Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 25, 1998 | |||
Recorded | 1998 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 50:50 | |||
Label | Chicago Records | |||
Producer | Roy Bittan | |||
Chicago chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
What's It Gonna Be, Santa? | |
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Studio album by Chicago | |
Released | October 14, 2003 |
Recorded | 1998 and 2003 |
Genre | Rock, Adult contemporary |
Length | 74:33 |
Label | Rhino |
Producer |
Roy Bittan (1998 tracks) and Phil Ramone (2003 tracks) |
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Chicago 25: The Christmas Album is the nineteenth studio album by the American band Chicago, their twenty-fifth overall, released in 1998 on the band's Chicago Records label. It is an album of Christmas songs. The album was re-issued by Rhino Records in 2003 as What's It Gonna Be, Santa? with six additional, newly recorded tracks.
Produced by Roy Bittan, the original album – featuring Chicago's interpretations of well-known Christmas classics plus one original tune (co-penned by Lee Loughnane) – was very well received upon its release in August 1998, peaking at #47 in the US and going gold during a stay of 7 weeks on the charts. After Chicago entered into a long-term partnership with Rhino Records in 2002, that label re-issued Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album that same year. It was further decided to record six additional Christmas songs – with Hot Streets and Chicago 13 producer Phil Ramone – and re-issue the whole package in 2003 under a new design, title and sequencing, entitled What's It Gonna Be, Santa?, deleting its predecessor in the process. Guitarist Keith Howland sang his first lead vocal on the track, "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas".[ citation needed] This later release reached #102 in the US during a stay of 5 weeks on the charts.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Vocals | Length |
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1. | " Little Drummer Boy" | Katherine Davis, Henry Onorati, Harry Simeone | Champlin/ Scheff | 4:05 |
2. | " God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" | Traditional | Scheff | 3:23 |
3. | " Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" | Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane | Champlin and Scheff | 4:02 |
4. | " The Christmas Song" | Mel Tormé, Robert Wells | Robert Lamm | 3:39 |
5. | " O Come All Ye Faithful" | Traditional | Scheff | 4:46 |
6. | "Child's Prayer" | Lee Loughnane, John Durrill | Children's choir, with Scheff | 3:24 |
7. | " Feliz Navidad" | José Feliciano | Lamm | 4:17 |
8. | " Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" | Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie | Champlin/Scheff | 3:56 |
9. | " Christmas Time Is Here" | Vince Guaraldi, Lee Mendelson | Lamm | 3:49 |
10. | " Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" | Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne | Loughnane | 3:29 |
11. | " What Child Is This?" | Traditional, William Chatterton Dix | Scheff/Champlin | 4:41 |
12. | " White Christmas" | Irving Berlin | Lamm | 2:28 |
13. | " Silent Night" | Franz Xaver Gruber, Joseph Mohr | Scheff | 3:18 |
14. | "One Little Candle" | George Mysels, J. Maloy Roach | Children's choir | 1:26 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Vocals | Length |
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1. | " Winter Wonderland" | Felix Bernard, Dick Smith | Lamm | 4:19 |
2. | "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" | Cahn, Styne | Loughnane | 3:29 |
3. | " Jolly Old Saint Nicholas" | Benjamin Hanby | Keith Howland | 3:35 |
4. | "The Little Drummer Boy" | Davis, Onorati, Simeone | Champlin and Scheff | 3:29 |
5. | " This Christmas" | Donny Hathaway, Nadine McKinnor | Scheff | 4:03 |
6. | "Feliz Navidad" | Feliciano | Lamm | 4:17 |
7. | "Bethlehem" | Bill Champlin, Tamara Champlin | Loughnane, Scheff, with Champlin | 4:07 |
8. | "The Christmas Song" | Tormé, Wells | Lamm | 3:39 |
9. | "O Come All Ye Faithful" | Traditional | Scheff | 4:46 |
10. | " Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" | Johnny Marks | Champlin | 3:44 |
11. | "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" | Martin, Blane | Champlin | 4:02 |
12. | " Sleigh Ride" | Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish | Loughnane with Scheff | 3:55 |
13. | "Silent Night" | Gruber, Mohr | Scheff | 3:18 |
14. | "What Child Is This?" | Traditional, Chatterton Dix | Champlin | 4:41 |
15. | "Christmas Time Is Here" | Guaraldi, Mendelson | Lamm | 3:49 |
16. | "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" | Traditional | Scheff | 3:23 |
17. | "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" | Coots, Gillespie | Champlin | 3:56 |
18. | "Child's Prayer" | Loughnane, Durrill | Children's choir, with Scheff | 3:24 |
19. | "One Little Candle" | Mysels, Roach | Children's choir | 1:26 |
20. | "White Christmas" | Berlin | Lamm | 2:28 |
(New additions in italic)
Adult choir on "The Little Drummer Boy"
Children's choir on "Child's Prayer" and "One Little Candle"
Chicago XXV
"What's It Gonna Be, Santa?"
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States ( RIAA) [3] | Gold | 500,000^ |
United States (
RIAA)
[4] Reissue |
Gold | 500,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |