Once Upon a Christmas | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 29, 1984 | |||
Recorded | August 1984 | |||
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Genre | ||||
Length | 35:25 | |||
Label | RCA Victor | |||
Producer |
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Kenny Rogers chronology | ||||
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Dolly Parton chronology | ||||
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Rogers' Christmas chronology | ||||
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Parton's Christmas chronology | ||||
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Singles from Once Upon a Christmas | ||||
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Once Upon a Christmas is a collaborative studio album by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. It was released on October 29,1984,by RCA Records. The album was produced by Rogers with David Foster. It was Rogers' second Christmas album,following 1981's Christmas ,and Parton's first. The album's release was accompanied by a CBS television special,Kenny &Dolly:A Christmas to Remember. The album was certified 2×Platinum by the RIAA in 1989.
Rogers and Parton first worked together in 1976 when Rogers was a guest on Parton's syndicated variety series, Dolly . The pair joined forces again on Rogers' 1983 single,"Islands in the Stream",which was a number one hit. Rogers contacted Parton in late 1983 to see if she would be interested in doing a Christmas album with him. Due to the pair's busy schedules,recording did not take place until August 1984. According to an article in Billboard ,the album was completed and mixing had taken place by late September. [1]
In an issue of Cashbox ,Rogers said of the album,"I was raised in a Baptist family and I've always thought of Christmas as a special time,a time when families who might be apart the rest of the year can come close together again. Something special also happens when Dolly and I get together:it's a case of the whole being even greater than the sum of its parts." [2] Parton said,"This is the first Christmas special or album that I've ever done,so when Kenny called me with the idea,I jumped at it. Kenny and I love singing together;I think the blend of our voices creates a real electricity that comes across on record. He also has a real Santa Claus spirit. He makes working fun,and approaches things like I do,enjoying the people around him." [2]
The album was released October 29,1984 on LP,CD,and cassette.
Rogers and Parton promoted the album's release with a television special titled Kenny &Dolly:A Christmas to Remember,which aired December 2,1984 on CBS. The Bob Giraldi directed special featured performances of all ten songs from the album. These range from a performance with Rogers and Parton as Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus to a performance at a USO party in World War II London to a rousing finale in a down-home country church. The television special was viewed by 30 million people. [3] Following the special,a video excerpt of the "Christmas Without You" performance was serviced to television stations. [3]
Three singles were issued simultaneously in November 1984:"The Greatest Gift of All" (a duet),"Medley:Winter Wonderland/Sleigh Ride" (a Dolly Parton solo),and "The Christmas Song" (a Kenny Rogers solo). [4] [5] "The Greatest Gift of All" peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. It also peaked at number 53 on the Hot Country Singles chart and number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Parton solo,"Medley:Winter Wonderland/Sleigh Ride",did not chart during its initial release,but peaked at number 70 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in January 1999. Rogers' solo,"The Christmas Song",failed to chart.
"Christmas Without You" was issued as a single in Europe in November 1984 [6] and peaked at number 88 on the UK Singles Chart. It would be issued as a single in the United States in November 1985, [7] [8] but failed to chart.
A fifth single,"I Believe in Santa Claus",was issued in the United States in November 1987 [9] and also failed to chart.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [10] |
In a positive review, Billboard said the album "shows signs of emerging as a seasonal blockbuster." The review called Parton's compositions "lively" and said that the album is "devoid of schmaltz" and "sparkles with warmth." [11]
The album received the Canadian Country Music Association Award for Top Selling Album in 1985. [12]
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1985 | Once Upon a Christmas | Top Selling Album | Won |
The album debuted at number 19 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart dated December 15, 1984. It peaked at number 12 on the chart dated January 12, 1985. The album has spent a total of 35 weeks on the chart as of December 2019. The album also peaked at number 31 on both the Billboard 200 and the Canadian Albums Chart. The album also saw success in European countries, peaking at number 33 on the Norwegian Albums chart, number 37 on the Dutch Albums chart, and number 40 on the Swedish Albums chart.
The album received Gold and Platinum certifications from the RIAA on December 3, 1984, and was certified 2× Platinum on October 25, 1989, for shipment of 2 million copies. The album received Gold and Platinum certifications from Music Canada on December 1, 1984. The album was certified 3× Platinum on November 14, 1985, and 4× Platinum on January 21, 1987. It was certified 5× Platinum on April 13, 1988, for shipments of 500,000 copies.
