The Christmas Album (Neil Diamond album): Difference between revisions

The Christmas Album
The Christmas Album
Studio album by Neil Diamond
Released	September 22, 1992
Recorded	January – August 1992
Genre	Christmas
Length	44:58
Label	Columbia
Producer	Peter Asher
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Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]

The Christmas Album is the twentieth studio album by Neil Diamond and his first to feature Christmas music. It features orchestral and choir arrangements by David Campbell. The album reached No. 8 on the Billboard 200 album sales chart, No. 50 on the UK album sales chart, and No. 30 on Australian music chart.^[2]^[3]^[4]

In his review music critic Johnny Loftus states, "While Neil Diamond's The Christmas Album is designed almost exclusively for his adult contemporary constituency, the vocalist still manages to light up most of the obviousness of these standards with his trademark gritty soul and flair for inflection."^[5]

On August 7, 2001, The Christmas Album was certified Double Platinum by the RIAA for shipment of two million copies in the United States since its 1992 release.^[6] By November 2014,^[update] it was the twenty-fifth best-selling Christmas/holiday album in the United States of the SoundScan era of music sales tracking (March 1991–present), having sold 1,910,000 copies according to SoundScan.^[7]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"O come, O come, Emmanuel" / "We Three Kings of Orient Are"	Traditional	2:57
2.	"Silent Night"	Franz Gruber, Joseph Mohr	4:03
3.	"The Little Drummer Boy"	Katherine Davis, Henry Onorati, Harry Simeone	3:58
4.	"Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"	John Frederick Coots, Haven Gillespie	3:25
5.	"The Christmas Song"	Mel Tormé, Robert Wells	3:33
6.	"Morning Has Broken"	Eleanor Farjeon, Cat Stevens	3:02
7.	"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"	John Lennon, Yoko Ono	4:19
8.	"White Christmas"	Irving Berlin	3:55
9.	"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"	Traditional	1:20
10.	"Jingle Bell Rock"	Joe Beal, Jim Boothe	1:51
11.	"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"	Felix Mendelssohn, Charles Wesley	2:50
12.	"Silver Bells"	Ray Evans, Jay Livingston	3:06
13.	"You Make It Feel Like Christmas"	Neil Diamond	3:39
14.	"O Holy Night"	Adolphe Adam, John Sullivan Dwight	3:28

Personnel

Neil Diamond – lead vocals
David Campbell – arrangements (1–6, 11, 12, 13), conductor (1–6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14), choir arrangements (7), orchestra arrangements and conductor (7), BGV arrangements (8, 10)
Robbie Buchanan – acoustic piano (2, 14), keyboards (3–6, 8, 13)
Ladd Thomas – Hammond organ (6, 11)
Alan Lindgren – acoustic piano (7, 12), acoustic piano intro (8), BGV arrangements (8), orchestra arrangements (14)
Bob Mann – guitars (1, 5), acoustic guitar (3, 12), electric guitar (7)
Dean Parks – electric guitar (3), guitars (6, 8, 13), mandolin (6)
Andrew Gold – acoustic guitar (4, 10)
Waddy Wachtel – electric guitar (4, 10), guitars (13)
Louis Gutierrez – guitar solo (7)
Dan Dugmore – pedal steel guitar (12)
Jimmy Johnson – bass guitar (3, 6, 8)
Bob Glaub – bass (4, 10, 13)
Bob Magnusson – double bass (5)
Leland Sklar – bass guitar (7, 12)
Peter Asher – drum programming (3), tambourine (7, 10), rhythm track arrangements (7, 10)
Russ Kunkel – drums (4–8, 13)
Nathaniel Kunkel – drums (10)
Michael Fisher – percussion (3, 8)
Marvin B. Gordy – percussion (3)
Warren Ham – harmonica (4)
Plas Johnson – tenor saxophone solo (5)
Gavyn Wright – concertmaster (1, 2, 7, 10, 13, 14)
London Symphony Orchestra – orchestra (1, 2, 7, 10, 13, 14)
The Angel Voices Choir – choir (1, 7)
The Ambrosian Singers – choir (2, 7, 14)
John McCarthy – choir director (2, 7, 14)
The Lower School Chorus of Viewpoint School – choir (7)
Robert Prizeman – boys’ choir conductor (7)
Marcie Parker – children’s choir conductor (7)
Donny Gerard, Raven Kane, Josef Powell, Julia Waters, Maxine Waters and Oren Waters – doo-wop backing vocals (8)
139th Street Quartet – vocals and arrangements (9)
Jim Hass, Jon Joyce, Gene Morford and Jerry Whitman – doo-wop backing vocals (10)
L.A. Mass Choir – choir (11)
Donald Taylor – choir director (11)
Frank Lindgren – choir arrangements (14)

