The Sweetest Gift (Trisha Yearwood album) explained
The Sweetest Gift is the fourth studio album (and first Christmas album) by country singer Trisha Yearwood.
Composition and release
Yearwood sings a mixture of familiar traditional and popular material, along with more recent compositions such as "It Wasn't His Child" and "There's a New Kid in Town".
Two of its tracks managed to achieve positions near the lower end of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. "It Wasn't His Child" peaked at #60, and "Reindeer Boogie" at #63. The album rose to the #17 position in the Country Albums chart. A re-release of the album in 2000 has a different album cover, a promotional photograph taken during the Real Live Woman promotional period.
Reception
The album was a given a positive review by Allmusic, receiving 4 out of 5 stars.
Track listing
- "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" (Bob MacGimsey) – 2:42
- "Reindeer Boogie" (Charlie Faircloth, Hank Snow, Cordia Volkmar) – 2:38
- "Take a Walk Through Bethlehem" (Ashley Cleveland, John Barlow Jarvis, Wally Wilson) – 3:49
- "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) – 3:00
- "It Wasn't His Child" (Skip Ewing) – 3:54
- "Away in a Manger" (traditional) – 2:39
- "The Sweetest Gift" (James Coats) – 3:02
- "There's a New Kid in Town" (Don Cook, Curly Putman, Keith Whitley) – 4:27
- "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne) – 2:26
- "The Christmas Song" (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells) – 3:58
Personnel
Musicians
- Trisha Yearwood – lead vocals, harmony vocals (2, 5, 6, 7)
- Steve Nathan – keyboards (1), acoustic piano (2, 3, 5-10)
- Matt Rollings – acoustic piano (1)
- Becky Priest – acoustic piano (4)
- Billy Joe Walker Jr. – acoustic guitar (2, 3, 5-10)
- Bobby All – acoustic guitar (4)
- Biff Watson – acoustic guitar (7)
- Dann Huff – electric guitar (2)
- Brent Mason – electric guitar (3, 5-10)
- Johnny Garcia – electric guitar (4)
- Paul Franklin – steel guitar (2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10), dobro (7)
- Stuart Duncan – mandolin (7), fiddle (7)
- Dave Pomeroy – bass (2, 3, 5-10)
- Jay Hager – bass (4)
- Eddie Bayers – drums (2, 3, 5-10)
- Rick McClure – drums (4)
- Sam Bacco – percussion (3, 5, 9)
- Kirk "Jelly Roll" Johnson – harmonica (1, 10)
- Aubrey Haynie – fiddle (2)
- Heather Risser – fiddle (4)
- John Hobbs – string arrangements (5, 6, 8)
- Ashley Cleveland – harmony vocals (3)
- Garth Fundis – harmony vocals (5)
- Beth Yearwood Bernard – harmony vocals (7)
The Nashville String Machine
- Bob Mason – cello
- Jim Grosjean – viola
- Lee Larrison – viola
- Kristin Wilkinson – viola
- David Davidson – violin
- Connie Ellisor – violin
- Carl Gorodetzky – violin
- Pamela Sixfin – violin
- Alan Umstead – violin
- Mary Kathryn Vanosdale – violin
Production
- Garth Fundis – producer, mixing
- Gary Laney – recording
- Dave Sinko – recording, mixing
- Carlos Grier – digital editing
- Denny Purcell – mastering
- Georgetown Masters (Nashville, Tennessee) – mastering location
- Scott Paschall – production assistant
- Katherine DeVault – art direction, design
- Jim "Señor" McGuire – photography
2000 Reissue
- Randee St. Nicholas – photography
- Virginia Team – art direction
- Jerry Joyner – design
- Debra Wingo – hair stylist
Charts
Singles
| Title | Date | Chart | Peak
position |
|---|
| "It Wasn't His Child" | January 6, 1995 |
| "Reindeer Boogie" | January 8, 1999 |
|
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