Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album

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Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album
Studio album by Chicago
Released	Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album: 25 August 1998 What's It Gonna Be, Santa?: 14 October 2003
Recorded	1998 and 2003
Genre	Adult Contemporary
Length	Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album: 50:50 What's It Gonna Be, Santa?: 74:33
Label	Rhino
Producer(s)	Roy Bittan (1998 recordings) and Phil Ramone (2003 recordings)
Professional reviews
All Music Guide 1998 link All Music Guide 2003 link
Chicago chronology
The Heart of Chicago 1967-1998 Volume II (1998)	Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album (1998) What's It Gonna Be, Santa? (2003)	Chicago XXVI: Live in Concert (1999)

Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album is an album of Christmas songs by American rock band Chicago and was initially released in 1998 on the band's Chicago Records imprint.

Produced by Roy Bittan, the album - featuring Chicago's interpretations of well-known Christmas classics plus one original tune (co-penned by Lee Loughnane) - was very well received upon its original August 1998 release, charting at #47 in the US and going gold.

However, once Chicago entered into their long-term partnership with Rhino Records in 2002, that label re-issued Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album later that year. In addition, it was decided to record six further songs - with Hot Streets and Chicago 13 producer Phil Ramone - and re-issue the whole package under a new design, title and sequencing, entitled What's It Gonna Be, Santa? in 2003, deleting its predecessor in the process. This later release managed to reach #102 in the US.

Contents 1 Track listing 1.1 Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album 1.2 What's It Gonna Be, Santa? 2 Personnel

[edit] Track listing

[edit] Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album

1. "The Little Drummer Boy" (Katherine Davis/Henry Onorati/Harry Simeone) – 4:05
2. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" (Traditional) – 3:23
3. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Hugh Martin/Ralph Blane) – 4:02
4. "The Christmas Song" (Mel Torme/Robert Wells) – 3:39
5. "O Come All Ye Faithful" (Traditional) – 4:46
6. "Child's Prayer" (Lee Loughnane/John Durrill) – 3:24
7. "Feliz Navidad" (Jose Feliciano) – 4:17
8. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (Haven Gillespie/Fred Coots) – 3:56
9. "Christmas Time Is Here" (Lee Mendelson/Vince Guaraldi) – 3:49
10. "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (Sammy Cahn/Julie Styne) – 3:29
11. "What Child Is This?" (Traditional) – 4:41
12. "White Christmas" (Irving Berlin) – 2:28
13. "Silent Night" (Traditional) – 3:18
14. "One Little Candle" (Larry Mysels, Joseph Maloy Roach) – 1:26

Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album (Chicago 3035) reached #47 in the US during a chart stay of 7 weeks. It did not chart in the UK.

Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album has since been deleted in deference for What's It Gonna Be, Santa?.

[edit] What's It Gonna Be, Santa?

1. "Winter Wonderland" (Felix Bernard/Dick Smith) – 4:19
2. "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (Sammy Cahn/Julie Styne) – 3:29
3. "Jolly Old St. Nicholas" (Traditional) – 3:35
4. "The Little Drummer Boy" (Katherine Davis/Henry Onorati/Harry Simeone) – 4:05
5. "This Christmas" (Donny Hathaway/Nadine McKinnor) – 4:03
6. "Feliz Navidad" (Jose Feliciano) – 4:17
7. "Bethlehem" (Bill Champlin/Tamara Champlin) – 4:07
8. "The Christmas Song" (Mel Torme/Robert Wells) – 3:39
9. "O Come All Ye Faithful" (Traditional) – 4:46
10. "Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer" (Johnny Marks) – 3:44
11. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Hugh Martin/Ralph Blane) – 4:02
12. "Sleigh Ride" (Leroy Anderson/Mitchell Parish) – 3:55
13. "Silent Night" (Traditional) – 3:18
14. "What Child Is This?" (Traditional) – 4:41
15. "Christmas Time Is Here" (Lee Mendelson/Vince Guaraldi) – 3:49
16. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" (Traditional) – 3:23
17. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (Haven Gillespie/Fred Coots) – 3:56
18. "Child's Prayer" (Lee Loughnane/John Durrill) – 3:24
19. "One Little Candle" (Larry Mysels, Joseph Maloy Roach) – 1:24
20. "White Christmas" (Irving Berlin) – 2:28

What's It Gonna Be, Santa? (Rhino 73892) reached #102 in the US during a chart stay of 5 weeks. It did not chart in the UK.

[edit] Personnel

• Bill Champlin - pianos, keyboards, guitars, vocals
• Keith Howland - guitars, vocals
• Tris Imboden - drums, percussion
• Robert Lamm - pianos, keyboards, percussion, vocals, background vocals
• Lee Loughnane - trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet, guitar, percussion, vocals, background vocals
• James Pankow - trombone, percussion, background vocals
• Walter Parazaider - saxophones, flute, clarinet
• Jason Scheff - bass, vocals, background vocals

Additional personnel

• Michael Amezcua - choir
• Roy Bittan - organ, piano, accordion, keyboards, bells
• Ryan Bittan - choir
• Alex Brown - choir
• Tamara Champlin - choir
• Alvin Chea - choir
• Gia Ciambotti - choir
• Luis Conte - percussion
• Johnny Durrill - synthesizer
• Gary Falcone - choir
• Clark Gable - choir
• Ryan Kelly - conductor
• Bobbi Page - choir
• Tim Pierce - acoustic guitar
• Carmen Twillie - background vocals, choir, choir director
• Oren Waters - choir
• Monalisa Young - choir

Chicago
Robert Lamm | James Pankow | Lee Loughnane | Walter Parazaider | Bill Champlin Jason Scheff | Tris Imboden | Keith Howland Terry Kath | Peter Cetera | Danny Seraphine | Laudir DeOliveira | Donnie Dacus | Chris Pinnick | Dawayne Bailey
Discography
Studio albums: The Chicago Transit Authority | Chicago | Chicago III | Chicago V | Chicago VI |Chicago VII | Chicago VIII | Chicago X | Chicago XI | Hot Streets | Chicago 13 | Chicago XIV | Chicago 16 | Chicago 17 | Chicago 18 | Chicago 19 | Twenty 1 | Night & Day Big Band | Chicago XXX
Live albums: Chicago at Carnegie Hall | Chicago XXVI: Live in Concert
Compilations: Chicago IX - Chicago's Greatest Hits | Greatest Hits, Volume II | Greatest Hits 1982-1989 The Heart of Chicago 1967-1997 | The Heart of Chicago 1967-1998 Volume II | The Very Best of: Only the Beginning | Love Songs
Christmas albums: Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album | What's It Gonna Be, Santa?
Unreleased album: Stone of Sisyphus
Box sets: The Box