A Very Special Season
A Very Special Season is the twentieth studio album and first holiday album by American singer Diana Ross. It was released by EMI on November 14, 1994 in the United States. Produced by Nick Martinelli, whom Ross worked with several times around the early nineties, it is a lush, soulful pop album, consisting mostly of traditional Christmas standards as well as takes on more contemporary songs by Burt Bacharach, John Lennon, and Stevie Wonder. The set was only released for the international market where it peaked at number 37 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).[2]
| A Very Special Season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 14, 1994 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 56:22 | |||
| Label | EMI | |||
| Producer | Nick Martinelli | |||
| Diana Ross chronology | ||||
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The album was remastered and repackaged as Wonderful Christmas Time in 2018. The re-titled re-issue of the album, issued by Ross' own label Ross Records, featured new cover art and the six-tracks that Ross had originally recorded for the 1994 Hallmark album, Making Spirits Bright, featuring the London Symphony Orchestra.[3] Ross promoted the release with performances in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and at the Rockefeller Center Tree-lighting concert special in November 2018.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
Allmusic editor Jose F. Promis found that A Very Special Season "easily ranks among the diva's best of the '90s. Instead of opting for hip arrangements aimed at pleasing a younger, jaded audience, all the songs on this set are classically arranged with lush orchestrations, resulting in a truly timeless holiday album, not unlike what one would have expected from the crooners and sirens of yesteryear. The songs are all lovingly produced, and Ross effectively wraps her silken pipes around each tune with utmost sincerity."[1]
Track listing
All songs produced by Nick Martinelli.[1]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Winter Wonderland" | 3:22 | |
| 2. | "White Christmas" | Irving Berlin | 3:20 |
| 3. | "Wonderful Christmastime" | Paul McCartney | 3:09 |
| 4. | "What the World Needs Now" | 4:20 | |
| 5. | "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" | 3:15 | |
| 6. | "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" | 2:14 | |
| 7. | "Amazing Grace" | John Newton | 5:21 |
| 8. | "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" | Civilla D. Martin | 5:21 |
| 9. | "Silent Night" | 5:01 | |
| 10. | "Overjoyed" | Stevie Wonder | 4:05 |
| 11. | "O Holy Night" | 4:44 | |
| 12. | "Someday at Christmas" |
| 4:09 |
| 13. | "Ave Maria" | Franz Schubert | 5:52 |
| 14. | "The Christmas Song" | 3:13 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wonderful Christmastime" | McCartney | 3:09 |
| 2. | "Sleigh Ride"/"Jingle Bells" | 3:40 | |
| 3. | "Winter Wonderland" |
| 3:22 |
| 4. | "It's Christmas Time" | Traditional | 3:18 |
| 5. | "White Christmas" | Berlin | 3:20 |
| 6. | "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" |
| 2:14 |
| 7. | "The Christmas Song" |
| 3:13 |
| 8. | "Overjoyed" | Wonder | 4:05 |
| 9. | "Someday at Christmas" |
| 4:09 |
| 10. | "What the World Needs Now" |
| 4:20 |
| 11. | "Amazing Grace" | Newton | 5:21 |
| 12. | "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" | Martin | 5:21 |
| 13. | "Silent Night" |
| 5:01 |
| 14. | "O Holy Night" |
| 4:44 |
| 15. | "O Little Town of Bethlehem" | Phillips Brooks | 4:25 |
| 16. | "Ave Maria" | Schubert | 5:52 |
| 17. | "Go Tell It on the Mountain" | John Wesley Work Jr. | 5:08 |
| 18. | "The First Noël" | Traditional | 3:30 |
| 19. | "I Heard the Bells" | Traditional | 2:53 |
| 20. | "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" |
| 3:15 |
Charts
| Chart (1994) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| scope="row" | Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[4] | 93 |
| scope="row" | UK Albums (OCC)[5] | 37 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[6] | Silver | 60,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- Promis, Jose F. "Review". Allmusic. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- "UK Certified Awards Search > Diana Ross". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 2013-01-11. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
- "Wonderful Christmas Time". iTunes. Apple (US). Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Diana Ross – A Very Special Season" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- "Diana Ross | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- "British album certifications – Diana Ross – A Very Special Season". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 1, 2020. Select albums in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type A Very Special Season in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
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