The Sweetest Gift (Trisha Yearwood album)
The Sweetest Gift | ||||
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Studio album by Trisha Yearwood | ||||
Released | September 13, 1994 | |||
Recorded | 1994 | |||
Studio | Sound Emporium (Nashville, Tennessee) | |||
Genre | Christmas | |||
Length | 32:32 | |||
Label | MCA Nashville | |||
Producer | Garth Fundis | |||
Trisha Yearwood chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
![]() 2000 re-release | ||||
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly | (favorable)[2] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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.[1]
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)
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
Album
Chart (1994) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[4] | 17 |
US Billboard 200[5] | 105 |
US Top Holiday Albums (Billboard)[6] | 17 |
Singles
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
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[9] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ 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.
- v
- t
- e
- Trisha Yearwood
- Hearts in Armor
- The Song Remembers When
- The Sweetest Gift
- Thinkin' About You
- Everybody Knows
- Where Your Road Leads
- Real Live Woman
- Inside Out
- Jasper County
- Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love
- PrizeFighter: Hit After Hit
- Christmas Together (with Garth Brooks)
- Let's Be Frank
- Every Girl
- (Songbook) A Collection of Hits
- Greatest Hits
- Love Songs
- Icon
- The Song Remembers When: A Live Concert Performance
- The Garth Brooks World Tour (1996–1998)
- Garth at Wynn
- The Garth Brooks World Tour (2014–2017)
- Garth Brooks (husband)
- Grand Ole Opry
- Con Air
- Pavarotti & Friends for the Children of Liberia (with various artists)