This Christmas, Aretha
This Christmas | ||||
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Studio album by Aretha Franklin | ||||
Released | October 14, 2008 | |||
Recorded | June–August 2008 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 51:00 | |||
Label | DMI | |||
Producer |
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Aretha Franklin chronology | ||||
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This Christmas is the first Christmas album and thirty-sixth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin. Produced by Franklin and Tena Clark, it was originally released on October 14, 2008, as a Borders Bookstore exclusive, consisting of eleven cover versions of Christmas standards and carols. In 2009, the album was reissued in 2009 on DMI Records. This Christmas peaked at number 102 on the US Billboard 200.[2][3]
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
MSN Music | [4] |
The Toronto Star | [5] |
Allmusic editor Andy Kellman wrote:
"the disc is filled mostly with the spiritual and relatively serious side of holiday material. The likes of "Silent Night," "Ave Maria," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," and "Angels We Have Heard on High" are given the kind of treatment only Aretha could grant .... It's not all reverence and reflection: best of all is a reading of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" that can only be termed "personalized".[1]
Track listing
Credits taken from the album's liner notes.[6]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Angels We Have Heard on High" | James Chadwick | Tena Clark | 5:26 |
2. | "This Christmas" (with Edward Franklin) |
| Clark | 5:23 |
3. | "My Grown-Up Christmas List" |
| Clark | 5:15 |
4. | "The Lord Will Make a Way" | Traditional | Aretha Franklin | 5:43 |
5. | "Silent Night" | Clark | 5:06 | |
6. | "Ave Maria" | Clark | 4:57 | |
7. | "Christmas Ain't Christmas (Without the One You Love)" | Clark | 3:53 | |
8. | "14 Angels" | Engelbert Humperdinck | Franklin | 2:08 |
9. | "One Night With the King" | Jeannie Tenney | Franklin | 6:09 |
10. | "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" | Clark | 5:24 | |
11. | "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" | Clement C. Moore | Franklin | 1:52 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[6]
Vocalists
- Aretha Franklin – vocals (2–3, 8–9, 11, lead on 1, 4–7, 10)
- Tawatha Agee – background vocals (4)
- Bridgette Bryant – Fire choir member (1, 5–6, 10)
- Alvin Chea – Fire choir member (1, 5–6, 10)
- Lynne Fiddmont – Fire choir member (1, 5–6, 10)
- The Fire Choir – background vocals (1, 5–6, 10)
- Lisa Fischer – background vocals (7)
- Edward Franklin – vocals (2)
- Wendy Fraser – Fire choir member (1, 5–6, 10)
- Dorian Holley – Fire choir member (1, 5–6, 10)
- Clydene Jackson – Fire choir member (1, 5–6, 10)
- Shelly Ponder – background vocals (4)
- Susie Stevens-Logan – Fire choir member (1, 5–6, 10)
- Vanesse Thomas – background vocals (7)
- Fonzi Thornton – background vocals (4, 7)
- Carmen Twillie – Fire choir member (1, 5–6, 10)
- Oren Waters – Fire choir member (1, 5–6, 10)
- Gerald White – Fire choir member (1, 5–6, 10)
- Brenda White-King – background vocals (4, 7)
- Terry Wood – Fire choir member (1, 5–6, 10)
Instrumentalists
- Aretha Franklin – acoustic piano (5, 8)
- Luis Conte – percussion (2–3, 7)
- Charles "Volley" Craig – bass played by (4, 8–9)
- Matt Dahlgren – guitar (4, 9)
- Nathan East – bass played by (1–3, 6, 7, 10)
- Brandon Fields – saxophone (7)
- Richard Gibbs – piano (4, 9)
- Timothy Heinz – keyboards (1, 6, 10)
- Darryl Houston – organ played by (4, 9)
- Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar (1–2, 6–7, 10)
- Ricky Lawson – drums (1–3, 6–7, 10)
- Arthur Marbury – drums (4, 8–9)
- Teddy Richards-White – guitar (4)
- Michito Sanchez – percussion (7)
- Onita Sanders – harp (8)
- James "Big Jim" Wright – keyboards (2–3, 7)
Technical
- Aretha Franklin – producer (4, 8–9)
- H. B. Barnum – conductor (4, 8–9)
- Tena Clark – producer (1–3, 5–7, 10–11)
- Les Cooper – recording engineer (1–3, 5–7, 10–11)
- Todd Fairall – recording engineer (4, 8–9)
- Steve Genewick – Pro-tools editing
- Don Goodrick – assistant recording engineer
- George Gumbs – assistant recording engineer
- Timothy Heinz – rhythm arrangements (1, 6, 10)
- Bill Meyers – orchestral arrangement, orchestra conductor
- Michael J. Powell – recording engineer (4, 8–9)
- Tony Rizzo – assistant recording engineer
- Al Schmitt – audio mixing, strings recording engineer
- Carmen Twillie – choir arrangements, choir conductor (1, 5–6, 10)
- Ed Woolley – assistant recording engineer
- James "Big Jim" Wright – rhythm arrangements (2–3, 7)
Charts
Chart (2009–11) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard 200[2] | 102 |
US Top Holiday Albums (Billboard)[7] | 22 |
References
- ^ a b c d Kellman, Andy. This Christmas, Aretha at AllMusic
- ^ a b "Aretha Franklin Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
- ^ "Aretha Franklin's remixed 'Silent Night'". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ MSN Music review
- ^ Infantry, Ashante (November 18, 2008). "Aretha Franklin: This Christmas". The Toronto Star. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ a b Franklin, Aretha. "This Christmas, Aretha" (Album Notes). DMI Records. 2008.