In 1997, the album was reissued on the BMG Special Products label with an altered track listing. The song order was slightly rearranged and Rogers' two solos were omitted ("The Christmas Song" and "Silent Night"). However, Parton's 1982 recording of "Hard Candy Christmas" from The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas was added.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "I Believe in Santa Claus" | Dolly Parton | 3:30 |
2. | "Medley: Winter Wonderland/Sleigh Ride" (Dolly Parton solo) |
| 3:43 |
3. | "Christmas Without You" |
| 3:55 |
4. | "The Christmas Song" (Kenny Rogers solo) |
| 3:23 |
5. | "A Christmas to Remember" | Parton | 3:41 |
6. | "With Bells On" | Parton | 2:42 |
7. | "Silent Night" (Kenny Rogers solo) | 3:18 | |
8. | "The Greatest Gift of All" | John Jarvis | 3:46 |
9. | "White Christmas" (Dolly Parton solo) | Irving Berlin | 3:06 |
10. | "Once Upon a Christmas" | Parton | 4:21 |
Total length: | 35:25 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "I Believe in Santa Claus" | Parton | 3:30 |
2. | "Medley: Winter Wonderland/Sleigh Ride" (Dolly Parton solo) |
| 3:43 |
3. | "With Bells On" | Parton | 2:42 |
4. | "Christmas Without You" |
| 3:55 |
5. | "White Christmas" (Dolly Parton solo) | Berlin | 3:06 |
6. | "A Christmas to Remember" | Parton | 3:41 |
7. | "Hard Candy Christmas" (Dolly Parton solo) | Carol Hall | 3:39 |
8. | "The Greatest Gift of All" | Jarvis | 3:46 |
9. | "Once Upon a Christmas" | Parton | 4:21 |
Total length: | 32:23 |
Adapted from the album liner notes.
Performance
Production
Other personnel
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Canada (Music Canada) [24] | 5× Platinum | 500,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [25] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Kenny Rogers was an American singer and songwriter. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted more than 120 hit singles across various genres, topping the country and pop album charts for more than 200 individual weeks in the United States alone. He sold more than 100 million records worldwide during his lifetime, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. His fame and career spanned multiple genres: jazz, folk, pop, rock, and country. He remade his career and was one of the most successful cross-over artists of all time.
"Islands in the Stream" is a song written by the Bee Gees and recorded by American country music artists Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. It was released in August 1983 as the first single from Rogers's fifteenth studio album Eyes That See in the Dark. The Bee Gees released a live version in 1998 and a studio version in 2001.
Here You Come Again is the nineteenth solo studio album by American entertainer Dolly Parton. It was released on October 3, 1977, by RCA Victor. The album was a commercial success, peaking at number 20 on the US Billboard 200 and at number 2 on the Hot Country Albums chart and also being nominated for Favourite Country Album at the American Music Awards. It became Parton's first album to be certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipping a million copies. The lead single and title track was also a success, entering the top five of the US Billboard Hot 100 and being nominated for Favourite Country Single at the American Music Awards.
Trio is a collaborative album by American singers Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris. It was released on March 2, 1987, by Warner Bros. Records. The album has platinum certification in the U.S. for sales of one million copies, and has total worldwide sales of approximately four million. A second collaborative album, Trio II, was released in 1999.
"Mary, Did You Know?" is a Christmas song addressing Mary, mother of Jesus, with lyrics written by Mark Lowry in 1984, and music written by Buddy Greene in 1991. It was originally recorded by Christian recording artist Michael English on his self-titled debut solo album in 1991. At the time, English and Lowry were members of the Gaither Vocal Band, and Greene was touring with them. The song reached number six on CCM Magazine's Adult Contemporary Chart. In 1993, the second singer to record the song was Country singer Kathy Mattea on her album Good News, which won the Grammy Award for Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album. Lowry would record the song several times himself, most notably with the Gaither Vocal Band on their 1998 Christmas album, Still the Greatest Story Ever Told.
All I Can Do is the seventeenth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on August 16, 1976, by RCA Victor. The album was co-produced by Parton and Porter Wagoner and would be the last of Parton's solo albums to have any involvement from Wagoner. It was nominated for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female at the 19th Annual Grammy Awards. The album spawned three singles: "Hey, Lucky Lady", "All I Can Do", and "Shattered Image".
Rhinestone is the soundtrack album from the 1984 film of the same name starring Dolly Parton and Sylvester Stallone. It was released on June 18, 1984, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Mike Post and Parton. It peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 135 on the Billboard 200. The Dolly Parton-composed soundtrack produced two top ten singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart: "Tennessee Homesick Blues" and "God Won't Get You", which peaked at numbers one and ten, respectively.
