We Three Kings (The Roches album)

Last updated
We Three Kings
The Roches - wethreekings.gif
Studio album by
the Roches
Released1990
Genre Folk, Christmas music
Label Paradox/MCA; [1] rerelease by Rykodisc [2]
Producer The Roches, Jeffrey Lesser
The Roches chronology
Speak
(1989)		We Three Kings
(1990)		 A Dove
(1992)
Alternative cover
The Roches - wethreekings2.gif
Cover of the 1994 reissue by Rykodisc

We Three Kings is an album by the American folk trio the Roches, released in 1990. [3] [4] It is a collection of Christmas songs. [5] [6] The sisters wrote two of the album's 24 tracks. [7] We Three Kings is considered a classic of unconventional Christmas music. [8] [9] [10] [11]

Contents

MCA Records allowed the album to go out of print; it was reissued by Rykodisc in 1994, after the label had signed the trio. [12] [13] For years, the sisters performed selections of the songs at their annual Bottom Line shows. [14] [15]

Production

The album was produced by the Roches and Jeffrey Lesser. [16] It marked a return to the sisters' roots, as they had first sung together as carolers in Manhattan. [17] [18] Due to their familiarity with the carols, the sisters did many of the songs in one take. [19] We Three Kings was recorded in New York City during a July 1990 heat wave; the sessions were slightly delayed while Maggie Roche got over laryngitis. [20] [21]

Most of the tracks are sung a cappella; it took the Roches six weeks to obtain the vocal strength to get through "For Unto Us a Child Is Born". [22] [23] "Star of Wonder", written by Terre Roche, was composed after a friend died in the Lockerbie bombing. [24] Suzzy Roche wrote "Christmas Passing Through". [25] "Winter Wonderland" is sung using stereotypical New Jersey accents; "Frosty the Snowman" employs a chorus of children. [26] [27] Other songs incorporate elements of Middle Eastern music and Caribbean music. [28]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [29]
Robert Christgau Rating-Christgau-neither.png [30]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [31]
Entertainment Weekly B+ [7]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Ottawa Citizen Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [23]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [32]
Seattle Post-Intelligencer A [33]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 7/10 [34]
Windsor Star B+ [35]

The Globe and Mail thought that "the avant-garde folkies play it pretty straight this time out, using their sisterly harmonies to wade through a generous selection of Christmas favorites." [36] Newsday stated that the Roches "adorn two dozen yuletide standards with their trademark harmonies, skating vocal figure-eights around each other with the navigability of Dancer, Prancer and Vixen." [37]

The St. Petersburg Times deemed the album "wonderful listening" and "an instant classic." [38] The Boston Globe determined that "the sometimes silly sisters take their tongue out of their collective cheek and come up with a classic." [39] The Windsor Star noted that "We Three Kings, while containing the obvious, is definitely not-so-obvious in its arrangements." [35]

AllMusic wrote that, "when they put their formidable vocal chops to work on tunes as potentially complex as 'Angels We Have Heard on High' and 'The Holly and the Ivy',' the results can be as gorgeous as they are unique." [29] The Rolling Stone Album Guide concluded that the album "finds the group returning to its (true) roots as seasonal carolers in Greenwich Village." [32] The Times called the title track "lushly gothic, augmented with a tender oboe and, yup, restless country guitars ... The swooning 'Oooohh' that leads up to the chorus is utterly thrilling." [40] The Seattle Post-Intelligencer deemed it "a perfect showcase for the trio's crystal-clear harmonies and offhand humor." [33] Reviewing the 1994 reissue, the Rocky Mountain News opined: "No doubt about it: We Three Kings may well be the best holiday album of the year." [41]