- ^ "Aretha Franklin Chart History (Holiday Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
- v
- t
- e
- Aretha (1961)
- The Electrifying Aretha Franklin (1962)
- The Tender, the Moving, the Swinging Aretha Franklin (1962)
- Laughing on the Outside (1963)
- Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington (1964)
- Runnin' Out of Fools (1964)
- Yeah!!! (1965)
- Songs of Faith (1965)
- Soul Sister (1966)
- Take It Like You Give It (1967)
- I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967)
- Aretha Arrives (1967)
- Lady Soul (1968)
- Aretha Now (1968)
- Soul '69 (1969)
- Soft and Beautiful (1969)
- This Girl's in Love with You (1970)
- Spirit in the Dark (1970)
- Young, Gifted and Black (1972)
- Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky) (1973)
- Let Me in Your Life (1974)
- With Everything I Feel in Me (1974)
- You (1975)
- Sparkle (1976)
- Sweet Passion (1977)
- Almighty Fire (1978)
- La Diva (1979)
- Aretha (1980)
- Love All the Hurt Away (1981)
- Jump to It (1982)
- Get It Right (1983)
- Who's Zoomin' Who? (1985)
- Aretha (1986)
- Through the Storm (1989)
- What You See Is What You Sweat (1991)
- A Rose Is Still a Rose (1998)
- So Damn Happy (2003)
- This Christmas, Aretha (2008)
- A Woman Falling Out of Love (2011)
- Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics (2014)
- Aretha in Paris (1968)
- Aretha Live at Fillmore West (1971)
- Amazing Grace (1972)
- One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism (1987)
- Oh Me Oh My: Aretha Live in Philly, 1972 (2007)
albums
- Take a Look (1967)
- Aretha's Gold (1969)
- Aretha's Greatest Hits (1971)
- The Best of Aretha Franklin (1973)
- Aretha Sings the Blues (1980)
- 30 Greatest Hits (1985)
- Queen of Soul: The Atlantic Recordings (1992/2014)
- Greatest Hits: 1980–1994 (1994)
- The Very Best of Aretha Franklin, Vol. 1 (1994)
- Greatest Hits (1998)
- Aretha's Best (2001)
- Respect: The Very Best of Aretha Franklin (2002)
- The Queen in Waiting: The Columbia Years (1960–1965) (2002)
- Rare & Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul (2007)
- Jewels in the Crown: All-Star Duets with the Queen (2007)
- A Brand New Me (2017)
- The Atlantic Singles Collection 1967–1970 (2018)
- "Precious Lord (Part 1)" (1959)
- "Today I Sing the Blues" (1960)
- "Won't Be Long" (1960)
- "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" (1961)
- "Operation Heartbreak" (1961)
- "I Surrender, Dear" (1962)
- "Try a Little Tenderness" (1962)
- "Say It Isn't So" (1963)
- "Skylark" (1963)
- "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" (1964)
- "One Step Ahead" (1965)
- "You Made Me Love You" (1965)
- "Mockingbird" (1967)
- "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" (1967)
- "Respect" (1967)
- "Baby I Love You" (1967)
- "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (1967)
- "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man"
- "Chain of Fools" (1967)
- "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (1968)
- "(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone" (1968)
- "Think" (1968)
- "You Send Me" (1968)
- "The House That Jack Built" (1968)
- "I Say a Little Prayer" (1968)
- "See Saw" (1968)
- "My Song" (1968)
- "The Weight" (1969)
- "Tracks of My Tears" (1969)
- "I Can't See Myself Leaving You" (1969)
- "Gentle on My Mind" (1969)
- "Share Your Love with Me" (1969)
- "Eleanor Rigby" (1969)
- "Call Me" (1970)
- "Son of a Preacher Man" (1970)
- "Spirit in the Dark" (1970)
- "The Thrill Is Gone" (1970)
- "Don't Play That Song" (1970)
- "Border Song (Holy Moses)" (1970)
- "You're All I Need to Get By" (1971)
- "Bridge over Troubled Water" (1971)
- "Spanish Harlem" (1971)
- "Rock Steady" (1971)
- "Day Dreaming" (1972)
- "Angel" (1973)
- "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" (1973)
- "I'm in Love" (1974)
- "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (1974)
- "Something He Can Feel" (1976)
- "Break It to Me Gently" (1977)
- "What a Fool Believes" (1981)
- "It's My Turn" (1981)
- "Jump to It" (1982)
- "Get It Right" (1983)
- "Freeway of Love" (1985)
- "Who's Zoomin' Who" (1985)
- "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" (1985)
- "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (1986)
- "Jimmy Lee" (1986)
- "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (1987)
- "Oh Happy Day" (1988)
- "Gimme Your Love" (1989)
- "It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be" (1989)
- "Everyday People" (1991)
- "Someday We'll All Be Free" (1992)
- "Ever Changing Times" (1992)
- "A Deeper Love" (1993)
- "Willing to Forgive" (1994)
- "A Rose Is Still a Rose" (1998)
- "Here We Go Again" (1998)
- "Put You Up on Game" (2007)
- "Angels We Have Heard on High" (2009)
- "Rolling in the Deep (The Aretha Version)" (2014)
- Awards and nominations
- Discography
- "Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)"
- Amazing Grace (2018 film)
- Genius (2021 television series)
- Respect (2021 film)
- Ted White
- Category