Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album

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.

Chicago XXV:
The Christmas Album
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 25, 1998
Recorded1998
Genre
Length50:50
LabelChicago Records
ProducerRoy Bittan
Chicago chronology
The Heart of Chicago 1967–1998 Volume II
(1998)
Chicago XXV:
The Christmas Album

(1998)
Chicago XXVI: Live in Concert
(1999)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
What's It Gonna Be, Santa?
Studio album by
Chicago
ReleasedOctober 14, 2003
Recorded1998 and 2003
GenreRock, Adult contemporary
Length74:33
LabelRhino
ProducerRoy Bittan
(1998 tracks)
and Phil Ramone
(2003 tracks)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]

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.

Track listings

edit

Chicago 25: The Christmas Album

edit
No.TitleWriter(s)VocalsLength
1."Little Drummer Boy"Katherine Davis, Henry Onorati, Harry SimeoneChamplin/Scheff4:05
2."God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"TraditionalScheff3:23
3."Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"Hugh Martin, Ralph BlaneChamplin and Scheff4:02
4."The Christmas Song"Mel Tormé, Robert WellsRobert Lamm3:39
5."O Come All Ye Faithful"TraditionalScheff4:46
6."Child's Prayer"Lee Loughnane, John DurrillChildren's choir, with Scheff3:24
7."Feliz Navidad"José FelicianoLamm4:17
8."Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"Fred Coots, Haven GillespieChamplin/Scheff3:56
9."Christmas Time Is Here"Vince Guaraldi, Lee MendelsonLamm3:49
10."Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"Sammy Cahn, Jule StyneLoughnane3:29
11."What Child Is This?"Traditional, William Chatterton DixScheff/Champlin4:41
12."White Christmas"Irving BerlinLamm2:28
13."Silent Night"Franz Xaver Gruber, Joseph MohrScheff3:18
14."One Little Candle"George Mysels, J. Maloy RoachChildren's choir1:26

What's It Gonna Be, Santa?

edit
No.TitleWriter(s)VocalsLength
1."Winter Wonderland"Felix Bernard, Dick SmithLamm4:19
2."Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"Cahn, StyneLoughnane3:29
3."Jolly Old Saint Nicholas"Benjamin HanbyKeith Howland3:35
4."The Little Drummer Boy"Davis, Onorati, SimeoneChamplin and Scheff3:29
5."This Christmas"Donny Hathaway, Nadine McKinnorScheff4:03
6."Feliz Navidad"FelicianoLamm4:17
7."Bethlehem"Bill Champlin, Tamara ChamplinLoughnane, Scheff, with Champlin4:07
8."The Christmas Song"Tormé, WellsLamm3:39
9."O Come All Ye Faithful"TraditionalScheff4:46
10."Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"Johnny MarksChamplin3:44
11."Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"Martin, BlaneChamplin4:02
12."Sleigh Ride"Leroy Anderson, Mitchell ParishLoughnane with Scheff3:55
13."Silent Night"Gruber, MohrScheff3:18
14."What Child Is This?"Traditional, Chatterton DixChamplin4:41
15."Christmas Time Is Here"Guaraldi, MendelsonLamm3:49
16."God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"TraditionalScheff3:23
17."Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"Coots, GillespieChamplin3:56
18."Child's Prayer"Loughnane, DurrillChildren's choir, with Scheff3:24
19."One Little Candle"Mysels, RoachChildren's choir1:26
20."White Christmas"BerlinLamm2:28

(New additions in italic)

