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]
| This Christmas | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 14, 2008 | |||
| Recorded | June–August 2008 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 51:00 | |||
| Label | DMI | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Aretha Franklin chronology | ||||
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Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| MSN Music |  [4] |
| The Toronto Star | [5] |
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
editCredits taken from the album's liner notes.[6]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Angels We Have Heard on High" | James Chadwick | Tena Clark | 5:26 |
| 2. | "This Christmas" (with Edward Franklin) |
| Clark | 5:23 |
| 3. | "My Grown-Up Christmas List" | Clark | 5:15 | |
| 4. | "The Lord Will Make a Way" | Traditional | Aretha Franklin | 5:43 |
| 5. | "Silent Night" | Clark | 5:06 | |
| 6. | "Ave Maria" | Clark | 4:57 | |
| 7. | "Christmas Ain't Christmas (Without the One You Love)" | Clark | 3:53 | |
| 8. | "14 Angels" | Engelbert Humperdinck | Franklin | 2:08 |
| 9. | "One Night With the King" | Jeannie Tenney | Franklin | 6:09 |
| 10. | "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" | Clark | 5:24 | |
| 11. | "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" | Clement C. Moore | Franklin | 1:52 |
Personnel
editCredits 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
edit| Chart (2009–11) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[2] | 102 |
| US Top Holiday Albums (Billboard)[7] | 22 |
References
edit- ^ 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.
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