Christmas (Mannheim Steamroller album)

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas (also known as Christmas 1984) is the first Christmas album and sixth studio album released by American musical group Mannheim Steamroller. It was the band's first album to chart on the Billboard 200 album chart, peaking at No. 50.

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas
Studio album by
Mannheim Steamroller
ReleasedSeptember 15, 1984
Recorded1984
GenreChristmas music, synthpop, new wave
Length33:01
LabelAmerican Gramaphone
ProducerChip Davis
Mannheim Steamroller chronology
Fresh Aire V
(1983)		 Mannheim Steamroller Christmas
(1984)		 Fresh Aire VI
(1986)
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas albums chronology
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas
(1984)		 A Fresh Aire Christmas
(1988)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

On June 21, 2004, Mannheim Steamroller Christmas was certified 6× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipment of six million copies in the United States since its 1984 release, making it one of the best-selling Christmas/holiday albums in the U.S.[2]

Seven of the album's 11 tracks were included in the group's 2004 compilation Christmas Celebration.

As of November 2014, Mannheim Steamroller Christmas was the seventh best-selling Christmas/holiday album in the U.S. during the Nielsen SoundScan era of music sales tracking (March 1991 – present), having sold a total of 3,500,000 copies during that period according to SoundScan.[3]

2019 marked the 35th anniversary of the album, which was celebrated with special-edition vinyl and compact disc releases.

Track listing
  • Songs are traditional except where noted
  1. "Deck the Halls" (Welsh Ayre) – 3:43
  2. "We Three Kings" (John Hopkins 1857) – 3:45
  3. "Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella" (17th Century French) – 2:32
  4. "Coventry Carol" (16th Century English) – 2:38
  5. "Good King Wenceslas" (Traditional English Carol) – 3:29
  6. "Christmas Sweet: Wassail, Wassail" (Ancient English Carol) – 2:20
  7. "Christmas Sweet: Carol of the Birds" (Bas-Quercy) – 2:03
  8. "Christmas Sweet: I Saw Three Ships" (15th Century Legend) – 1:28
  9. "Christmas Sweet: God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" (English Carol) – 1:37
  10. "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" (English Carol) – 4:19
  11. "Stille Nacht" (Franz Gruber 1818) – 5:26

Personnel
  • Louis F. "Chip" Davis Jr. - drums, percussion (including camel bells), recorder, bells, dulcimer, crumhorn, vocals, pencil, dry ice
  • Eric Hansen - bass, lute
  • Jackson Berkey - Baldwin S-10 piano, Davis harpsichord, clavichord, toy piano, Prophet 5 synthesizer, Fender Rhodes, camel bells, vocals
  • Ron Cooley - 6 and 12-string guitars
  • Willis Ann Ross - flute
  • David "High D" Kappy - French horn
  • Mary Walter - harp
  • String section includes Steve Shipps (concertmaster), Richard Lohmann, Richard Altenbach, Grace Granata, Deborah Fuller, Scott Shoemaker (violins), Michelle Brill, Michael Strauss, Roxanne Adams (violas), David Low, Kim Rockshaw, Greg Clinton (celli), Wayne Anderson, and Bill Ritchie (bass violins)
  • Ron Dabbs - camel bells, sound effects engineer
  • Louis Davis Sr. - keyboard technician

References
  1. Allmusic review
  2. "RIAA Searchable Database". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on April 15, 2013. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
  3. "The Gifts That Keep on Giving: Biggest Radio and Album Hits of the Holidays". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. December 1, 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
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