Production

Producer – Peter Asher
Production Coordinator – Ivy Skoff
Project Coordinator – Sam Cole
Recorded and Mixed by Frank Wolf
Assistant Recording and Mixing by Nathaniel Kunkel and Brett Swain.
Additional Recording and Mixing by Chad Blinman, Alec Marcou, Gil Morales, Marnie Riley and Eric Rudd.
Recorded at Arch Angel Studios, The Complex, Studio 55 and Ocean Way Recording (Los Angeles, CA); Conway Studios (Hollywood, CA); The Hit Factory (New York, NY): Abbey Road Studios (London, England).
Mixed at Conway Studios
Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound (New York, NY).
Art Direction – David Kirschner
Design – Jan Weinberg
Cover Photography – Eugine Adibari
Liner Notes – Neil Diamond

Charts

Chart (1992–1993)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[8]	30
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)^[9]	23
UK Albums (OCC)^[10]	50
US Billboard 200^[11]	8

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)^[12]	Platinum	70,000^{^}
Canada (Music Canada)^[13]	Platinum	100,000^{^}
United States (RIAA)^[6]	2× Platinum	2,000,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

^ The Christmas Album at AllMusic
^ Diamond, Neil. "Neil Diamond Billboard Charts". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
^ "Neil Diamond | Artist". Official Charts. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
^ Steffen Hung. "Discography Neil Diamond". australian-charts.com. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
^ Loftus, Johnny. The Christmas Album at AllMusic. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
^ ^a ^b "American album certifications – Neil Diamond – The Christmas Album". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
^ "The Gifts That Keep on Giving: Biggest Radio and Album Hits of the Holidays". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. December 1, 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
^ "Australiancharts.com – Neil Diamond – The Christmas Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 1834". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
^ "Neil Diamond | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
^ "Neil Diamond Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1993 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
^ "Canadian album certifications – Neil Diamond – The Christmas Album". Music Canada. Retrieved 8 March 2019.

[1] The Christmas Album at AllMusic

[2] Diamond, Neil. "Neil Diamond Billboard Charts". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2014.

[3] "Neil Diamond | Artist". Official Charts. Retrieved March 5, 2014.

[4] Steffen Hung. "Discography Neil Diamond". australian-charts.com. Retrieved March 4, 2014.

[5] Loftus, Johnny. The Christmas Album at AllMusic. Retrieved March 4, 2014.

[United_StatesNeil_DiamondThe_Christmas_AlbumalbumCertRef-6] "American album certifications – Neil Diamond – The Christmas Album". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 20 September 2022.

[7] "The Gifts That Keep on Giving: Biggest Radio and Album Hits of the Holidays". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. December 1, 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2014.

[ac_Australia_Neil_Diamond-8] "Australiancharts.com – Neil Diamond – The Christmas Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 4, 2023.

[group=-9] "Top RPM Albums: Issue 1834". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 4, 2023.

[ac_UK_Neil_Diamond-10] "Neil Diamond | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved June 4, 2023.

[ac_Billboard200_Neil_Diamond-11] "Neil Diamond Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2023.