Track listing

  1. "Break Forth O Beauteous Heavenly Light"
  2. "For Unto Us a Child Is Born"
  3. "Angels We Have Heard on High"
  4. "Deck the Halls"
  5. "Christmas Passing Through" (Suzzy Roche)
  6. "Sleigh Ride" (Mitchell Parish, Leroy Anderson)
  7. "Away in a Manger"
  8. "Here We Come A-Caroling"
  9. "The Little Drummer Boy" (Katherine Davis, Harry Simeone, Henry Onorati)
  10. "The Holly and the Ivy"
  11. "Frosty the Snowman" (Walter Rollins, Steve Nelson)
  12. "Do You Hear What I Hear?" (Noël Regney, Gloria Shayne)
  13. "We Three Kings"
  14. "Star of Wonder" (Terre Roche)
  15. "Winter Wonderland" (Richard Smith, Felix Bernard)
  16. "Joy to the World"
  17. "O Little Town of Bethlehem"
  18. "Good King Wenceslas"
  19. "Jingle Bells"
  20. "The First Noel"
  21. "God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen"
  22. "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear"
  23. "O Come, All Ye Faithful"
  24. "Silver Bells" (Ray Evans, Jay Livingston)

Personnel

Musicians [42]

Technical [42]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christmas music</span> Music associated with Christmas

Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols, may employ lyrics about the nativity of Jesus Christ, traditions such as gift-giving and merrymaking, cultural figures such as Santa Claus, or other topics. Many songs simply have a winter or seasonal theme, or have been adopted into the canon for other reasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Roches</span> American vocal trio

The Roches were an American vocal trio of sisters Maggie, Terre and Suzzy Roche, from Park Ridge, New Jersey.

"Frosty the Snowman" is a popular Christmas song written by Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson, and first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950 and later recorded by Jimmy Durante in that year. It was written after the success of Autry's recording of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" the previous year. Rollins and Nelson shopped the new song to Autry, who recorded "Frosty" in search of another seasonal hit. Like "Rudolph", "Frosty" was subsequently adapted to other media including a popular television special.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suzzy Roche</span> American singer

Suzzy Roche is an American singer, best known for her work with the vocal group The Roches, alongside sisters Maggie and Terre. Suzzy is the youngest of the three, and joined the act in 1977. She is the author of the novels Wayward Saints and The Town Crazy and the children's book Want to Be in a Band?

<i>The Roches</i> (album) 1979 studio album by The Roches

The Roches is the 1979 eponymous debut trio album by The Roches, on the Warner Bros. label, produced by Robert Fripp, who also plays guitar and Fripperies. Also playing on the album are Tony Levin and Jimmy Maelen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucy Wainwright Roche</span> American musician (born 1981)

Lucy Wainwright Roche is an American singer-songwriter. Preceded by two EPs, 8 Songs and 8 More, Roche released her debut album, Lucy in October 2010. In 2013, she starred as Jeri in the Stuff You Should Know television show.

<i>Keep On Doing</i> 1982 studio album by The Roches

Keep On Doing is the third studio album by the folk trio the Roches, released in 1982 on Warner Bros. Records. It is their second collaboration with Robert Fripp, following their 1979 debut album.

<i>Another World</i> (The Roches album) 1985 studio album by the Roches

Another World is the fourth studio album by the American musical trio the Roches, released in 1985 on Warner Bros. Records. The trio supported the album with a North American tour.

<i>Speak</i> (The Roches album) 1989 studio album by The Roches

Speak is an album by the American musical trio the Roches, released in 1989 on MCA Records. The album contained two singles that had accompanying videos, "Big Nuthin'" and "Everyone Is Good". Another track, "Nocturne", was included in the 1988 film Crossing Delancey, which costarred Suzzy Roche.

<i>Will You Be My Friend?</i> 1994 studio album by The Roches

Will You Be My Friend? is a studio album by the American folk trio the Roches, released in 1994 on Baby Boom Music. It was the group's only album of children's music. Suzzy Roche considered it among the most satisfying albums on which she had worked. The Roches' brother and some of their children appeared on the album. The title track is about having to make friends at a new school.

<i>Holy Smokes</i> (album) 1997 studio album by Suzzy Roche

Holy Smokes is the debut solo album by the American musician Suzzy Roche, released in 1997. It was the first solo album by a member of the Roches. Roche supported the album by embarking on a tour, playing solo with just a guitar.