Personnel

edit

Chicago

edit
  • Bill Champlinorgan (1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 14–17, 20), backing vocals (1–3, 6–14, 16, 18, 20), arrangements (1, 4, 7, 14, 17), BGV arrangements (1, 2, 6–14, 16, 20), lead vocals (4, 7, 10, 11, 14), synth keyboards (4), synth vibes (6), acoustic guitar (7), brass arrangements (7, 14), acoustic piano (10), electric piano (14, 17), computer programming (14, 17), all vocals (17), guitars (17), synth bass (17), vocal arrangements (17)
  • Keith Howland – guitars (1–3, 5–8, 10–12, 14–16, 20), lead vocals (3), backing vocals (3), arrangements (3, 11), BGV arrangements (3), keyboards (11)
  • Tris Imboden – drums (1–8, 10–12, 14–18, 20), arrangements (3)
  • Robert Lamm – lead vocals (1, 6, 8, 15, 20), acoustic piano (1–3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12), arrangements (1, 6, 8, 15, 20), brass arrangements (1, 8, 15), vibraphone (5), electric piano (6, 15, 16), backing vocals (3), clavinet (10)
  • Lee Loughnane – trumpet (1–5, 7, 8, 10–13, 16–18, 20), flugelhorn (1, 6, 13–15, 18), lead vocals (2, 7, 12), arrangements (2, 7, 12, 16, 18), backing vocals (3, 18), muted trumpet (14), brass arrangements (17, 18), piccolo trumpet (18), BGV arrangements (18)
  • James Pankow – trombone (1–8, 10–18, 20), brass arrangements (2–6, 8, 10–18, 20), synth keyboards (4), flute arrangements (9), arrangements (10, 13, 16, 19), vocal arrangements (19)
  • Walter Parazaider – tenor saxophone (1–6, 8, 10–18, 20), alto flute (1, 9), alto saxophone (6, 7, 13, 14, 16), flute (6, 7, 13, 14, 16), C flute (9)
  • Jason Scheff – bass (1–3, 5, 7–9, 12, 16), backing vocals (1–3, 6–14, 16, 18, 20), lead vocals (4, 5, 7, 9, 12, 13, 16), electric upright bass (4, 6, 15, 18, 20), keyboards (9), computer programming (9), arrangements (9), BGV arrangements (9, 10, 13), fretless bass (11, 14), electric bass (17)

Additional musicians

edit
  • Roy Bittan – organ (4, 10, 18), accordion (4, 6, 18), keyboards (13), synth bells (18), acoustic piano (19)
  • George Black – computer programming (9, 13, 18, 19)
  • John Durill – synth keyboard (18), additional arrangements (19)
  • Tim Pierce – guitars (4, 11), acoustic guitars (9, 19)
  • Luis Conte – percussion (4, 6, 8, 9, 16, 20)
  • Larry Klimas – baritone saxophone (3, 10)
  • Nick Lane – additional arrangements (1)
  • Carmen Twillie – backing vocals (6, 11, 20)

Adult choir on "The Little Drummer Boy"

  • Carmen Twillie – choir director
  • Alex Brown, Tamara Champlin, Alvin Chea, Gia Ciambotti, H.K. Dorsey, Gary Falcone, Edie Lehmann Boddicker, Bobbie Page, Oren Waters, Maxine Waters and Mona Lisa Young – choir

Children's choir on "Child's Prayer" and "One Little Candle"

  • Ryan Kelly – children's choir conductor
  • Amity Addrisi, Michael Amezcua, Alex Bittan, Ryan Bittan, Clark Gable, Kayley Gable, Kate Lamm, Sean Lamm, Dylan Loughnane, River Loughnane, Sarah Pankow, Brittany Scott and Jade Thacker – lead vocals

Production

edit

Chicago XXV

  • Produced by Roy Bittan
  • Engineered and Mixed by Ed Thacker
  • Assisted by Posie Muliadi and Eric Ferguson
  • Recorded at A&M Studios (Hollywood, CA); Rumbo Recorders (Canoga Park, CA); Gold Mine Studio (Woodland Hills, CA).
  • Mixed at A&M Studios
  • Production Coordinator – Valerie Pack
  • Art Direction and Design – John Kosh

"What's It Gonna Be, Santa?"

  • Produced by Phil Ramone
  • Engineered and Mixed by Ed Thacker at Glenwood Place Recording Studios (Burbank, CA).
  • Additional Production – Chicago and David McLees
  • Sound Supervision – Lee Loughnane and Jeff Magid
  • Remastered by David Donnelly at DNA Mastering (Studio City, CA).
  • Product Manager – Mike Engstrom
  • Discographical Annotation – Gary Peterson
  • Editorial Supervision – Cory Fry
  • Project Assistants – Jimmy Edwards and Tim Scanlin
  • Art Direction – Hugh Brown and Linda Cobb
  • Front Cover Photo – Corbis Images
  • Additional Photography – Getty Images

Charts

edit
Chart (1998) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[3] 47

Certifications

edit
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[4] Gold 500,000^
United States (RIAA)[5]
Reissue
Gold 500,000

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

edit
  1. ^ AllMusic review
  2. ^ AllMusic review
  3. ^ "Chicago Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  4. ^ "American album certifications – Chicago – Chicago XXV (The Christmas Album)". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  5. ^ "American album certifications – Chicago – Chicago Christmas: What's It Gonna Be Santa?". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 29, 2023.