Christmas Songs | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 16, 2007 | |||
Recorded | 2007 | |||
Genre | Christmas music | |||
Length | 49:52 | |||
Label | Gray Matters/Nettwerk | |||
Producer | Jars of Clay | |||
Jars of Clay chronology | ||||
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Singles from Christmas Songs | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Christianity Today | [2] |
Cross Rhythms | [3] |
Jesus Freak Hideout | [4] |
Paste | [5] |
Christmas Songs is the eighth studio album and first Christmas album from Jars of Clay, that was released on October 16, 2007, through Gray Matters/Nettwerk. This is the first ever release from the band through their newly created Gray Matters imprint via Nettwerk Music Group. [4]
In 2006, Jars of Clay began to seek a new recording contract as their then-current contract with Sony BMG's Christian sub-label Essential Records was due to end a few releases later. The group then decided to create their own label named Gray Matters and formed a partnership with the label and imprint label Nettwerk. The group decided to record their first full length Christmas album to debut on this label. The group previously has released one Christmas EP named Drummer Boy , which contained the classic Christmas carol "The Little Drummer Boy". The group also contributed their original Christmas song "Bethlehem Town" to the Christmas edition of the City on a Hill series. In 2004, Jars appeared on the collection entitled Maybe This Christmas Tree with their lighter "Christmas for Cowboys" alongside artists such as Lisa Loeb, Ivy and Copeland. More recently, in 2005, Jars returned to the Christmas classics to cover "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" on the collection Come Let Us Adore Him: A Christmas Worship Experience.
In 2007 as the contract with Sony BMG ended, the group began recording Christmas Songs, selecting a range of established and well known Christmas Carols, some lesser known songs and some original songs [6] to present for this project. The album was recorded in one-take recording sessions, a recording method only used once before by the band, in their prior studio album Good Monsters . This recording method meant that the majority of the time spent on the album was spent in pre-production, arranging the songs, practicing the songs before entering the studio to record them.
No. | Title | Songwriting Credits | Length |
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1. | "The Gift of St. Cecilia" | Jars of Clay | 1:23 |
2. | "Wonderful Christmastime" | Paul McCartney | 3:37 |
3. | "Love Came Down at Christmas" | Words by Christina Rossetti Music by Garton, traditional Irish Melody Arrangement by Jars of Clay | 3:02 |
4. | "O Little Town of Bethlehem" | Words by Phillips Brooks Music arrangement by Byron Keith and Jars of Clay | 4:38 |
5. | "Hibernation Day" | Jars of Clay, Jeremy Lutito, Gabe Ruschival | 2:59 |
6. | "Winter Skin" | Jars of Clay | 2:59 |
7. | "Peace Is Here" | Jars of Clay | 4:08 |
8. | "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" | Traditional Arrangement by Jars of Clay | 3:44 |
9. | "Evergreen" | Jars of Clay | 2:45 |
10. | "Christmastime Is Here" | Words by Lee Mendelson Music by Vince Guaraldi | 3:20 |
11. | "Drummer Boy" | Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati, Harry Simeone | 4:34 |
12. | "Gabriel's Message" | Words paraphrased by Sabine Baring-Gould Music traditional Basque Carol Arrangement by Edgar Pettman | 2:06 |
13. | "In the Bleak Midwinter" | Words by Christina Rossetti and Jars of Clay Music by Cranham, Gustav Holst Arrangement by Jars of Clay | 4:36 |
14. | "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" | Words by Henry Longfellow Music by John B. Calkin | 5:31 |
No. | Title | Songwriting Credits | Length |
---|---|---|---|
15. | "Peace Is Here" (Acoustic Version) | Jars of Clay | 2:58 |
No. | Title | Songwriting Credits | Length |
---|---|---|---|
15. | "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" (Acoustic Version) | Traditional Arrangement by Jars of Clay | 3:47 |
Christmas Songs was also released via USB stick format. The flash drive is reusable and has a capacity of 512 MB. The USB sticks were initially only available for purchase at concerts, but has since been added to the band's official online store. Each USB stick contains the following:
In 2008, the album was nominated for a Dove Award for Christmas Album of the Year at the 39th GMA Dove Awards. [7]
Jars of Clay
Additional musicians
Production
Jars of Clay is a Christian alternative rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. The members met at Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois. They consist of Dan Haseltine on vocals, Charlie Lowell on piano and keyboards, Stephen Mason on lead guitars and Matthew Odmark on rhythm guitars. Although the band has no permanent drummer or bass guitarist, Jeremy Lutito and Gabe Ruschival of Disappointed by Candy fill these roles for live concerts. Past tour band members include Aaron Sands, Scott Savage, and Joe Porter. Jars of Clay's style is a blend of alternative rock, folk, acoustic, and R&B.
