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Christmas Album (Boney M. album)

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This article is about the 1981 release. For the 1984 release, see Christmas with Boney M. For the 2007 release, see Christmas with Boney M. (2007 album).
Christmas Album
Studio album by
Boney M.
Released23 November 1981
Recorded1978, 1981
Length44:11
Label
ProducerFrank Farian
Boney M. chronology
Boonoonoonoos
(1981) 		Christmas Album
(1981) 		Ten Thousand Lightyears
(1984)
Singles from Christmas Album
  1. "Little Drummer Boy"
    Released: 1981
  2. "Zion's Daughter"
    Released: November 1982
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

Christmas Album is the sixth studio album by Boney M. It was recorded in the summer of 1981 and released on 23 November 1981. In certain territories the album was given the alternate title Christmas with Boney M.

The album includes the million-selling 1978 Christmas number one "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord" and it yielded two further single releases, "Little Drummer Boy" in 1981, which became a Top 20 hit in Germany. A second single released for Christmas 1982, "Zion's Daughter" (with new member Reggie Tsiboe pictured on the cover), peaked at 41 in the German charts.

Track listing

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Side A

  1. "Little Drummer Boy" (Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati, Harry Simeone) – 4:21
  2. "White Christmas" (Irving Berlin) – 4:19
  3. "Feliz Navidad" (José Feliciano) – 3:07
  4. "Jingle Bells" (James Lord Pierpont, Frank Farian) – 2:53
  5. "Winter Fairy-Tale" (Instrumental) (Harald Baierl) – 2:58
  6. "Mary's Boy Child - Oh My Lord" (Jester Hairston, Hela Lorin, Frank Farian, Fred Jay) – 5:10
    • Edited version

Side B

  1. Christmas Medley: "Silent Night, Holy Night (Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht)"/ "Snow Falls Over the Ground (Leise Rieselt Der Schnee)" / "Hear Ye the Message" (Franz Xaver Gruber, Joseph Mohr, Eduard Ebel, Frank Farian, Fred Jay) – 6:20
    • The 2nd verse of "Silent Night" is sung in German on the German LP release but in English on the UK release. The full-length medley contained "Sweet Bells ("Süßer die Glocken nie klingen")" which wasn't released until 1986 when the medley was remixed and overdubbed with the first two verses of "Silent Night" sung in German while the third verse was sung in English.
  2. "Petit Papa Noël" (Martinet, Vincy) – 1:41
  3. "Zion's Daughter (Tochter Zion)" (Traditional, George Frideric Handel, Frank Farian, Fred Jay, Helmut Rulofs) – 3:51
  4. "When a Child Is Born" (Fred Jay, Zacar) – 3:20
  5. "Darkness Is Falling" (Fred Jay, Helmut Rulofs) – 3:02
  6. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" (Catherine Courage, Frank Farian, Helmut Rulofs) – 3:44

Personnel

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Musicians

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  • Michael Drexler – lead vocals (track A1)
  • Liz Mitchell – lead vocals (tracks A1–A4, A6, B1–B5)
  • Marcia Barrett – backing vocals (tracks A3, A4 & A6)
  • Frank Farian – lead vocals (track B6), backing vocals
  • London Christmas Choir – choir
  • Katie Kissoon – vocals, soprano
  • Joy Yates – vocals, alto
  • Helen Shappelle – vocals, soprano
  • Simon Bell – vocals, tenor
  • Nick Curtis – vocals, tenor
  • George Chandler – vocals, baritone
  • Russell Stone – vocals, bass
  • Jerry Rix – additional vocals on track A1, bass
  • Curt Cress – drums
  • Dave King – bass guitar
  • Günther Gebauer – bass guitar
  • Mats Björklund – guitar
  • Johan Daansen – guitar
  • Harry Baierl – keyboards
  • Kristian Schultze – keyboards
  • London Philharmonic Orchestra – orchestra

Production

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  • Kurt Rieth – choir director
  • Frank Farian – producer
  • Helmut Rulofs – assistant producer
  • Harry Baierl – musical arranger
  • Stefan Klinkhammer – musical arranger
  • Recorded at Abbey Road Studios and AIR Studios, London
  • Steve Nye – sound engineer
  • Recorded at Vigilant Studio, Nice
  • Didier Utard – engineer
  • Recorded at Union Studio, Munich
  • Jochen Scheffer – engineer
  • Recorded at Rainbow studio, Munich
  • Volker Armand – engineer
  • Mixed at Farian Studio
  • Ariola-Eurodisc Studios – design
  • Claus Lange – photography

Charts

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Chart performance for Christmas Album
Chart (1981–1982) Peak
position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[2] 10
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[3] 14
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[4] 42

Certifications and sales

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Certifications and sales for Christmas Album
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[5] Gold 35,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[6] 2× Platinum 200,000^
Germany — ~200,000[7]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Reissued

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  • 1991: CD, Hansa 786723
  • 2007: Christmas With Boney M., CD, Sony BMG Music Entertainment 88697 14032 2
  • 2017: Boney M. Complete, 9 LP, Sony Music 88985406971

References

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  1. ^ Christmas Album at AllMusic
  2. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Boney M. – Christmas Album" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  3. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Boney M. – Christmas Album" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Charts.nz – Boney M. – Christmas Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  5. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2002 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Boney M – Christmas Album". Music Canada. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  7. ^ "West Germany - Domestic Product Makes Chart Inroads". Billboard. Vol. 94, no. 2. 16 January 1982. p. 48. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 17 June 2021 – via Google Books.
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