Maps of Music

A Christmas Album (2004)

Where the lyrics of A Christmas Album take you, and where it was really made.

A Christmas Album began as a limited-edition release that not every Hallmark shop carried, and a 2006 reissue later gave it a new title.

Key places

Capitol Studios in Hollywood (2004)

Recording site Capitol Studios — The source links Capitol Studios in Hollywood as the recording location for this album. The mastering was done at Capitol Mastering in Hollywood, California. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• A Christmas Album: the first Christmas album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor
• Released in 2004 on a limited-edition basis
• Distributed through Hallmark stores
• Not every Hallmark Cards stockist carried the albums
• Mixes traditional carols with popular standards across eleven tracks
• Duets: Chris Botti on Winter Wonderland, Natalie Cole on Baby, It's Cold Outside, Toots Thielemans on The Christmas Song
• Dave Grusin is credited as producer and wrote liner notes

Background

• James Taylor is the record's lead vocalist and also plays guitars
• Track list includes Go Tell It on the Mountain, In the Bleak Midwinter, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, Jingle Bells and Auld Lang Syne
• Deck the Halls is included on the 2004 version
• The album originally came with an online code for an outtake from the sessions

Recording

• Recording and mixing credited to Don Murray
• Charlie Paakkari is credited as assistant engineer
• Mastering by Robert Vosgien at Capitol Mastering in Hollywood, California
• Dave Grusin arranged and played acoustic piano on many tracks
• Taylor arranged several songs and played guitars on them
• A string section led by concertmaster Ralph Morrison appears on several tracks

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Early years

• Born March 12, 1948 in Boston, Massachusetts; raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
• Learned guitar in 1960, influenced by hymns, carols and Woody Guthrie.
• Spent time in a psychiatric hospital and struggled with heroin addiction in his youth.

Career

• Formed the Flying Machine in New York in 1966; the group broke up after a single.
• Signed to Apple Records in 1968 as the first non-British act on the label.
• Breakthrough with Sweet Baby James (1970) and the hit "Fire and Rain", both reaching No. 3.
• First No. 1 hit with "You've Got a Friend" (1971), written by Carole King.
• Greatest Hits (1976) is one of the best-selling albums in US history, certified Diamond.
• Won six Grammy Awards; inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
• Reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with Before This World (2015) after a 45-year wait.
• Continues to tour actively as of 2026.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Released in 2004 as a limited-edition album
• Distributed through Hallmark stores
• Not all Hallmark Cards stockists carried the album

Records

• 2004: limited-edition release, sold through Hallmark stores
• 2006: Columbia Records, Taylor's regular label, reissued the album under a new title, James Taylor at Christmas, with a new cover
• The 2006 version removed Deck the Halls and added Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and the Joni Mitchell cover River

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The first Christmas album by James Taylor, released on a limited-edition basis in 2004
• The original release included an online code for an outtake from the sessions, a cover of Joni Mitchell's River
• The 2006 Columbia reissue changed the title to James Taylor at Christmas and changed the track list
• Chris Botti, Natalie Cole and Toots Thielemans each appear as guests on one track
• Vinnie Colaiuta played drums on most of the tracks

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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