The Sweetest Gift is the fourth studio album (and first Christmas album) by country singer Trisha Yearwood.
| The Sweetest Gift | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 13, 1994 | |||
| Recorded | 1994 | |||
| Genre | Christmas | |||
| Length | 32:32 | |||
| Label | MCA Nashville | |||
| Producer | Garth Fundis | |||
| Trisha Yearwood chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
 2000 re-release | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (favorable)[2] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [3] |
Composition and release edit
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 edit
The album was a given a positive review by Allmusic, receiving 4 out of 5 stars.[1]
Track listing edit
- "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 edit
Musicians edit
- 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)
Production edit
- 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 edit
Album edit
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[4] | 17 |
| US Billboard 200[5] | 105 |
| US Top Holiday Albums (Billboard)[6] | 17 |
Singles edit
| Title | Date | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|---|
| "It Wasn't His Child" | January 6, 1995 | US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[7] | 60 |
| "Reindeer Boogie" | January 8, 1999 | US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[8] | 63 |
Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[9] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References edit
- ^ a b Allmusic review
- ^ Entertainment Weekly review
- ^ Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 894. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
rolling stone trisha yearwood album guide.
- ^ "Trisha Yearwood Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ "Trisha Yearwood Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ "Trisha Yearwood Chart History (Holiday Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ "Trisha Yearwood Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ "Trisha Yearwood Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ "American album certifications – Trisha Yearwood – The Sweetest Gift". Recording Industry Association of America.