December (George Winston album)

December is the fourth solo piano album from George Winston. It was recorded during the fall of 1982 and was released at the end of the year. It is a Christmas album, and more generally a tribute to the winter season. The album is a follow up to Autumn.

December
Studio album by
George Winston
Released1982
RecordedSeptember/October 1982
GenreFolk, Christmas music
Length38:54
LabelWindham Hill, Dancing Cat (rerelease)
ProducerWilliam Ackerman
George Winston chronology
Winter into Spring
(1982)		 December
(1982)		 The Velveteen Rabbit
(1984)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

December is Winston's highest-selling album, having been certified triple Platinum by the RIAA, signifying 3 million copies in shipment.[2] The success of the album, along with several of Winston's other albums from the early 1980s, enabled the record label, Windham Hill, to get international distribution and a much higher profile.[3] The album also spent 136 weeks on the Billboard 200, reaching a peak of #54 in January 1984, over a year after its original release.[4] In 1987, five years after its release, it reached #2 on Billboard's Top Holiday Albums chart.[5]

A 20th Anniversary Edition of the album, with two bonus tracks, was released in 2001. The album was again reissued in 2013 by Valley Entertainment with Dancing Cat Records, Winston's own label. This reissue was packaged in a Digipak and features revised cover art.[6]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Thanksgiving"George Winston4:04
2."Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head"John Jacob Niles2:40
3."Joy"David Qualey, from J. S. Bach3:13
4."Prelude"George Winston1:16
5."Carol of the Bells"George Winston, from M. D. Leontovych3:56
6."Night, Part One: Snow"George Winston1:51
7."Night, Part Two: Midnight"George Winston1:56
8."Night, Part Three: Minstrels"Malcolm Dalglish2:00
9."Variations on the Kanon by Johann Pachelbel"Johann Pachelbel5:21
10."The Holly and the Ivy"George Winston, from traditional4:52
11."Some Children See Him"Alfred S. Burt3:43
12."Peace"George Winston4:02
Total length:38:54
Cover art for the 2013 reissue
20th Anniversary Edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."A Christmas Song"John Barry2:25
14."Sleep Baby Mine"Albert S. Burt4:06
Total length:45:25

Charts
Chart (1984–87) Peak
position
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[7] 49
US Billboard 200[8] 54
US Top Holiday Albums (Billboard)[9] 2
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)[10] 5

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[11] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[12] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References
  1. Ruhlmann, William. December at AllMusic
  2. Moser, John J. (April 9, 2015). "Pianist George Winston, playing in Bethlehem, finds inspiration in illness, recovery". The Morning Call.
  3. Will's Biography, Will Ackerman homepage
  4. http://www.billboard.com/music/george-winston/chart-history/billboard-200/song/310280
  5. http://www.billboard.com/music/george-winston/chart-history/holiday-albums/song/172143
  6. "December". Valley Entertainment. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  7. "Charts.nz – George Winston – December". Hung Medien.
  8. "George Winston Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  9. "George Winston Chart History (Holiday Albums)". Billboard.
  10. "December – Jazz Albums".
  11. "Canadian album certifications – George Winston – December". Music Canada.
  12. "American album certifications – George Winston – December". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
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