<i>Christmas Fantasy</i> 2005 studio album by Anita Baker

Christmas Fantasy is the seventh album by American R&B singer Anita Baker. It is Baker's first Christmas album, and was released on October 4, 2005 by Blue Note Records. The album peaked at number 120 on the Billboard 200, and number 31 on the R&B chart.

<i>Snow</i> (EP) 1993 EP by Cocteau Twins

Snow is a 1993 EP by Scottish band Cocteau Twins, released in December 1993 on Fontana Records. It contains cover versions of the Christmas standards "Frosty the Snowman" and "Winter Wonderland". It is out of print, though its tracks appear on the compilation Lullabies to Violaine.

<i>Christmas Times A-Comin</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Sammy Kershaw

Christmas Time's A-Comin' is an album of Christmas music released in late 1994 by American country music singer Sammy Kershaw. His first seasonal project, it comprises a mix of traditional songs and newly recorded material. The title track, a bluegrass holiday standard written by Benjamin "Tex" Logan, charted in 1995 and 1998 on the Billboard country charts, respectively reaching #50 and #53 in those years.

<i>Holly & Ivy</i> 1994 studio album by Natalie Cole

Holly & Ivy is a 1994 Christmas album and 16th overall studio album by American singer Natalie Cole. Released on October 4, 1994, by Elektra, it is Cole's first album featuring Christmas music and serves as a follow-up to Take a Look (1993). Cole co-produced the album with American music producer Tommy LiPuma, with whom she had worked on Unforgettable... with Love (1991). Holly & Ivy consists of 12 tracks, including 11 covers of Christmas standards and carols and one original song written by Gerry Goffin and Michael Masser. Cole promoted the album as non-traditional in interviews and live performances.

<i>The Christmas Album</i> (Johnny Mathis album) 2002 studio album by Johnny Mathis

The Christmas Album is the fifth Christmas album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on October 15, 2002, by Columbia Records and included his first recordings of three traditional carols, three new songs, and a handful of 20th-century offerings.

<i>Songs in the Dark</i> (album) 2015 studio album by The Wainwright Sisters

Songs in the Dark is the debut album by the Wainwright Sisters, a singer-songwriter duo featuring the Canadian-American Martha Wainwright and her American half-sister Lucy Wainwright Roche. The album, released on November 13, 2015, includes lullabies that their mothers Kate McGarrigle and Suzzy Roche sang to them as children, plus songs by Woody Guthrie, Jimmie Rogers, and their father Loudon Wainwright III.

<i>A Merry Mancini Christmas</i> 1966 studio album by Henry Mancini

A Merry Mancini Christmas is a 1966 album by Henry Mancini of orchestral and choral arrangements of Christmas music. In addition to traditional Christmas songs, it also contains the original Mancini composition "Carol for Another Christmas", the theme of the 1964 television film of the same name.

