A Very Special Christmas

"A Very Special Christmas" is a series of compilation albums of Christmas music. It features Christmas carols and songs sung in various styles by such music superstars as U2, Stevie Nicks, Madonna,No Doubt, Whitney Houston, Run-D.M.C., and Bruce Springsteen.

"A Very Special Christmas", the first in the series of compilations, was released in 1987. It was a benefit album, supporting the Special Olympics. Since the release of this first album in 1987, the entire series has raised over $55 million, more than any other benefit series. The cover art is by Keith Haring.

Albums

#"A Very Special Christmas" - 1987
#"A Very Special Christmas 2" - 1992
#"A Very Special Christmas 3" - 1997
#"A Very Special Christmas Live" - 1999
#"A Very Special Christmas 5" - 2001
#"A Very Special Acoustic Christmas" - 2003

Other albums

Jazz to the World

# Winter Wonderland - Herb Alpert/Jeff Lorber
# Baby, It's Cold Outside - Lou Rawls/Dianne Reeves
# It Came Upon A Midnight Clear - Fourplay
# Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Diana Krall
# O Tannenbaum - Stanley Clarke/George Duke/Everette Harp
# Let It Snow - Michael Franks/Carla Bley/Steve Swallow
# The Christmas Waltz - The Brecker Brothers/Steve Kahn
# The Little Drummer Boy - Cassandra Wilson
# I'll Be Home For Christmas - Herbie Hancock/Eliane Elias
# O come, O come, Emmanuel - John McLaughlin
# Christmas Blues - Holly Cole
# Angels We Have Heard On High - Steps Ahead
# The Christmas Song - Anita Baker
# What Child Is This - Chick Corea
# Winter Wonderland - Dave Koz
# Il Est Ne, Le Divin Enfant - Dr. John

World Christmas

# Angels We Have Heard On High / Les Anges Dans Nos Compagnes - Papa Wemba/Mino Cinelu
# We Three Kings - Bob Berg/Jim Beard/Zakir Hussain/Mark Ledford
# Go Tell It On The Mountain - John Scofield/The Wild Magnolias
# O Holy Night (Zan Vevede) - Angelique Kidjo
# Michaux Veillait/Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - The Caribbean Jazz Project
# Natal - Cesaria Evora
# Ave Maria - Deep Forest/Louka Kanza
# We Wish You A Merry Christmas/Rumba Navidene - Vocal Sampling
# Boas Festas - Gilberto Gil/Caetano Veloso/Eliane Elias
# Cascabel / Jingle Bells - Yomo Toro and The Boricua All Stars
# The Twelve Days Of Christmas - Mino Cinelu/Dianne Reeves
# God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Joshua Redman/Marcus Miller/Lalah Hathaway
# Navidad - Gipsy Kings

Unrelated albums

Neither the album "A Very Special Christmas with Rosemary Clooney" by Rosemary Clooney nor "A Very Special Christmas" by 12 Rods is associated with this series.

External links

* [http://www.specialolympics.org/Special+Olympics+Public+Website/English/Support/Very_Special_Christmas/default.htm Special Olympics Very Special Christmas website]
* [http://www.veryspecial.org/ Official website]