Christmas Spirit (Richard Marx album) explained

Christmas Spirit
Type:	studio
Artist:	Richard Marx
Border:	yes
Released:	October 22, 2012
Recorded:	Ocean Way, Nashville Sound Stage, Nashville Blackbird, Nashville Renegade, Nashville
Genre:	Christmas
Length:	51:54 (standard edition) 64:42 (Target edition)
Label:	Zanzibar Records, TourDeForce Productions
Producer:	Richard Marx
Prev Title:	A Night Out with Friends
Prev Year:	2012
Next Title:	Seven & Seven
Next Year:	2012

Christmas Spirit is a Christmas seasonal release album by Richard Marx, released in October 2012. Five tracks on the album previously appeared on his 2011 release, The Christmas EP. Christmas Spirit reached No. 181 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and No. 21 on the Billboard Top Christmas Albums chart.

Two of its new tracks became top 20 Adult Contemporary hits.^[1] "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day" is based on Casting Crowns arrangement of the song from their Peace On Earth album. Christmas Spirit yielded five singles, including "Christmas Spirit", "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", "The Little Drummer Boy", "Christmas Mornings" and "O Holy Night".

The album features duets with Kenny Loggins, Sara Watkins and Sara Niemietz.^[2]

Marx returned to the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart's Top Ten chart with Little Drummer Boy in December 2012.^[3]

On November 3, 2023, Barnes & Noble released the album with two previously released Christmas tracks, Holiday and Happy New Year, Old Friend.

Track listing

1. "The Christmas Song" (Mel Tormé, Bob Wells) – 4:33
2. "Christmas Spirit" (R. Marx, Fee Waybill) – 4:07
3. "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Mark Hall, Dale Oliver, Bernie Herms) – 4:26
4. "Let There Be Peace on Earth" (duet with Kenny Loggins) (Jill Miller, Sy Miller) – 3:14
5. "O Come All Ye Faithful" (unknown) – 3:33
6. "Little Drummer Boy" (Katherine Kennicott Davis, Harry Simeone, Henry Onorati) – 4:30
7. "O Holy Night" (Adolphe Adam, Placide Cappeau) – 3:55
8. "What Child Is This" (William Chatterton Dix) – 3:46
9. "Silent Night" (duet with Sara Watkins) (Franz Xaver Gruber, Joseph Mohr) – 3:14
10. "Christmas Mornings" (R. Marx, Dave Grusin) – 4:14
11. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (duet with Sara Niemietz) (John Frederick Coots, Haven Gillespie) – 2:29
12. "White Christmas" (Irving Berlin) – 4:08
13. "Alleluia" (Larry Gatlin) – 1:42

Bonus tracks

1. "Blue Christmas" (Billy Hayes, Jay W. Johnson) – 2:42
2. "Silver Bells" (Jay Livingston, Ray Evans) – 3:22
3. "Jingle Bell Rock" (Joe Beal, Jim Boothe) – 2:18
4. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin) – 4:26

Barnes & Noble Exclusive Tracks

1. "Holiday" (R. Marx/Lucas Marx/Lydia Frutig)
2. "Happy New Year, Old Friend (R. Marx/Chely Wright)

Album credits

Musicians

• Richard Marx – lead vocals, backing vocals (2, 6, 8, 13, 17), arrangements (2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 17), keyboards (2, 6), additional arrangements (3), acoustic piano (3, 4, 10), acoustic guitar (3, 4, 9), electric guitar (3, 7), string arrangements (4, 7, 10)
• Jason Webb – acoustic piano (1, 5, 8, 11, 12, 17), arrangements (1)
• Michael Omartian – acoustic piano (2, 7, 9)
• Jerry McPherson – electric guitar (2–4, 6–8, 11, 12, 14–16), guitar (17)
• Matt Scannell – nylon guitar and solo (8)
• Mark Hill – bass (2–4, 6–9, 11, 12, 14–17)
• Steve Brewster – drums (2, 3, 7–9, 11, 12, 14–17)
• Will Sayles – drums (4, 6)
• Sara Watkins – fiddle (9), lead vocals (9)
• David Davidson – arrangements (5, 8, 17), string arrangements (8, 12)
• Cliff Colnot – string arrangements (9)
• Steve Mauldin – string arrangements (11)
• Opal Staples – backing vocals (2)
• Simbryt Whittington – backing vocals (2)
• Brandon Marx – backing vocals (3, 5, 7, 13)
• Jesse Marx – backing vocals (3, 5, 7, 13)
• Lucas Marx – backing vocals (3, 5, 7, 13)
• Kenny Loggins – lead vocals (4)
• Cynthia Rhodes Marx – backing vocals (5)
• Ruth Marx – backing vocals (5)
• Sara Niemietz – lead vocals (11)

Production

• Producer – Richard Marx
• Engineering and Mixing – Justin Niebank (Tracks 1–13 & 17); Matt Prock (Tracks 14–16).
• Additional Engineering – Drew Bollman, Chip Matthews, Seth Morton, Alan Parker, Matt Prock and Nate Yarborough.
• Recorded at Ocean Way, Sound Stage Studios and Blackbird Studios (Nashville, Tennessee); Renegade Studios (Chicago, Illinois).
• Mastered by Benny Quinn at Benny Quinn Mastering (Nashville, Tennessee).
• Photography – Nels Isrealson
• Management – Diarmuid Quinn

Notes and References

1. Web site: Richard Marx Christmas Spirit. Awards. AllMusic. 18 February 2013.
2. Web site: Christmas Spirit: Credits. AllMusic. 9 February 2016.
3. News: Gary Trust. Barry Manilow, Richard Marx Return To AC Top 10. 26 April 2016. Billboard. 3 December 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20160426214249/http://www.billboard.com/articles/chartbeat/473895/barry-manilow-richard-marx-return-to-ac-top-10. 26 April 2016.