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2008 studio album by Aretha Franklin
This Christmas
Released October 14, 2008 Recorded June–August 2008
Genre
Length 51 :00
Label DMI
Producer
Aretha Franklin
Tena Clark
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
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]
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
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.
Studio albums Live albums Compilation albums Singles Related