Name: Chicago Christmas: What's It Gonna Be Santa?
Brand: Warner/Elektra/Atlantic Corp
SKU: 355370
Price: 4.08 USD
Availability: InStock

Chicago Christmas

Rating

Album: Chicago Christmas: What's It Gonna Be Santa?
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Winter Wonderland	More Info...
2)	Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!	More Info...
3)	Jolly Old St. Nicholas	More Info...
4)	Little Drummer Boy	More Info...
5)	This Christmas	More Info...
6)	Feliz Navidad	More Info...
7)	Bethlehem	More Info...
8)	The Christmas Song	More Info...
9)	O Come All Ye Faithful	More Info...
10)	Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer	More Info...
11)	Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas	More Info...
12)	Sleigh Ride	More Info...
13)	Silent Night	More Info...
14)	What Child Is This?	More Info...
15)	Christmas Time Is Here	More Info...
16)	God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen	More Info...
17)	Santa Claus Is Coming to Town	More Info...
18)	Child's Prayer	More Info...
19)	One Little Candle	More Info...
20)	White Christmas	More Info...

Album: Chicago Christmas: What's It Gonna Be Santa?
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Winter Wonderland	More Info...
2)	Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!	More Info...
3)	Jolly Old St. Nicholas	More Info...
4)	Little Drummer Boy	More Info...
5)	This Christmas	More Info...
6)	Feliz Navidad	More Info...
7)	Bethlehem	More Info...
8)	The Christmas Song	More Info...
9)	O Come All Ye Faithful	More Info...
10)	Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer	More Info...
11)	Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas	More Info...
12)	Sleigh Ride	More Info...
13)	Silent Night	More Info...
14)	What Child Is This?	More Info...
15)	Christmas Time Is Here	More Info...
16)	God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen	More Info...
17)	Santa Claus Is Coming to Town	More Info...
18)	Child's Prayer	More Info...
19)	One Little Candle	More Info...
20)	White Christmas	More Info...

Performer Notes

Chicago: Bill Champlin (vocals, acoustic guitar, organ, keyboards, synthesizer, programming); Keith Howland (vocals, guitar); Lee Loughnane (vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn); Robert Lamm (vocals, piano, electric piano, Clavinet, vibraphone); Jason Scheff (vocals, keyboards, bass, programming); Walt Parazaider (flute, alto flute, alto & tenor saxophones); James Pankow (trombone, synthesizer); Tris Imboden (drums).
Additional personnel includes: Luis Conte (percussion).
Principally recorded at A & M, Hollywood, California; Rumbo, Canoga Park, California and Gold Mine Studios, Woodland Hills, California in 1998. Originally released on Columbia (3035). Includes liner notes by David Millman.
Personnel: Bill Champlin (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, electric piano, organ, synthesizer, bass synthesizer, programming, background vocals); Keith Howland (vocals, guitar, keyboards, background vocals); Lee Loughnane (vocals, trumpet, piccolo trumpet, flugelhorn, background vocals); Robert Lamm (vocals, piano, electric piano, Clavinet, vibraphone, background vocals); Jason Scheff (vocals, keyboards, electric bass, fretless bass, programming, background vocals); Tim Pierce (guitar, acoustic guitar); Walter Parazaider (flute, alto flute, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Roy Bittan (accordion, piano, organ, keyboards); Larry Klimas (baritone saxophone); James Pankow (trombone, synthesizer); John Durrill (synthesizer); Tris Imboden (drums); Luis Conte (percussion); George Black (programming); Carmen Twillie (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: Ed Thacker.
Audio Remasterer: Dave Donnelly .
Liner Note Author: David Millman.
Recording information: A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA (1998-2003); Glenwood Place Recording Studios, Burbank, CA (1998-2003); Gold Mine Studio, Woodland Hills, CA (1998-2003); Rumbo Recorders, Canoga Park, CA (1998-2003).
Arrangers: Donny Hathaway; Keith Howland; James Pankow; Jason Scheff; John Durrill; Lee Loughnane; Tris Imboden; Bill Champlin; Lance Morrison; Robert Lamm.
Chicago Christmas: What's It Gonna Be, Santa? is actually a retitled reissue of Chicago's 1998 album Chicago 25: The Christmas Album with six newly recorded extra tracks, bringing the running time up near 75 minutes. Chicago 25 was a gold record seller, and after the band sold its catalog to Rhino Records in 2002 and that label began releasing expanded reissues of the back catalog, the idea of adding to the holiday album came up. It wasn't a bad record to begin with, one on which the Chicago style was applied to seasonal standards. As ever, the group was a cooperative unit, with the three lead singers -- Robert Lamm, Bill Champlin, and Jason Scheff -- taking turns on the different songs, arranged by various bandmembers and always allowing for generous contributions by the horn players Lee Loughnane, James Pankow, and Walt Parazaider. The songs were all old favorites except for Loughnane and John Durrill's "Child's Prayer," featuring a choir dominated by the musicians' children, which sounded so much like a Middle Ages English hymn that it fit right in. Highlights included a particularly moving vocal on "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by the gruff-voiced Champlin, a wonderful doubled flute passage by Parazaider on "O Come All Ye Faithful," and a rare lead vocal by Loughnane on "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" But the whole album, pristinely produced by E Street Band pianist Roy Bittan, was well performed. It sounded exactly like you would expect a Chicago Christmas album to sound, and if you liked the band and holiday music, you'd like the record, too. Now, there's just a little more of it, including a rocking version of "Jolly Old St. Nicholas" with new lyrics referring to the bandmembers; two more Loughnane lead vocals on "Bethlehem" and "Sleigh Ride"; and Champlin turning "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" into an R&B tour de force. Bittan may not have been available for the new sessions, but drafting in Phil Ramone as producer wasn't too shabby as replacements go. ~ William Ruhlmann