Maps of Music
Because It's Christmas (1990)
Where the lyrics of Because It's Christmas take you, and where it was really made.
This album began a run of Barry Manilow cover albums, and its 'Jingle Bells' is a cover of a 1943 Bing Crosby recording in which girl group Exposé takes the Andrews Sisters' part.
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Sunset Sound, Hollywood (1990)
Recording site Sunset Sound — Listed among the Hollywood studios where this album was recorded. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
Capitol Studios, Hollywood (1990)
Recording site Capitol Studios — Listed among the Hollywood studios where this album was recorded. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
Digital Recorders, Nashville (1990)
Recording site Nashville — Listed as a recording location for this album at city level, Nashville, Tennessee. Google Maps · Apple Maps
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Album story
Overview
- Because It's Christmas: Christmas album by singer-songwriter Barry Manilow
- The first of three Christmas-themed albums Manilow released
- Released in 1990; release date listed as 25 September 1990
- A huge success on release
- Became Manilow's first platinum album in the United States since 1980's Barry
- Began a period in which Manilow recorded cover albums
- Each cover album focused on a particular style of music
- The cover-album pattern continued until Here at the Mayflower in 2001
Background
- Manilow's perennial favorite New Year's Eve song, 'It's Just Another New Years Eve', was finally included on this album
- The 'Jingle Bells' version is a cover of the 1943 recording by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters
- Girl group Exposé sings the Andrews Sisters' part on this version
- The album has ten tracks across two sides
- Tracks include 'The Christmas Song', 'Silent Night', 'White Christmas', 'Carol of the Bells' and 'Joy to the World'
Recording
- Randy Kerber plays acoustic piano and synthesizers
- Eddie Arkin plays guitars and writes orchestral arrangements
- Jerry Hey plays trumpet solos and brass arrangements
- John Patitucci on bass; Vinnie Colaiuta on drums; Gene Estes on vibraphone
- K.T. Oslin sings the duet 'Baby, It's Cold Outside'
- Manilow and Eddie Arkin are credited as producers and arrangers
- Don Murray handled recording and mixing on most tracks
Cover
- Greg Gorman credited for photography
- Carolyn Quan credited for art direction and design
- Oates Set Design credited for set design
- Alfonso Noe credited for hair and make-up; Martine Leger for wardrobe styling
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Tracklist
| 1 | The Christmas Song | 3:54 |
| 2 | Jingle Bells | 2:39 |
| 3 | Silent Night / I Guess There Ain’t No Santa Claus | 5:19 |
| 4 | The First Noel / When the Meadow Was Bloomin’ | 5:01 |
| 5 | Excerpt From Händel’s Messiah (“For unto us a child is born…”) / Because It’s Christmas (For All the Children) | 5:28 |
| 6 | Baby, It’s Cold Outside | 5:19 |
| 7 | White Christmas | 1:32 |
| 8 | Carol of the Bells / The Bells of Christmas | 4:48 |
| 9 | Joy to the World / Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas | 3:46 |
| 10 | We Wish You a Merry Christmas / It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve | 4:47 |
Sources: musicbrainz.org
Artist
Career
- Born Barry Alan Pincus on June 17, 1943, in Brooklyn, New York City.
- Began as a commercial jingle writer and singer in the 1960s, writing and singing TV jingles for brands such as Band-Aid and State Farm.
- Signed by Columbia/CBS Music vice-president Tony Orlando, and recorded as Featherbed on Bell Records.
- Bette Midler chose him as her pianist and producer in the early 1970s.
- Breakthrough hit "Mandy" (1974), the start of a long string of hit singles and albums.
- Hits include "Could It Be Magic", "I Write the Songs", "Copacabana (At the Copa)", and "Can't Smile Without You".
- Has released 51 Top 40 singles on the Adult Contemporary chart, including 13 number ones.
- Has sold more than 85 million records as a solo artist worldwide.
- Nominated for a Grammy Award 15 times from 1973 to 2015, winning once.
- Performed a long Las Vegas residency at the Las Vegas Hilton and the Paris Hotel.
Members
- Solo artist; Featherbed was a studio group name used in the early 1970s.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Reception
At release
- Peaked at number 40 on the Billboard 200 album sales chart
- Spent five weeks at number 1 on Billboard magazine's special, year-end, weekly Christmas Albums sales chart
- Those five weeks came in December 1990 and January 1991
- Best-selling Christmas album of 1990 in the U.S.
Records
- Became Manilow's first platinum album in the United States since 1980's Barry
- Certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on 19 July 2002
- The certification covered shipments of one million copies in the U.S.
- The sales and chart results above rest on Billboard's sales charts, not on critic reviews
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Trivia
- The 'Jingle Bells' track on this album is a cover of the 1943 Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters recording, with Exposé taking the Andrews Sisters' part.
- The album finally included Manilow's perennial favorite New Year's Eve song, 'It's Just Another New Years Eve'.
- The album began a period in which Manilow made cover albums, each on a particular style of music, lasting until 2001.
- It was the best-selling Christmas album of 1990 in the United States.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
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