The Gift (Kenny Rogers album)

The Gift
Studio album by Kenny Rogers
Released September 1996
Genre Christmas, Country
Length 44:29
Label Magnatone
Producer Brent Maher, Jim McKell
Kenny Rogers chronology
Vote for Love
(1996)Vote for Love1996		 The Gift
(1996)		 Across My Heart
(1997)Across My Heart1997
Christmas chronology
Christmas In America
(1989) Christmas In America1989		 The Gift
(1996) The Gift1996		 Christmas from the Heart
(1998) Christmas from the Heart1998

The Gift is the twenty-seventh studio album and a holiday album by country music singer Kenny Rogers. It was released in 1996 via Magnatone Records. The album features a rendition of "Mary, Did You Know?" featuring Wynonna Judd. This version of the song charted at No. 55 on Hot Country Songs in 1997.[1]

Critical Reception

Giving it 2.5 out of 5 stars, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic wrote that "it does suffer from uneven material and the occasional indifferent performance. There are enough good moments here to make it worthwhile for hardcore Kenny fans, but not enough to make it of interest to less dedicated listeners."[2]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Mary, Did You Know?" (featuring Wynonna Judd[3])Buddy Greene, Mark Lowry3:53
2."A Soldier's King"Kenny Horton, John Barlow Jarvis3:56
3."Pretty Little Baby Child" (featuring The Katinas[3])Jarvis, Bill Rice, Sharon Rice3:48
4."What a Wonderful Beginning"Austin Cunningham, Allen Shamblin3:51
5."It's the Messiah"Don Potter3:51
6."I Trust You"Skip Ewing, Don Schlitz2:38
7."Sweet Little Jesus Boy" (featuring GLAD[3])Robert MacGimsey; arr. and adapt. by Larry Cansler2:54
8."The Chosen One Montage" ("The Chosen One", "Away in a Manger", "O Holy Night", "Silent Night", "The First Noel", "We Three Kings", & "Joy to the World")15:43
9."Til the Season Comes Around Again"Randy Goodrum, Jarvis3:55

Personnel

Compiled from The Gift liner notes.[3]

Musicians

  • Eddie Bayers - drums (track 5, 6)
  • Dax Browning - electric guitar (track 6)
  • Bob Burns - bass guitar (track 8)
  • Larry Byrom - electric guitar (track 3, 9)
  • Brandon Conger - children's dialogue (track 8)
  • Austin Cunningham - background vocals (track 4)
  • Megan Dockery - children's choir and dialogue (track 8)
  • Steve Glassmeyer - keyboards (track 8)
  • Eugene Golden - keyboards (track 7)
  • Dennis Good - trombone (track 8)
  • Carl Gorodetzky - violin (track 6)
  • Barry Green - trombone (track 8)
  • Jim Grosjean - viola (track 6)
  • Warren Hartman - keyboards (track 8), piano (track 8)
  • Mike Haynes - trumpet (track 8)
  • Lona Heid - background vocals (tracks 4, 6)
  • Jim Horn - bass flute (track 8), recorder (track 8)
  • Michael Jones - children's choir (track 8)
  • Wynonna Judd - duet vocal (track 1)
  • The Katinas - guest vocals (track 3)
  • Paul Leim - drums (tracks 1-4, 8, 9)
  • Bob Mason - cello (track 6)
  • Tom McAninch - French horn (tracks 2, 8, 9)
  • Chris McDonald - trombone (track 8)
  • Farrell Morris - percussion (tracks 1-5, 8)
  • Duncan Mullins - bass guitar (tracks 2-6, 9)
  • Nashville String Machine - strings (tracks 1, 4, 8, 9)
  • Bobby Ogdin - keyboards (tracks 1-4, 6, 9), piano (track 5)
  • Billy Panda - acoustic guitar (track 8)
  • Don Potter - acoustic guitar (tracks 1, 5, 6)
  • Michael Rhodes - bass guitar (track 1)
  • Don Sheffield - trumpet (track 8)
  • Pam Sixfin - violin (track 6)
  • Kelly Stewart - children's choir (track 8)
  • Bobby Taylor - oboe (track 8), French horn (track 8)
  • George Tidwell - trumpet (track 8)
  • Sarah Valley - children's dialogue (track 8)
  • Cynthia Wyatt - harp (tracks 4, 8, 9)

Choir on "A Soldier's King", "What a Wonderful Beginning", "It's the Messiah", and "The Chosen One Montage": Lisa Cochran, Michael Eldred, James Ferguson, Stephanie Hall, Mark Ivey, Marabeth Jordan, Jana King, Ellen Musik, Louis Nunley, Guy Penrod, Lisa Silver, Dennis Wilson

Technical

  • Don Cobb - digital editing
  • Carl Gorodetzky - string contractor for Nashville String Machine
  • Frank Green - engineering
  • Carlos Grier - digital editing
  • Mills Logan - engineering
  • Brent Maher - producer, recording, mixing
  • Jim McKell - producer, recording, mixing
  • Denny Purcell - mastering
  • Paul Skaife - assistant engineer
  • Bergen White - orchestral and choral arrangement

Chart performance

Chart (1996) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums 10
U.S. Billboard 200 63
U.S. Billboard Top Holiday Albums 9

References

  1. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2012). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2012. Record Research, Inc. pp. 288–290. ISBN 978-0-89820-203-8.
  2. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Gift review". Allmusic. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 The Gift (CD insert). Kenny Rogers. Magnatone Records. 1996. 108-2.
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