The Classic Christmas Album (Johnny Mathis album)

2014 compilation album by Johnny Mathis

The Classic Christmas Album

Compilation album by

Johnny Mathis

Released| October 7, 2014[1]
Recorded| 1958–2013[2]
Genre| Christmas
Length| 39:51
Label| Columbia
Johnny Mathis chronology
| Sending You a Little Christmas
(2013)  | The Classic Christmas Album
(2014)  | The Complete Global Albums Collection
(2014)

|
|

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
JazzWeekly.com| positive[3]
TheSecondDisc.com| positive[4]

The Classic Christmas Album is a Christmas compilation album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on October 7, 2014, by Columbia Records[1] and includes two 1961 recordings that were previously unavailable: "Ol' Kris Kringle" and the original version of the title track from his 1969 Christmas album Give Me Your Love for Christmas. Three other songs ("Christmas in the City of the Angels", "Sign of the Dove" and "The Very First Christmas Day") make their debut on compact disc as of this release,[5] and two other non-album singles ("Christmas Is..." and "My Kind of Christmas") can be counted among the rarities here. The collection also includes a selection or two from several of Mathis's Christmas studio albums—"Sleigh Ride" from Merry Christmas, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" from Sounds of Christmas, "Calypso Noel" from Give Me Your Love for Christmas, "The Christmas Waltz" and "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" from Christmas Eve with Johnny Mathis, and "Home for the Holidays" from Sending You a Little Christmas—as well as his duet with Bette Midler from her 2006 holiday album Cool Yule, which was a medley of "Winter Wonderland" and "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!".

## Critical reception

[edit]

The Second Disc's Joe Marchese was impressed by the rarities on this collection ("Didier C. Deutsch and Jeff James have gone the extra mile") and also the sound quality ("Maria Triana has beautifully remastered all tracks.").[4]

George W. Harris of Jazz Weekly wrote in his review of the disc that Mathis is "one of the few vocalists that owns 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas', and December 25th is better off for it."[3]

## Track listing[2]

[edit]

1. "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" (Meredith Willson) – 2:14
* Jeremy Lubbock – arranger, conductor
* Denny Diante – producer
2. "Ol' Kris Kringle" performed with Percy Faith & His Orchestra (Hugh Adamson, Jimmy McHugh) – 2:24
* Lou Halmy – arranger
* Irving Townsend – producer
3. "The Very First Christmas Day" (Clark Gassman, Molly-Ann Leikin) – 3:07
* Gene Page – arranger, conductor
* Jack Gold – producer
4. "Calypso Noel" (Gordon Krunnfusz) – 2:14
* Ernie Freeman – arranger, conductor[6]
* Jack Gold – producer
5. "My Kind of Christmas" performed with Percy Faith & His Orchestra (Jerry Livingston, Paul Francis Webster) – 3:02
* Irving Townsend – producer
6. Medley performed with Bette Midler – 2:47
a. "Winter Wonderland" (Felix Bernard, Richard Bernhard Smith)
b. "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne)
* Bette Sussman – arranger
* Patrick Williams – arranger
* Robbie Buchanan – producer
7. "Give Me Your Love for Christmas" performed with Percy Faith & His Orchestra (Jack Gold, Phyllis Stohn) – 2:55
* Irving Townsend – producer
8. "Sleigh Ride" performed with Percy Faith & His Orchestra (Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish) – 3:01
* Mitch Miller – producer
9. "The Christmas Waltz" (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne) – 2:36
* Ray Ellis – arranger, conductor
* Denny Diante – producer
10. "Christmas in the City of the Angels" (Suzy Elman; Arnold Goland; Jack Gold) – 2:50
* Gene Page – arranger, conductor
* Jack Gold – producer
11. "Christmas Is..." (Percy Faith, Spence Maxwell) – 3:06
* Ernie Freeman – arranger, conductor[7]
* Jack Gold – producer
12. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin) – 3:33
* Glenn Osser – arranger
* Jack Feierman – conductor
* Don Costa – producer
13. "Home for the Holidays" performed with The Jordanaires (Robert Allen, Al Stillman) – 3:07
* Fred Mollin – producer
14. "Sign of the Dove" (Bradford Craig) – 2:49
* Ernie Freeman – arranger, conductor[7]
* Jack Gold – producer

## Recording dates[2]

[edit]

* June 18, 1958 – "Sleigh Ride"
* September 11, 1961 – "Give Me Your Love for Christmas", "My Kind of Christmas", "Ol' Kris Kringle"
* July 17, 1963 – "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
* September 23, 1969 – "Calypso Noel"
* October 30, 1970 – "Christmas Is...", "Sign of the Dove"
* June 5, 1979 – "Christmas in the City of the Angels", "The Very First Christmas Day"
* July 1986 – "The Christmas Waltz", "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"
* 2006 – "Winter Wonderland/Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"
* 2013 – "Home for the Holidays"

## Personnel

[edit]

* Johnny Mathis – vocals

Compilation[2]

* Didier C. Deutsch – producer
* Jeffrey James – producer
* Maria Triana – mastering
* Mike Kull – tape research
* Mike Cimicata – project direction
* Mike Curry/Skouras Design – art direction
* LFI/Photoshot – photography
* Mastered at Battery Studios, New York City

