Christmas (Sparrow Records album) explained

Christmas
Type:	compilation
Artist:	Various artists
Cover:	Sparrow Christmas.jpg
Released:	1988
Studio:	OmniSound Studios, OmniSound II, Center Stage Studios and Digital Recorders (Nashville, Tennessee) Knightlight Studios (Dallas, Texas) Whiteffield Studios (Santa Ana, California) Wayne Cook Studios (Glendale, California) Bill Schnee Studios (North Hollywood, California)
Genre:	Contemporary Christian music, Christmas music
Length:	47:41
Label:	Sparrow Records
Producer:	Various

Christmas is a 1988 compilation Christmas album released by Sparrow Records.^[1] It features CCM artists' interpretation of the best-known Christmas songs done in their genres like rock ("Jingle Bell Rock" by Geoff Moore), pop ("O Holy Night" by Steve Camp), R&B ("Silent Night" by BeBe & CeCe Winans) and even mariachi ("Winter Wonderland" by Steve Taylor). Christmas also contains an original composition called "Home for the Holidays" sung by participating artists on this album. American R&B singer Deniece Williams was nominated for a Grammy for Best Gospel Performance, Female for her rendition of "Do You Hear What I Hear" at the 31st Grammy Awards.The album peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Top Inspirational Albums chart.^[2]

Personnel

Lead vocalists

• BeBe Winans (1, 2, 12)
• CeCe Winans (1, 2)
• Steven Curtis Chapman (2, 11, 12)
• Margaret Becker (2, 7, 12)
• Steve Camp (2, 8)
• Rick Florian (2, 3, 12)
• Gordon Kennedy (2, 12)
• Geoff Moore (2, 10, 12)
• Michael Card (4)
• Deniece Williams (5)
• Steve Taylor (6)
• Tim Miner (9)

Musicians

• Phil Naish – keyboards (1, 2, 7, 8, 11, 12), acoustic piano (4)
• Mark Gershmel – keyboards (3)
• Carl Marsh – Fairlight CMI (4)
• Eric Persing – keyboards (5), programming (5)
• Roby Duke – additional keyboards (5)
• Rudy Van Eyken – accordion (6)
• Steve Camp – acoustic piano (8)
• Tim Miner – keyboards (9), drum programming (9), backing vocals (9)
• Geof Barkley – organ (10)
• Tom Hemby – guitars (1, 2, 7, 11, 12), acoustic guitar (8)
• Jerry McPherson – guitars (1, 7, 8)
• Dann Huff – guitars (2, 7, 12)
• Gordon Kennedy – guitars (3, 12)
• Teddy Irwin – guitars (4)
• Marty Walsh – guitars (5)
• George Llanes – guitars (6)
• José Hernández – vihuela (6), trumpet (6)
• Michael Gallagher – guitars (9)
• Dale Oliver – guitars (10)
• Steven Curtis Chapman – guitars (11), guitar solo (11), backing vocals (11)
• David Hungate – bass (1, 7, 8, 12)
• Mike Brignardello – bass (2, 11)
• Tommy Sims – bass (3, 9, 10), keyboards (9), drum programming (9), backing vocals (9)
• Craig Nelson – bass (4)
• Jose Arellano – guitarrón (6), Spanish vocals (6)
• Paul Leim – drums (1, 7, 8, 12), percussion (1, 7), timpani (7)
• Chris McHugh – drums (2, 3, 10, 11)
• Alex MacDougall – additional percussion (5)
• Lynn Nichols – percussion (6)
• Terry McMillan – percussion (10, 11)
• John Catchings – cello (4)
• Cindy Reynolds Wyatt – harp (4)
• Steve Pearlman – violin (6)
• Harry Scorzo – violin (6)
• Steve Tavaglione – saxophone (5)
• Ramone Acevedo – trumpet (6)
• Rick Florian – backing vocals (2, 3, 7, 10)
• David Mullen – backing vocals (2, 7, 10)
• Chris Rodriguez – backing vocals (2, 3, 7, 10, 11)
• Billy Smiley – backing vocals (3)
• Lynn Davis – backing vocals (5)
• Phil Perry – backing vocals (5)
• Cindy Cruse – backing vocals (9)
• Rob Johnson – backing vocals (9)
• Don Wallace – backing vocals (9)
• Herb Chapman – backing vocals (11)

Production

• Billy Smiley – producer (1-3, 7, 8, 10-12)
• Norbert Putnam – producer (4)
• Roby Duke – producer (5)
• Brad Westering – producer (5)
• Steve Taylor – producer (6)
• Tim Miner – producer (9)
• Tommy Sims – producer (9)
• Barbara Catanzaro-Hearn – art direction
• Rossi Advertising – design
• Mark Tucker – photography

Technical

• David Schober – basic track recording (1-3, 7, 8, 10-12), mixing (1-3, 6-8, 10-12), overdub engineer (2, 8, 12), vocal engineer (2, 8, 12), recording (6)
• Billy Smiley – mixing (1-3, 7, 8, 10-12)
• Norbert Putnam – recording (4), mixing (4)
• Chris Taylor – recording (5), mixing (5)
• Loyd Harris – recording (9)
• Tim Miner – recording (9), mixing (9)
• Tommy Sims – recording (9), mixing (9)
• Win Kutz – mixing (9)
• Brent King – additional engineer (1, 7, 11)
• Ronnie Brookshire – additional engineer (2)
• Carry Summers – additional engineer (2, 10, 11)

Charts

Radio singles

Notes and References

1. Various Artists: Christmas. 1988. Sparrow Records.
2. Top Inspirational LPs. Billboard. January 14, 1989. 25.
3. Top Inspirational LPs. Billboard. January 14, 1989. 25.
4. Book: CCM Hot Hits: AC Charts 1978 - 2001 . . 2003 . 1-4107-3294-0 . Brothers . Jeffrey Lee. 219.