| 3 Ships | ||||
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| Studio album by Jon Anderson | ||||
| Released | December 1985 | |||
| Recorded | 1984-85 | |||
| Genre | Progressive Rock/Pop/Christmas | |||
| Length | 39:29 (1985 Original Release) 63:54 (2007 Remaster) |
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| Label | Elektra Opio Media |
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| Producer | Roy Thomas Baker | |||
| Jon Anderson chronology | ||||
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| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [1] |
3 Ships is a Christmas album, including versions of traditional Christmas carols and original material by Yes lead singer Jon Anderson. The three ships reference comes from the song "I Saw Three Ships," which states, I saw three ships come sailing in, on Christmas day in the morning.
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Anderson may perhaps have been inspired by Greg Lake's surprise success in the singles chart with 'I Believe In Father Christmas,' or he may just have wanted to 'lighten up' a bit and have some fun. Either way, the album, which was originally released in 1985, is dominated by Anderson's vocals and the keyboards of Rhet Lawrence. The presence of Lawrence may be slightly surprising, given Anderson's work with Vangelis around that time. Indeed, Vangelis even writes one of the tracks. A number of well known musicians also contribute, including sometime Yes guitarist Trevor Rabin.
There's a mixture of traditional Christmas carols, and Anderson composed originals with a festive and/or peace on earth theme. The tracks are mixed together in such a way that one minute you're singing along with a song you have know since childhood. The next, you're entirely unfamiliar with the piece. The contrast between the warm hopeful emotions of the lyrics and the cold precision of the music is, it could be pondered, wonderful. In fact, these songs are full of a sense of wonder and awe. It's just the right mood for contemplating the spirit of the season.
(progarchives.com)
The Holiday Card Pack, Jon Anderson Special Edition came with a personal autograph from Jon, as well as a set of five beautiful holiday cards printed on high quality heavy weight card stock and complete with envelopes.
Each card displayed an image of a Jon Anderson watercolor painting. One of cards was chosen especially for the lucky purchaser, and each of the other 4 cards was left blank so you could add your own personal note to someone special.
After years of absence from the market, 3 Ships was reissued in 2007. This remastered 22nd Anniversary Edition contains all of the album's original songs, plus five bonus tracks, two of which were previously unreleased.
Tracks marked by * are included on the remastered 2007 re-release of 3 Ships only.
Album – Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Billboard 200 | 166 |
Singles – Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | "Easier Said Than Done" | Adult Contemporary | 38 |
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