A Christmas Album (Amy Grant album)
Encyclopedia
A Christmas Album is the seventh album by Christian music
singer Amy Grant
, released in 1983
. The release was Grant's first of many Christmas albums.
A Christmas Album 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 featured well-known religious and secular standards alongside original songs. 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." A Christmas Album would eventually be certified gold in 1985, and platinum in 1989. A Christmas Album was listed at No. 40 in the 2001 book, CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music
.
(North America)
Singles – CCM Magazine
(North America)
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.
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
singer Amy Grant
Amy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...
, released in 1983
1983 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1983.-January-April:*January – ZTT Records is founded.*January 8 – The UK singles chart is tabulated from this week forward by The Gallup Organization...
. The release was Grant's first of many Christmas albums.
A Christmas Album was issued on the heels of Grant's immensely successful 1982 LP Age to Age
Age to Age
Age to Age is the sixth album by Christian music singer Amy Grant, released in 1982 on Myrrh Records.Age to Age was Amy Grant's breakthrough album, finally earning her serious recognition within the burgeoning Contemporary Christian music community as it ushered her into stardom, and also...
. Primarily for the audiences she attracted with Age to Age, A Christmas Album featured well-known religious and secular standards alongside original songs. 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." A Christmas Album would eventually be certified gold in 1985, and platinum in 1989. A Christmas Album was listed at No. 40 in the 2001 book, CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music
CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music
CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music is the title of a book, edited by Thom Granger and published in 2001 by Harvest House Publishers....
.
Track listing
Personnel
- Amy Grant: Vocals, Background Vocals, Liner Notes
- Gary Chapman: Guitars, Pedal Steel, Background Vocals.
- Jon Goin: Guitars.
- Paul Leim: Guitar, Drums, Sleigh Bells, Wood Block, Simmons Drums, Linn.
- Dean ParksDean ParksDean Parks is an American session guitarist and record producer from Ft. Worth, TX.-Albums:Dean was member of The North Texas State One O'clock Lab Band before moving to Los Angeles to work with Sonny and Cher in 1970. Dean is best-known through his many contributions to albums by Steely Dan...
: Guitars. - Mike Brignardello: Bass.
- Lenny CastroLenny CastroLenny Castro is an American freelancing percussionist in the studio recording industry in the Los Angeles area.-Early life:Castro is a percussionist of Puerto Rican descent and was born and raised in New York City. His father, Hector Castro, played the keyboard in a Latin style and gave his son...
: Percussion. - Victor FeldmanVictor FeldmanVictor Stanley Feldman was a British jazz musician, best known as a pianist.-Early history:...
: Percussion, Shaker. - Farrell Morris: Percussion, Glockenspiel, Shells, Bell Tree.
- Michael W. SmithMichael W. SmithMichael Whitaker Smith is a Billboard top ten Billboard Hot 100 recording artist and Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. He is one of the best-selling and most influential artists in Contemporary Christian music. Smith also has achieved a considerable amount of...
: Piano, Vocoder. - Shane KeisterShane KeisterShane Keister is an American musician. He is known for his work as a studio musician, writer, arranger and producer. He plays synthesizer, piano, Hammond B3, Synclavier, Fairlight, Fender Rhodes, and others.-History:...
: Synthesizer, Piano, Fender Rhodes, Memory Moog, Mini Moog, Oberheim OB8. - Thomas McAninch: Horn.
- Bill ChamplinBill ChamplinWilliam Bradford "Bill" Champlin is an American singer, guitarist, keyboard player, arranger, producer, and songwriter. His performance work is principally associated with the bands Chicago and the Sons of Champlin...
: Background Vocals. - Tamara Champlin: Background Vocals.
- David Page: Background Vocals.
- Richard PageRichard Page (musician)Richard Page , is an American musician who is the lead singer and bassist of 1980's US band Mr. Mister and is now a songwriter and solo artist.-Early life:...
: Background Vocals. - Steve GeorgeSteve George (keyboardist)Steve George is an American keyboard player, who is perhaps best known as the keyboardist for the 1980s band, Mr. Mister. He co-wrote many of the Mr. Mister songs, together with his childhood friend, Mr...
: Background Vocals. - Debbie Hall: Background Vocals.
- Sandy Hall: Background Vocals.
- Edie Lehmann: Background Vocals.
- Carmen Twillie: Background Vocals.
- with the Hollywood Presbyterian Choir.
Production
- Producer: Brown BannisterBrown BannisterBrown Bannister is a CCM producer and songwriter. Bannister released one album of his own, Talk to One Another, in 1981 on NewPax Records. It was reissued on the Reunion Records Label five years later, featuring a newer recording of the album's final cut, "Create In Me A Clean Heart"...
- Executive Producer: Michael Blanton, Dan Harrell, Gary Chapman.
- Engineer: Jack Joseph PuigJack Joseph PuigJack Joseph Puig is a Grammy Award-winning music engineer and producer with a long track record of successful productions, including the mid-1990s production of Tonic. Puig also worked with Hole, Jellyfish, The Black Crowes, John Mayer, Weezer, Fiona Apple, Green Day, The Counting Crows, No Doubt,...
, Jim Baird, Mike Ross, Ken Corlew, Gene Eichelberger, Brent King. - Mixed by: Jack Joseph Puig.
- Mastered by: Doug Sax.
- Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements, Choir Arrangement, Woodwind Arrangement: Alan Moore.
- Design: Dennis Hill
- Cover Art Concept: Michael Blanton, Dan Harrell.
- Photography: Mike Borum.
- Artwork, Photography, Scenery: Bill FarrellBill FarrellWilliam Farrell was a 19th-century Major League Baseball player. He played for the 1882 Philadelphia Athletics and 1883 Baltimore Orioles in the American Association.-External links:...
. - Choir Director: Fred Bock.
Charts
Album – BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
(North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Top Contemporary Christian | 9 |
| 1985 | Top Holiday Albums | 5 |
| 1991 | Top Pop Catalog | 5 |
Singles – CCM Magazine
CCM Magazine
CCM Magazine was a monthly magazine published by Salem Publishing, a division of Salem Communications. It was first published in July 1978, and it has always been a Christian music magazine. On January 16, 2008, Salem announced that the April 2008 issue would be the final printed issue of the...
(North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | "Emmanuel" | Christian Radio–Adult Contemporary | 20 |
Awards
GMA Dove Awards| Year | Winner | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | A Christmas Album | Recorded Music Packaging of the Year |
Pressings
A Christmas Album was the first Amy Grant album to be released in the Compact DiscCompact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
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.