The Christmas Album, Volume II

The Christmas Album, Volume II
Portrait of a man in a dark jacket and striped shirt standing in front of a window showing a wintery background.
Studio album by Neil Diamond
Released September 18, 1994 (1994-09-18)
Recorded 1994
Genre Christmas
Length 50:11
Label Columbia
Producer Peter Asher
Neil Diamond chronology
Up on the Roof: Songs from the Brill Building
(1993)Up on the Roof: Songs from the Brill Building1993		 The Christmas Album, Volume II
(1994)		 Live in America
(1994)Live in America1994
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

The Christmas Album, Volume II is the twenty-second studio album by Neil Diamond, and his second to feature Christmas music. It was produced by Peter Asher and released by Columbia Records in 1994, only two years after Diamond's previous Christmas album. It features orchestral and choir arrangements by David Campbell, who also worked on the first Christmas album, as well as several of Diamond's other works.[2][3] The album reached number 9 on the Billboard Holiday Album chart and was certified as gold by the RIAA on December 6, 1994.[4][5]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Joy to the World"Traditional2:40
2."Mary's Little Boy Child"Jester Hairston2:59
3."Deck the Halls" / "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"Traditional1:42
4."Winter Wonderland"Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith2:44
5."Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin4:43
6."I'll Be Home For Christmas"Kim Gannon, Walter Kent, Buck Ram3:43
7."Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"Johnny Marks4:04
8."Sleigh Ride"Leroy Anderson2:42
9."Candlelight Carol"John Rutter4:09
10."Away in a Manger"Traditional2:33
11."O Come All Ye Faithful"Traditional4:15
12."O Little Town of Bethlehem"Traditional3:35
13."Angels We Have Heard on High"Traditional3:17
14."The First Noel"Traditional3:34
15."Hallelujah Chorus"G. F. Handel3:31

Personnel

  • Neil Diamond – lead vocals
  • Bob Mann – guitar (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11), acoustic guitar (10)
  • Waddy Watchel – guitar (1, 4, 7), acoustic guitar (10)
  • Kenny Blackwell – mandolin (10)
  • Michael Thompson – guitar (15)
  • Jimmy Johnson – bass (1, 4, 7, 15)
  • Bob Magnusson – bass (2, 5, 6, 8, 10)
  • Carlos Vega – drums (1, 4-7, 15), percussion (7)
  • Peter Asher – percussion (2, 7, 8, 11)
  • Vince Charles – steel drums (2)
  • Alan Estes – marimba (5), vibraphone (6)
  • M.B. Gordy – vibraphone (8), percussion (13, 14), timpani (15)
  • Robbie Buchanan – piano (1, 12), keyboards (11, 13, 15), percussion (13), harmonium (14)
  • Bill Payne – Hammond B3 organ (4, 7)
  • Tom Hensley – piano (5, 6), arrangements (5, 6), horn section conductor (5, 6)
  • Alan Lindgren – arrangements (5, 6, 9), horn section conductor (5, 6), piano (9)
  • Brian Mann – accordion (10)
  • Jon Clarke – woodwinds (2), flute (14), recorders (14)
  • Tommy Morgan – harmonica (6)
  • Carl Smith – lute (14)
  • David Campbell – arrangements (1-4, 7, 8, 10-15), brass conductor (1), horn section conductor (4, 7), orchestra conductor (5, 6, 8, 9, 11-15), choir conductor for Ambrosian Singers (9, 11-15)
  • Walter Whitman – arrangements (1), brass conductor (1), choir conductor (1)
  • The Soul Children of Chicago – choir (1)
  • 139th Street Quartet – barbershop choir (3)
  • The Ambrosian Singers – choir (9, 11-15)
  • John McCarthy – choirmaster for Ambrosian Singers
  • The Angel Voices – boys choir (9, 11, 13, 14)
  • Robert Prizeman – choir conductor for Angel Voices
  • Raven Kane – vocal contractor
  • Backing vocals – Valerie Carter (2), Laura Satterfield (2), Kate Markowitz (2, 4, 7), Raven Kane (4, 7), Stephanie Spruill (4, 7), Julia Waters (4, 7), Maxine Waters (4, 7), Oren Waters (4, 7), Wendy Fraser (7), Andrea Robinson (7), Herb Pedersen (10)
  • Children’s backing vocals (7) – Victoria Asher, Perrie Briskin, Anjuli Cain, Alyssa Campbell, Erika Christensen, Milena Ferreria, Kelyn Huppard, Jacob King, Evan Payne, Ashley Powell and Sara Seider

Production

  • Producer – Peter Asher
  • Production Coordinator – Ivy Skoff
  • Recorded and Mixed by Frank Wolf
  • Additional Engineers – Bernie Becker and Julie Last
  • Assistant Engineers – Kristin Cowie, Sean O’Dwyer, John Radzin and Marnie Riley.
  • Recorded at Arch Angel Studios (Los Angeles, CA), Conway Studios (Hollywood, CA) and Angel Recording Studios (London, England).
  • Mastered by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, CA).
  • Art Direction – David Kirschner
  • Design – Gabrielle Raumberger and Dylan Tran
  • Photography – Mauro Carerro
  • Background Photography – David Skernick

See also

The Christmas Album

References

  1. ↑ The Christmas Album, Volume II at AllMusic
  2. ↑ The Christmas Album, Volume II at AllMusic
  3. ↑ The Christmas Album at AllMusic
  4. ↑ Diamond, Neil. "Holiday album chart". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Diamond, Neil". RIAA. Retrieved March 5, 2014. Note: Enter search for "Diamond, Neil".
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