Jars of Clay is the first full-length studio album by Christian rock group Jars of Clay. It was released on October 24, 1995, by Essential Records. The album was released to commercial and critical acclaim, becoming one of the few Christian albums in the mid-1990s to achieve platinum status.
Much Afraid is the second studio album by American Christian rock band Jars of Clay. It was released in 1997 by Essential Records. Following the charting success of the band's debut album, Much Afraid was moderately successful, but was unable to achieve the level of its predecessor.
If I Left the Zoo is the third full-length studio album of the band Jars of Clay. It was released November 9, 1999, by Essential Records.
The Eleventh Hour is the fourth full-length studio album by the band Jars of Clay. It was released in 2002 by Essential Records and marked the band's first attempt at producing a full album by themselves.
Who We Are Instead is the fifth full-length studio album recorded by Christian rock band Jars of Clay and produced by Mitch Dane. It was released in 2003 by Essential Records.
Healing Rain is Michael W. Smith's nineteenth album, released in 2004 and debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 chart. It is a departure from his previous two albums which are live worship albums. Healing Rain is a pop CCM album, in a similar vein to his 1999 album This Is Your Time. The album was reissued as a DualDisc in 2005. Some of the album's tracks were recorded at George Lucas' Skywalker Sound, located in Marin County, California.
Redemption Songs is the sixth full-length studio album by Jars of Clay. It was released by Essential Records on March 22, 2005.
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White Christmas is the fifth album and first Christmas album by country singer Martina McBride issued by RCA Nashville in 1998. The album was reissued in 1999 with new artwork and two new tracks. It was re-released for the second time in October 2007 with newer artwork and four new tracks added. In 2013, it was reissued for a third time as The Classic Christmas Album. The re-release added her Elvis Presley duet, "Blue Christmas", which was originally released on his posthumous album Christmas Duets, while removing the track "Jingle Bells" and revising the track listing.
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Drummer Boy is an EP release by Christian folk group Jars of Clay featuring a new interpretation of the classic 1958 Christmas Carol "Little Drummer Boy". The EP was originally released by Essential Records in the Christmas following the release of Jars Of Clay in 1995. The EP was re-released as a two-pack with Jars of Clay prior to their second album, Much Afraid.
The Dreamer is the second studio album by American country music artist Blake Shelton. Released in 2003 on Warner Bros. Records Nashville, it features the Number One single "The Baby," as well as the singles "Heavy Liftin'" and "Playboys of the Southwestern World". The Dreamer is certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America and features staff writers on all but one track.
Gray Matters is an imprint record label structured underneath the Nettwerk Music Group. The label was founded in 2007 by Jars of Clay band members Dan Haseltine, Stephen Mason, Matt Odmark, and Charlie Lowell. The creation of the label was in response to the band's record contract's ending with Essential Records, and the band's desiring to control their music output. The label will be distributed by Provident/Integrity Distribution to the Christian and mainstream markets. The band had been with Nettwerk under their management division since 2003.
The Essential Jars of Clay is a greatest hits album from Jars of Clay that was released on September 4, 2007 through Essential Records/Legacy Recordings. This is the last release from the band through Essential Records as they have since moved on to the Nettwerk Music Group's Gray Matters imprint. The album is part of the Sony BMG series The Essential, which is a series of greatest hits collections.
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The Long Fall Back to Earth is the ninth full-length studio album from Jars of Clay. It was released on April 21, 2009 through Gray Matters and Essential Records.
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