- Christmas (Mannheim Steamroller album)
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Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Studio album by Mannheim Steamroller Released 1984 Genre Christmas music, New age, Synthpop Length 33:01 Label American Gramaphone Producer Chip Davis Mannheim Steamroller chronology Fresh Aire V
(1983)Mannheim Steamroller Christmas
(1984)Fresh Aire VI
(1986)Mannheim Steamroller Christmas albums chronology Mannheim Steamroller Christmas
(1984)A Fresh Aire Christmas
(1988)Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic [1]
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas (also known as Christmas 1984) was the first Christmas music album released by new age musical group Mannheim Steamroller. The group has released five subsequent Christmas studio albums, most recently Christmasville in October 2008. It was the band's first album to crack the Billboard album chart, peaking at #50.
On June 21, 2004, Mannheim Steamroller Christmas was certified 6× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipment of six million copies in the United States since its 1984 release, making it one of the best-selling Christmas/holiday albums in the U.S.[2]
As of October 16, 2011, Mannheim Steamroller Christmas was the seventh best-selling Christmas/holiday album in the U.S. during the Nielsen/SoundScan era of music sales (March 1991-present), having sold a total of 3,480,000 copies according to SoundScan.[3]
Track listing
- Songs are traditional except where noted
- "Deck the Halls" – 3:43
- "We Three Kings" (Hopkins) – 3:45
- "Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella" – 2:32
- "Coventry Carol" – 2:38
- "Good King Wenceslas" – 3:29
- "Christmas Sweet: Wassail, Wassail" – 2:20
- "Christmas Sweet: Carol Of the Birds" (Bas-Quercy) – 2:03
- "Christmas Sweet: I Saw Three Ships" – 1:28
- "Christmas Sweet: "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen" – 1:37
- "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" – 4:19
- "Stille Nacht" (Gruber) – 5:26
Personnel
- Louis Davis, Jr. - drums, percussion (including camel bells), recorder
- Eric Hansen - bass
- Jackson Berkey - piano, harpsichord, synthesizer, camel bells
- Ron Cooley - 6 and 12-string guitars
- Willis Ann Ross - flute
- David "High D" Kappy - French horn
- Mary Walter - harp
- String section includes Steve Shipps (concertmaster), Richard Lohmann, Richard Altenbach, Grace Granata, Deborah Fuller, Scott Shoemaker (violins), Michelle Brill, Michael Strauss, Roxanne Adams (violas), David Low, Kim Rockshaw, Greg Clinton (celli), Wayne Anderson, and Bill Ritchie (bass violins)
- Ron Dabbs - camel bells, sound effects engineer
- Louis Davis, Sr. - keyboard technician
References
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ "RIAA Searchable Database". Recording Industry Association of America. http://riaa.org/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Mannheim_Steamroller_Christmas&artist=Mannheim_Steamroller&format=ALBUM&debutLP=&awardDescription=Multi_Platinum&catalogNo=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2010&sort=Artist&perPage=25. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
- ^ "Ask Billboard: What Are The Best-Selling Holiday Albums?". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 2011-10-16. http://www.billboard.com/#/column/chartbeat/ask-billboard-what-are-the-best-selling-1005413232.story. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
Chip Davis (percussion) · Bobby Jenkins (oboe) · Jackson Berkey (keyboards) · Almeda Berkey (keyboards) · Roxanne Layton (percussion, woodwinds) · Ron Cooley (guitar, bass) · Arnie Roth (strings) · Chuck Penington (orchestra conductor) Fresh Aire series Fresh Aire (1975) · Fresh Aire II (1977) · Fresh Aire III (1979) · Fresh Aire IV (1981) · Fresh Aire V (1983) · Fresh Aire VI (1986) · Fresh Aire 7 (1991) · Fresh Aire 8 (2000)Christmas albums Christmas (1984) · A Fresh Aire Christmas (1988) · Christmas in the Aire (1995) · Christmas Live (1997) · The Christmas Angel: A Family Story (1998) · Christmas Extraordinaire (2001) · Christmas Song (2007) · Christmasville (2008) · Christmas Symphony (2011)Christmas compilations Christmas Celebration (2004) · Christmas Sweet Memories (?) · Trimming the Tree (2007) · Morning Frost (2008) · Christmas 25th Anniversary Collection (2009)Halloween albums Halloween (2003) · Halloween: Monster Mix (2004) · Halloween, Vol. 2: Creatures Collection (2006) · Halloween: Sweet Tooth (2007)Ambience albums Bird Song (2000) · Summer Song (2001) · Autumn Song (2003) · Ocean Song (?) · Night Song (?) · Desert Song (?)Other albums Saving the Wildlife (1986) · Yellowstone: The Music of Nature (1989) · Day Parts: Sunday Morning Coffee (1991) · Day Parts: Dinner (1992) · Day Parts: Party: Music that Cooks (1992) · Day Parts: Romance (1992) · Day Parts: Sunday Morning Coffee II (1993) · To Russia with Love (1994) · Day Parts: Party 2: Music that Cooks (1995) · Huskers Musik (1996) · Day Parts: Romance II (1998) · Mannheim Steamroller Meets the Mouse (1999) · 25 Year Celebration of Mannheim Steamroller (1999) · Romantic Melodies (2001) · American Spirit (2003)Categories:- 1984 Christmas albums
- Mannheim Steamroller Christmas albums
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