Christmas: The Gift

Christmas: The Gift
Studio album by Collin Raye
Released	October 29, 1996
Genre	Country
Label	Epic
Producer	John Hobbs
Collin Raye chronology
I Think About You (1995) Christmas: The Gift (1996) The Best of Collin Raye: Direct Hits (1997)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic -	[1]

Christmas: The Gift is an album released in 1996 by country music artist Collin Raye. It was Raye's first Christmas album. It is composed largely of cover songs, except for "It Could Happen Again", which was newly written and recorded for this album.

Track listing

1. "The Christmas Song" (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells) – 4:18
2. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" (Walter Kent, Kim Gannon, Buck Ram) – 4:24
3. "It Could Happen Again" (Tamara Hyler, Will Robinson, Bruce Burch) – 4:10

   spoken intro by Johnny Cash^[2]

4. "The First Noel" (William Sandys, Traditional) – 4:29
5. "Away in a Manger" (Traditional) – 2:58
6. "White Christmas" (Irving Berlin) – 4:29
7. "Winter Wonderland" (Dick Smith, Felix Bernard) – 3:20

   guest vocals by The Beach Boys

8. "Angels We Have Heard on High" (Traditional) – 2:51
9. "The Little Drummer Boy" (Harry Simeone, Katherine Davis, Henry Onorati) – 3:19
10. "Silent Night" (Franz Gruber, Joseph Mohr) – 3:21
11. "The First Noel (Instrumental)" (William Sandys, traditional) – 4:30
12. "O Holy Night" (Adolphe Adam, John Sullivan Dwight) – 5:03

Personnel

• David Angell – violin
• Monisa Angell – viola
• Sam Bacco – percussion
• Larry Cansler – orchestration
• Johnny Cash – spoken intro on "It Could Happen Again"
• Joe Chemay – bass, background vocals
• Pat Coil – keyboards
• Ernie Collins – trombone
• Joann Cruthirds – viola
• David Davidson – violin
• Cynthia Estill – bassoon
• Dennis Good – trombone
• Carl Gorodetzky – violin
• Barry Green – trombone
• Gerald Greer – violin
• Jim Grosjean – viola
• Phil Hansen – cello
• Mike Haynes – trumpet
• John Hobbs – keyboards
• Mary Hoepfinger – harp
• Jim Hoke – harmonica
• Dann Huff – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
• Ron Huff – string arrangements
• Al Jardine – background vocals on "Winter Wonderland"
• Bruce Johnston – background vocals on "Winter Wonderland"
• Jana King – background vocals
• Lee Larrison – violin
• Paul Liem – drums
• Lee Levine – clarinet
• Sam Levine – flute
• Mike Love – background vocals on "Winter Wonderland"
• Chris McDonald – trombone
• Anthony LaMarchina – cello
• Anthony Martin – background vocals
• Bob Mason – cello
• Margaret Mason – cello
• Farrell Morris – percussion
• Cate Myer – violin
• Craig Nelson – bass
• Carole Rabinowitz-Neuen – cello
• Leslie Norton – french horn
• Randall Olson – violin
• Mary Kathryn Van Osdale – violin
• Kathryn Plummer – viola
• Collin Raye – lead vocals, background vocals
• Ann Richards – flute
• John Wesley Ryles – background vocals
• Antoine Silverman – violin
• Pamela Sixfin – violin
• Calvin Smith – french horn
• Elizabeth Stewart – bass
• Bruce Sweetman – violin
• Julia Tanner – cello
• Bobby G. Taylor – oboe
• Christian Teal – violin
• Paul Tobias – violin
• Alan Umstead – violin
• Catherine Umstead – violin
• David Vankerkooi – cello
• Cindy Richardson-Walker – background vocals
• Billy Joe Walker Jr. – acoustic guitar
• Biff Watson – acoustic guitar
• Kristin Wilkinson – viola
• Brian Wilson – background vocals on "Winter Wonderland"
• Carl Wilson – background vocals on "Winter Wonderland"
• Dennis Wilson – background vocals
• Jill Wilson – french horn
• Karen Winkelman – violin
• Joy Worland – french horn
• Brittany Wray – background vocals
• Clare Yang – viola

Chart performance

Chart (1996)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums	23
U.S. Billboard 200	126
U.S. Billboard Top Holiday Albums	20

References

1. Allmusic - review
2. Christmas: The Gift (CD). Collin Raye. Epic Records. 1996.