[AustraliaNeil_DiamondThe_Christmas_AlbumalbumCertRef-12] "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1993 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 14 July 2021.

[CanadaNeil_DiamondThe_Christmas_AlbumalbumCertRef-13] "Canadian album certifications – Neil Diamond – The Christmas Album". Music Canada. Retrieved 8 March 2019.

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@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 | alt        = Portrait of a man in a white sweater leaning over a chair near a fireplace
 | released   = {{Start date|1992|09|22}}
-| recorded   = January - August  1992
+| recorded   = January – August 1992
 | venue      =
 | studio     =
@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 {{Album reviews
 |rev1 = [[Allmusic]]
-|rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{Allmusic|class=album|id=mw0000086460}}</ref>
+|rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000086460}}</ref>
 |noprose=yes
 }}
@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 '''''The Christmas Album''''' is the twentieth studio [[album]] by [[Neil Diamond]] and his first to feature [[Christmas music#Popular Christmas songs|Christmas music]]. It features orchestral and choir [[arrangement]]s by [[David Campbell (composer)|David Campbell]]. The album reached No. 8 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] album sales chart, No. 50 on the [[UK Albums Chart|UK album sales chart]], and No. 30 on [[Kent Music Report|Australian music chart]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/312095/neil+diamond/chart |first=Neil |last=Diamond |title=Neil Diamond Billboard Charts|publisher=Billboard |access-date=March 5, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/neil%20diamond/ |title=Neil Diamond &#124; Artist |publisher=Official Charts |access-date=March 5, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Steffen Hung |url=http://australian-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Neil+Diamond |title=Discography Neil Diamond |publisher=australian-charts.com |access-date=March 4, 2014}}</ref>
-In his review music critic Johnny Loftus states, "While Neil Diamond's ''The Christmas Album'' is designed almost exclusively for his adult contemporary constituency, the vocalist still manages to light up most of the obviousness of these standards with his trademark gritty soul and flair for inflection."<ref>{{Allmusic|class=album|id=mw0000086460|label=The Christmas Album|first=Johnny |last=Loftus|accessdate=March 4, 2014}}</ref>
+In his review music critic Johnny Loftus states, "While Neil Diamond's ''The Christmas Album'' is designed almost exclusively for his adult contemporary constituency, the vocalist still manages to light up most of the obviousness of these standards with his trademark gritty soul and flair for inflection."<ref>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000086460|label=The Christmas Album|first=Johnny |last=Loftus|accessdate=March 4, 2014}}</ref>
-On August 7, 2001, ''The Christmas Album'' was certified [[RIAA certification|Double Platinum]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] for shipment of two million copies in the United States since its 1992 release.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&title=The_Christmas_Album&artist=Diamond,_Neil&format=ALBUM&go=Search&perPage=25|title=RIAA Searchable Database |publisher=riaa.org |access-date=2014-12-02}}</ref> As of November 2014, it is the twenty-fifth [[List of best-selling Christmas/holiday albums in the United States|best-selling Christmas/holiday album in the United States]] during the [[Nielsen SoundScan|SoundScan]] era of music sales tracking (March 1991 – present), having sold 1,910,000 copies according to SoundScan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6334706/holidays-biggest-radio-and-album-hits |title=The Gifts That Keep on Giving: Biggest Radio and Album Hits of the Holidays |work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]] |date=December 1, 2014 |access-date=December 2, 2014}}</ref>
+On August 7, 2001, ''The Christmas Album'' was certified [[Platinum (RIAA certification)|Double Platinum]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] for shipment of two million copies in the United States since its 1992 release.{{Certification Cite Ref|title=The Christmas Album|artist=Neil Diamond|type=album|region=United States|access-date=20 September 2022}}  {{As of|2014|11|alt=By November 2014|post=,}} it was the twenty-fifth [[List of best-selling Christmas/holiday albums in the United States|best-selling Christmas/holiday album in the United States]] of the [[Nielsen SoundScan|SoundScan]] era of music sales tracking (March 1991–present), having sold 1,910,000 copies according to SoundScan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6334706/holidays-biggest-radio-and-album-hits |title=The Gifts That Keep on Giving: Biggest Radio and Album Hits of the Holidays |work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]] |date=December 1, 2014 |access-date=December 2, 2014}}</ref>