References

  1. ↑ Caro, Mark (23 Dec 1990). "Carols with a twist". Arts. Chicago Tribune. p. 2.
  2. 1 2 MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 947.
  3. ↑ "The Roches Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  4. ↑ Alden, Grant; Blackstock, Peter (September 15, 2009). No Depression # 78: Family Style. University of Texas Press.
  5. ↑ Sinagra, Laura (December 17, 2005). "The Roche Sisters Reunited, with Christmas in the Air". The New York Times.
  6. ↑ Buckley, Peter (December 11, 2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides.
  7. 1 2 Givens, Ron. "We Three Kings". Entertainment Weekly.
  8. ↑ Bledsoe, Wayne (14 July 2006). "Sibiling harmony: Sisters' unique blend charms critics, fans". Preview. Knoxville News Sentinel. p. 5.
  9. ↑ "Roches Holiday Twist". Entertainment. New Jersey Herald. December 6, 2012.
  10. ↑ Ross, Curtis (December 21, 2007). "The Roches Bring Harmony to Holidays". Friday Extra. The Tampa Tribune. p. 15.
  11. ↑ Smith, Andy (March 15, 1996). "Roches have to work at family harmony". The Providence Journal. p. E1.
  12. ↑ Wilonsky, Robert (December 8, 1994). "Chestnuts and lumps of coal - Bennett, Buttholes, and John Tesh—these are a few of our favorite, and least favorite, things". Music. Dallas Observer.
  13. ↑ Germain, David (February 29, 1996). "Roches Remain 'Weird Sisters' of Folk-Pop". Times Union. Associated Press. p. P3.
  14. ↑ Conan, Neal (December 9, 1994). "Neal Conan Interviews Two of the Roches". Morning Edition. NPR.
  15. ↑ "Roche Motets". The New Yorker. Vol. 70, no. 43. December 26, 1994. p. 20.
  16. ↑ Waldman, Amy (26 Apr 1991). "Eclectic Roches crawl all over the musical spectrum". The Milwaukee Journal. p. D1.
  17. ↑ Ayers, Anne (26 Nov 1990). "The Roches, We Three Kings". USA Today. p. 5D.
  18. ↑ Rawls, Alex (November 30, 2006). "Roches' reunion one that sounds just right". Entertainment. The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. 22.
  19. ↑ Valois, Diana (14 Dec 1990). "Listening Easy to Bright Sound of Christmas". The Morning Call. p. D1.
  20. ↑ Okamoto, David (December 7, 1990). "Musical Mistletoe – Newest Christmas albums embrace romance of holiday in quirky as well as traditional renditions". Scene. The Gazette-Telegraph. p. 1.
  21. ↑ Widner, Ellis (November 30, 1990). "Here we go a-caroling – Roches do songs for season". Tulsa World. p. 1B.
  22. ↑ Holden, Stephen (19 Dec 1990). "The Roches' Noel". The New York Times. p. C19.
  23. 1 2 Erskine, Evelyn (9 Nov 1990). "The Roches We Three Kings". Ottawa Citizen. p. D8.
  24. ↑ Kornelis, Chris (20 Dec 2018). "Beyond Bing — Christmas music for people who are getting tired of Christmas music". The Wall Street Journal. p. A15.
  25. ↑ Boren, Ray; Wadley, Carma (December 14, 1990). "Christmas Music: No Other Holiday Inspires a Broader Range of Melodies". Deseret News. p. W1.
  26. ↑ Nutt, Bill (7 Dec 2012). "Sister act". Entertainment. Asbury Park Press.
  27. ↑ Johnson, Robert (December 13, 1991). "Holiday albums run the gamut from blues to folk". San Antonio Express-News. p. 16C.
  28. ↑ Mason, Rick (December 14, 1990). "The Roches We Three Kings". Weekender. Lexington Herald-Leader. Herald-Leader wire services. p. 4.
  29. 1 2 "We Three Kings". AllMusic.
  30. ↑ "The Roches". Robert Christgau.
  31. ↑ Larkin, Colin (May 27, 2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press.
  32. 1 2 The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 596.
  33. 1 2 Stout, Gene (December 23, 1994). "RECORD REVIEWS". What's Happening. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. 10.
  34. ↑ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 334–335.
  35. 1 2 Shaw, Ted (15 Dec 1990). "Pop". Windsor Star. p. C2.
  36. ↑ Niester, Alan (17 Dec 1990). "We Three Kings The Roches". The Globe and Mail. p. C3.
  37. ↑ Anderson, John (16 Dec 1990). "Putting Soul Back into Yule: The Roches get serious about the holidays". Part II. Newsday. p. 15.
  38. ↑ Stark, Judy (30 Nov 1990). "They're Playing a Few New Tunes". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 18.
  39. ↑ Sullivan, Jim (13 Dec 1991). "The Songs of Christmas Old and New". Arts & Film. The Boston Globe. p. 67.
  40. ↑ Moran, Caitlin (December 6, 1996). "The first Noel that isn't more like Liam". Features. The Times. p. 38.
  41. ↑ "Seasonal Sounds". Rocky Mountain News. November 24, 1994. p. 40D.
  42. 1 2 We Three Kings (booklet). MCA. 1990.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.