Eagle When She Flies is the thirty-first solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on March 7, 1991, by Columbia Records. The album was produced by Steve Buckingham and Gary Smith, with Parton serving as executive producer. It continues Parton's return to mainstream country sounds following 1989's White Limozeen. The album features collaborations with Lorrie Morgan and Ricky Van Shelton, with additional supporting vocals provided by Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris. The album was a commercial success, becoming Parton's first solo album to peak at number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart since 1980s 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs. It was certified Platinum in by the RIAA in 1992. The album spawned four singles, the most successful being "Rockin' Years" with Ricky Van Shelton, which topped the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. In support of the album, Parton embarked on the Eagle When She Flies Tour, her only concert tour of the 1990s.
Just the Two of Us is the second collaborative studio album by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton. It was released on September 9, 1968, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Bob Ferguson. It peaked at number five on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 184 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album spawned three singles. "Holding on to Nothin'" and "We'll Get Ahead Someday" were top ten hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, peaking at numbers seven and five, respectively. The third single, "Jeannie's Afraid of the Dark", peaked at number 51.
My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy is the fourth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on September 8, 1969, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Bob Ferguson. It peaked at number six on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, Parton's first solo top ten, and number 194 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album spawned three singles: "Daddy", "In the Ghetto", and the title track. "Daddy" was the most successful, peaking at number 40 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
Treasures is the thirty-fourth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on September 24, 1996, by Rising Tide Records and Blue Eye Records. The Steve Buckingham-produced album is made up of covers of rock and country hits from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. It peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and spawned three singles: "Just When I Needed You Most", which peaked at number 62 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart; a dance remix of "Peace Train", which peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot Dance Music chart; and a dance remix of "Walking on Sunshine". The album's release was accompanied by a CBS television special, Dolly Parton: Treasures.
Home for Christmas is the thirtieth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on September 11, 1990, by Columbia Records. The album was produced by Gary Smith, with Parton serving as executive producer. It is Parton's second Christmas album, following 1984's Once Upon a Christmas with Kenny Rogers. Unlike Once Upon a Christmas, which featured a number of original songs, Home for Christmas is made up of ten Christmas standards. The album's release was accompanied by an ABC television special, Dolly Parton: Christmas at Home. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1994.
"Hard Candy Christmas" is a song written by composer-lyricist Carol Hall for the musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Eyes That See in the Dark is the fifteenth studio album by American country singer Kenny Rogers, released by RCA Records in August 1983.
The discography of American singer Kenny Rogers (1938–2020), consists of 39 studio albums and 80 singles, 24 of which have reached Number One on the country chart. His longest-lasting Number Ones on that chart are "The Gambler" and "Coward of the County", at three weeks each. Two of his Number One country hits, "Lady" and "Islands in the Stream", a duet with Dolly Parton, also reached Number One on the Billboard Hot 100; "Lady" spent six weeks at the top, making it his longest running Number One single on any Billboard chart. More than just a US phenomenon, he found an audience around the world with two of his biggest songs, "Lucille" and "Coward of the County", both reaching Number One on the general sales chart in the UK. His albums The Gambler and Kenny each topped the country chart for at least 20 weeks, while his Greatest Hits was the only album by a solo country performer to top the Billboard 200 during the 1980s, reaching the summit in late 1980.
The singles discography of American country singer-songwriter Dolly Parton includes over 200 singles and touches on eight decades. Parton has released 198 singles as a lead artist, 49 as a featured artist, six promotional single and 68 music videos. Parton also released 21 singles with Porter Wagoner from 1968 to 1980, bringing her total number of singles to 243.
"You Can't Make Old Friends" is a song by Kenny Rogers in duet with Dolly Parton from Roger's 2013 album of the same name. It was written by Ryan Hanna King, Don Schlitz, Caitlyn Smith. The song was released as a digital download on September 3, 2013. Its music video premiered on ABC's Good Morning America on September 16. The song was subsequently sent to country radio on November 4. It debuted on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in December 2013, eventually peaking at number 57.
A Holly Dolly Christmas is the forty-seventh solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on October 2, 2020, by Parton's Butterfly Records in partnership with 12-Tone Music Group. The album was produced by Kent Wells, with Parton serving as executive producer. It is Parton's third Christmas album, following 1984's Once Upon a Christmas with Kenny Rogers and 1990's Home for Christmas. The album features guest appearances by Michael Bublé, Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley Cyrus, Jimmy Fallon, Willie Nelson, and Parton's brother Randy. It peaked at number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, becoming Parton's eighth album to top the chart. The album also peaked at number one on the Billboard Top Holiday Albums chart and number 16 on the Billboard 200. The album was nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.
Billboard magazine only charted Christmas singles and albums along with the other popular non-holiday records until the 1958 holiday season when they published their first section that surveys only Christmas music.