Winter Songs (Ronan Keating album)
Encyclopedia
Winter Songs is the sixth studio album
released by Irish
singer/songwriter and Boyzone
frontman Ronan Keating
. It was released by Polydor Records
on November 16, 2009 in the UK
and Ireland
, debuting at number 16 and 12 in each respective album chart. The first single, a cover of Grammy Award
-winning American country music
duo Sugarland's hit "Stay
", was released digitally on the same day.
number one album Songs for My Mother
released six months earlier, this time pulling together a set of 11 songs that evoke special memories of winter and Christmas for Ronan Keating
. Winter Songs includes traditional Christmas classics such as "Silent Night
" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
" as well as modern festive classics like Joni Mitchell
's River and Sugarland's "Stay
". Songs originally performed by artists like Simon & Garfunkel ("Homeward Bound
") and Bob Dylan
("Ring Them Bells") are also included on the album, which also includes two brand new Ronan Keating songs "It's Only Christmas" and "Scars". Like Keating's previous album, Winter Songs is produced by Stephen Lipson
(Paul McCartney
, Annie Lennox
and Pet Shop Boys
). The album also features the last studio recording of Stephen Gately
, who died a short while after the album was completed. Ronan told The News Of The World: “What keeps me going is that Stephen is on this album. His vocal on Little Drummer Boy is one of the most beautiful recordings. He is almost angelic – which is truly fitting as I believe my friend is an angel now.” In a press release about the album, Keating said that "some of these songs conjure up some of my favorite Christmas memories".
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
released by Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
singer/songwriter and Boyzone
Boyzone
Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...
frontman Ronan Keating
Ronan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and...
. It was released by Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
on November 16, 2009 in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, debuting at number 16 and 12 in each respective album chart. The first single, a cover of Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning American country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
duo Sugarland's hit "Stay
Stay (Sugarland song)
In 2009, Irish pop singer and Boyzone member Ronan Keating released a cover version of the song. The song was the first single from Keating's 2009 album, Winter Songs.-Chart performance:...
", was released digitally on the same day.
Album information
The album Winter Songs follows the UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
number one album Songs for My Mother
Songs For My Mother
Songs for My Mother is the fifth studio album released by Boyzone frontman and Irish singer/songwriter Ronan Keating. The album was released on March 16, 2009 on Polydor Records, and is his first album to be released since the reunion of Boyzone....
released six months earlier, this time pulling together a set of 11 songs that evoke special memories of winter and Christmas for Ronan Keating
Ronan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and...
. Winter Songs includes traditional Christmas classics such as "Silent Night
Silent Night
"Silent Night" is a popular Christmas carol. The original lyrics of the song "Stille Nacht" were written in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria, by the priest Father Joseph Mohr and the melody was composed by the Austrian headmaster Franz Xaver Gruber...
" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics, which has become more common than the original. The song was written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane...
" as well as modern festive classics like Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
's River and Sugarland's "Stay
Stay (Sugarland song)
In 2009, Irish pop singer and Boyzone member Ronan Keating released a cover version of the song. The song was the first single from Keating's 2009 album, Winter Songs.-Chart performance:...
". Songs originally performed by artists like Simon & Garfunkel ("Homeward Bound
Homeward Bound (song)
"Homeward Bound" is an American folk song written by Paul Simon, performed by Simon and Garfunkel, produced by Bob Johnston and recorded on December 14, 1965. The song describes his longing to return home, both to his then girlfriend, Kathy Chitty in Brentwood, Essex, England, and to return to the...
") and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
("Ring Them Bells") are also included on the album, which also includes two brand new Ronan Keating songs "It's Only Christmas" and "Scars". Like Keating's previous album, Winter Songs is produced by Stephen Lipson
Stephen Lipson
Stephen J. Lipson is a musician and producer who has worked with numerous artists, including Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Cher, Grace Jones, Paul McCartney, Pet Shop Boys, Take That, Simple Minds, Lindisfarne, and Annie Lennox....
(Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...
and Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
). The album also features the last studio recording of Stephen Gately
Stephen Gately
Stephen Patrick David Gately was an Irish pop singer–songwriter, actor, dancer, musician and author, who, with Ronan Keating, was one of two lead singers of the pop group Boyzone. All of Boyzone's studio albums hit number one in the United Kingdom, their third being their most successful...
, who died a short while after the album was completed. Ronan told The News Of The World: “What keeps me going is that Stephen is on this album. His vocal on Little Drummer Boy is one of the most beautiful recordings. He is almost angelic – which is truly fitting as I believe my friend is an angel now.” In a press release about the album, Keating said that "some of these songs conjure up some of my favorite Christmas memories".
Track listing
- "Winter Song" (Sara Bareilles/Ingrid Michaelson)
- "Stay" (Jennifer Nettles)
- "Scars" (Steve McEwan/John White)
- "Homeward Bound" (Paul Simon)
- "River" (Joni Mitchell)
- "It's Only Christmas" (Ronan Keating/Paul Barry)
- "Little Drummer Boy" (Katherine Davis/Henry Onorati/Harry Simeone)
- "Ring Them Bells" (Bob Dylan)
- "Caledonia" (Fleecy Moore)
- "Silent Night" (Franz Gruber)
- "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Ralph Blane/Hugh Martin)
- "I Won't Last a Day Without You" (Paul Williams/Roger Nichols)
Chart
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
Certification | Sales/ shipments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
24 | ||
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
12 | ||
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
25 | ||
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
16 | ||
| German Albums Chart | 73 | ||