released as her 19th single on January 23, 2008, a month before her sixth studio album The Voice. The song was used as the opening theme song for the anime Gunslinger Girl's second series, Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino. To date it is her only single released through anime retailer Marvelous Entertainment.
Coquillage: The Best Collection II is Kokia's second greatest hits album, released on December 2, 2009.
Pearl: The Best Collection is Kokia's first greatest hits album, released on February 1, 2006. It was released simultaneously with her first video clips collection, Jewel: The Best Video Collection.
"Ai no Melody/Chōwa Oto " is Kokia's 15th single, released on January 1, 2006, a month before her greatest hits collection Pearl: The Best Collection. The songs were used as the ending and opening theme songs for the animated film Origin: Spirits of the Past. "Chōwa Oto " is a re-recording of her song "Chōwa Oto" from her Gai Records' management era album Trip Trip (2002).
"The Power of Smile/Remember the Kiss" is Kokia's 10th single, released on September 24, 2003. It is currently Kokia's most commercially successful single, after being used as the Kao Essential Damage Care shampoo commercials in 2003, featuring actress Yūko Takeuchi.
"Yume ga Chikara" is Kokia's 12th single, released on June 23, 2004. It was the lead single from Kokia's fourth studio album Uta ga Chikara, and was used as the official cheering song for the Japan team at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
"Karma" is a song by Kokia, released as her 20th single on April 22, 2009. It was used as the first opening theme song for the anime Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom, and would later feature in an edited version on the anime's soundtrack. Her song "Transparent" would be used as the second ending theme song for the same anime.
Love Tears is an EP released by Kokia only through digital download service iTunes, on 3 December 2008. It features a collection of rarities featured as bonus tracks on Kokia releases between 2006 and 2008. Due to the success of this digital EP, Kokia decided to release three singles from her Real World album as four track digital only EPs, with booklets created by Kokia, in a similar manner to Love Tears.
Music Gift is a free release EP released by Kokia, handed out on the streets of New York in on 9 December 2008, limited to 10,000 copies. It was created as a memorial for the 7th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The original title of the project was the "Remember the Kiss Music Gift" when it was mentioned in Kokia's blog in September 2008. "Candle in the Heart" later featured on a bonus CD on Kokia's 2009 greatest hits album, Coquillage: The Best Collection II. The then First Lady of the United States, Laura Bush, wrote Kokia a letter thanking her for her efforts.