 ==Track listing==
@@ Line 77: / Line 77: @@
 == Personnel ==
-* Neil Diamond – lead vocals (all tracks)
+* Neil Diamond – lead vocals
-* [[David Campbell (composer)|David Campbell]] – arrangements (1-6, 11, 12, 13), conductor (1-6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14), choir arrangements (7), orchestra arrangements and conductor (7), BGV arrangements (8, 10)
+* [[David Campbell (composer)|David Campbell]] – arrangements (1–6, 11, 12, 13), conductor (1–6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14), choir arrangements (7), orchestra arrangements and conductor (7), BGV arrangements (8, 10)
-* [[Robbie Buchanan]] – acoustic piano (2, 14), keyboards (3-6, 8, 13)
+* Robbie Buchanan – acoustic piano (2, 14), keyboards (3–6, 8, 13)
 * Ladd Thomas – [[Hammond organ]] (6, 11)
 * Alan Lindgren – acoustic piano (7, 12), acoustic piano intro (8), BGV arrangements (8), orchestra arrangements (14)
-* [[Bob Mann (guitarist)|Bob Mann]] – guitar (1, 5), acoustic guitar (3, 12), electric guitar (7)
+* [[Bob Mann (guitarist)|Bob Mann]] – guitars (1, 5), acoustic guitar (3, 12), electric guitar (7)
-* [[Dean Parks]] – electric guitar (3), guitar (6, 8, 13), [[mandolin]] (6)
+* [[Dean Parks]] – electric guitar (3), guitars (6, 8, 13), [[mandolin]] (6)
 * [[Andrew Gold]] – acoustic guitar (4, 10)
-* [[Waddy Wachtel]] – electric guitar (4, 10), guitar (13)
+* [[Waddy Wachtel]] – electric guitar (4, 10), guitars (13)
 * [[Mary's Danish|Louis Gutierrez]] – guitar solo (7)
 * [[Dan Dugmore]] – [[pedal steel guitar]] (12)
 * [[Jimmy Johnson (bassist)|Jimmy Johnson]] – bass guitar (3, 6, 8)
-* [[Bob Glaub]] – bass guitar (4, 10, 13)
+* [[Bob Glaub]] – bass (4, 10, 13)
 * [[Bob Magnusson]] – double bass (5)
 * [[Leland Sklar]] – bass guitar (7, 12)
-* [[Peter Asher]] – drum programming (3), tambourine (7, 10), rhythm track arrangements (7, 10)
+* [[Peter Asher]] – drum programming (3), [[tambourine]] (7, 10), rhythm track arrangements (7, 10)
-* [[Russ Kunkel]] – drums (4-8, 13)
+* [[Russ Kunkel]] – drums (4–8, 13)
 * Nathaniel Kunkel – drums (10)
 * Michael Fisher – percussion (3, 8)
 * Marvin B. Gordy – percussion (3)
-* Warren Ham – harmonica (4)
+* [[Warren Ham]] – [[harmonica]] (4)
 * [[Plas Johnson]] – tenor saxophone solo (5)
 * [[Gavyn Wright]] – concertmaster (1, 2, 7, 10, 13, 14)
-* [[The London Symphony Orchestra]] – orchestra (1, 2, 7, 10, 13, 14)
+* [[London Symphony Orchestra]] – orchestra (1, 2, 7, 10, 13, 14)
 * [[Libera (choir)|The Angel Voices Choir]] – choir (1, 7)
 * [[The Ambrosian Singers]] – choir (2, 7, 14)
@@ Line 129: / Line 129: @@
 * Liner Notes – Neil Diamond
-==See also==
+==Charts==
+{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
-''[[The Christmas Album, Volume II]]''
+|-
+! Chart (1992–1993)
+! Peak<br>position
+|-
+{{album chart|Australia|30|artist=Neil Diamond|album=The Christmas Album|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 4, 2023}}
+|-
+{{album chart|Canada|23|artist=Neil Diamond|album=The Christmas Album|chartid=1834|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 4, 2023}}
+|-
+{{album chart|UK|50|artist=Neil Diamond|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 4, 2023}}
+|-
+{{album chart|Billboard200|8|artist=Neil Diamond|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 4, 2023}}
+|}
 ==Certifications==
 {{certification Table Top}}
+{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Australia|artist=Neil Diamond|title=The Christmas Album|award=Platinum|certyear=1993|relyear=1992|accessdate=14 July 2021}}
 {{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Canada|artist=Neil Diamond|title=The Christmas Album|award=Platinum|certyear=1994|relyear=1992|accessdate=8 March 2019}}
-{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United States|artist=Neil Diamond|title=The Christmas Album|award=Platinum|number=2|certyear=2001|relyear=1992|accessdate=8 March 2019}}
+{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United States|artist=Neil Diamond|title=The Christmas Album|award=Platinum|number=2|certyear=2001|relyear=1992|accessdate=20 September 2022}}
 {{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}
+==See also==
+''[[The Christmas Album, Volume II]]''
 ==References==
@@ Line 142: / Line 158: @@
 {{Neil Diamond}}
+{{Authority control}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Christmas Album}}