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "The Classic Christmas Album - Johnny Mathis". allmusic.com. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
2. ^ a b c d (2014) The Classic Christmas Album by Johnny Mathis [CD booklet]. New York: Columbia Records 88843091032.
3. ^ a b "OLD SCHOOL CHRISTMAS…Perry Como: The Classic Christmas Album, Johnny Mathis: The Classic Christmas Album, Frank Sinatra: The Classic Christmas Album, Barbra Streisand: The Classic Christmas Album". jazzweekly.com. Jazz Weekly. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
4. ^ a b "Holiday Gift Guide Review: "The Classic Christmas Album" Series". theseconddisc.com. December 5, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
5. ^ "Johnny Mathis: "The Classic Christmas Album" is available everywhere TODAY!". JohnnyMathis.com. RoJon Productions Inc. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
6. ^ (1969) Give Me Your Love for Christmas by Johnny Mathis [album jacket]. New York: Columbia Records CS 9923.
7. ^ a b (1970) "Christmas Is.../Sign of the Dove" by Johnny Mathis [7-inch single]. New York: Columbia Records 4-45513.

* v
* t
* e

Johnny Mathis

Studio albums|

* Johnny Mathis
* Wonderful, Wonderful
* Warm
* Good Night, Dear Lord
* Swing Softly
* Merry Christmas
* Open Fire, Two Guitars
* Heavenly
* Faithfully
* Johnny's Mood
* The Rhythms and Ballads of Broadway
* I'll Buy You a Star
* Live It Up!
* Rapture
* Johnny
* Sounds of Christmas
* Romantically
* Tender Is the Night
* The Wonderful World of Make Believe
* This Is Love
* Olé
* Broadway
* Love Is Everything
* The Sweetheart Tree
* The Shadow of Your Smile
* So Nice
* Johnny Mathis Sings
* Up, Up and Away
* Love Is Blue
* Those Were the Days
* Love Theme from "Romeo And Juliet" (A Time for Us)
* Give Me Your Love for Christmas
* Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head
* Close to You
* Sings the Music of Bacharach & Kaempfert
* Love Story
* You've Got a Friend
* The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face)
* Song Sung Blue
* Me and Mrs. Jones
* Killing Me Softly with Her Song
* I'm Coming Home
* The Heart of a Woman
* When Will I See You Again
* Feelings
* I Only Have Eyes for You
* Mathis Is...
* Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me
* You Light Up My Life
* That's What Friends Are For
* The Best Days of My Life
* Mathis Magic
* Different Kinda Different
* I Love My Lady
* Friends in Love
* A Special Part of Me
* Right from the Heart
* Christmas Eve with Johnny Mathis
* The Hollywood Musicals
* Once in a While
* In the Still of the Night
* In a Sentimental Mood: Mathis Sings Ellington
* How Do You Keep the Music Playing?
* All About Love
* Because You Loved Me: The Songs of Diane Warren
* Mathis on Broadway
* The Christmas Album
* Isn't It Romantic: The Standards Album
* A Night to Remember
* Let It Be Me: Mathis in Nashville
* Sending You a Little Christmas
* Johnny Mathis Sings the Great New American Songbook

Compilation albums|

* Johnny's Greatest Hits
* More Johnny's Greatest Hits
* Portrait of Johnny
* Johnny's Newest Hits
* I'll Search My Heart and Other Great Hits
* The Great Years
* People
* The Impossible Dream
* Johnny Mathis' All-Time Greatest Hits
* Johnny Mathis Sings the Great Songs
* The Johnny Mathis Collection
* The Mathis Collection
* Tears and Laughter
* The Best of Johnny Mathis 1975–1980
* The First 25 Years – The Silver Anniversary Album
* Celebration – The Anniversary Album
* 16 Most Requested Songs
* Better Together: The Duet Album
* The Christmas Music of Johnny Mathis: A Personal Collection
* The Hits of Johnny Mathis
* The Ultimate Hits Collection
* The Essential Johnny Mathis
* The Very Best of Johnny Mathis
* Gold: A 50th Anniversary Christmas Celebration
* Gold: A 50th Anniversary Celebration
* The Ultimate Collection
* The Classic Christmas Album

Live albums|

* Johnny Mathis in Person: Recorded Live at Las Vegas
* Unforgettable – A Musical Tribute to Nat King Cole
* Live

Box sets|

* The Music of Johnny Mathis: A Personal Collection
* The Complete Global Albums Collection
* The Singles
* The Complete Christmas Collection 1958–2010
* The Voice of Romance: The Columbia Original Album Collection

Singles|

* "Wonderful! Wonderful!"
* "It's Not for Me to Say"
* "Chances Are"
* "The Twelfth of Never"
* "No Love (But Your Love)"
* "Wild Is the Wind"
* "Come to Me"
* "All the Time"
* "Teacher, Teacher"
* "A Certain Smile"
* "Sleigh Ride"
* "Misty"
* "Gina"
* "What Will Mary Say"
* "Beyond the Blue Horizon"
* "Remember When (We Made These Memories)"
* "Love Me Tonight"
* "Odds and Ends"
* "I'm Coming Home"
* "Life Is a Song Worth Singing"
* "When a Child Is Born"
* "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late"
* "You're All I Need to Get By"

Other Songs|

* "Love Never Felt So Good"

Videos|

* Live by Request: Johnny Mathis
* Johnny Mathis: Wonderful, Wonderful!

Related articles|

* Discography
* Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
* Family Ties
* Deniece Williams

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