v t e Neil Diamond
Discography
Studio albums	The Feel of Neil Diamond Just for You Velvet Gloves and Spit Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show Touching You, Touching Me Tap Root Manuscript Stones Moods Serenade Beautiful Noise I'm Glad You're Here with Me Tonight You Don't Bring Me Flowers September Morn On the Way to the Sky Heartlight Primitive Headed for the Future The Best Years of Our Lives Lovescape The Christmas Album Up on the Roof: Songs from the Brill Building The Christmas Album, Volume II Tennessee Moon The Movie Album: As Time Goes By Three Chord Opera 12 Songs Home Before Dark A Cherry Cherry Christmas Dreams Melody Road
Soundtrack albums	Jonathan Livingston Seagull The Jazz Singer
Live albums	Gold: Recorded Live at the Troubadour Hot August Night Love at the Greek Hot August Night II Live in America Stages: Performances 1970–2002 Hot August Night/NYC
Compilation albums	Neil Diamond's Greatest Hits Shilo Rainbow His 12 Greatest Hits And the Singer Sings His Song Classics: The Early Years The Greatest Hits: 1966–1992 The Neil Diamond Collection Play Me: The Complete Uni Studio Recordings...Plus! The Essential Neil Diamond Neil Diamond 50 – 50th Anniversary Collection A Neil Diamond Christmas
Singles	"Solitary Man" "Cherry, Cherry" "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" "Thank the Lord for the Night Time" "Kentucky Woman" "New Orleans" "Red Red Wine" "Two-Bit Manchild" "Shilo" "Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show" "Sweet Caroline" "Holly Holy" "Until It's Time for You to Go" "And the Grass Won't Pay No Mind" "Solitary Man" (re-release) "Cracklin' Rosie" "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" "I Am... I Said" "Done Too Soon" "I'm a Believer" "Crunchy Granola Suite" "Song Sung Blue" "Play Me" "Cherry, Cherry" "The Last Thing on My Mind" "Longfellow Serenade" "I've Been This Way Before" "If You Know What I Mean" "Don't Think... Feel" "Desiree" "God Only Knows" "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" "Forever in Blue Jeans" "Dancing in the Street" "Love on the Rocks" "Hello Again" "America" "Yesterday's Songs" "On the Way to the Sky" "Heartlight"
Other songs	"Sunflower"
Concert tours	50 Year Anniversary World Tour
Related articles	The Jazz Singer (film) A Beautiful Noise (musical)
Category