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A Very Special Christmas 5 - Various Artists


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A Very Special Christmas 5 (2001) - Various Artists


    Featuring »

Mitch Allan, John Allen, B.B. King & John Popper, Mark Beauchemin, Jon Bon Jovi, Kimberly Brewer, Mike/Michael Campbell, City High, Max Collins, Sheryl Crow, Dido (FCDB Armstrong), Howie Epstein, Eve 6, Anthony/Tony Fagenson, Steve Ferrone, Macy Gray, (Nelust) Wyclef Jean, (Nelust) Wyclef Jean, B(lues) B(oy) (Riley) King, Darlene Love (Wright), Stevie Nicks, Claudette Ortiz, Robby Pardlo, Tom Petty, John Popper, Powder, Jeff Reid, Jon(athan) Siebels, SR-71, Stevie Wonder & Kimberly Brewer, Stevie Wonder & Wyclef Jean, Ben(mont) (M.) Tench(, III), Scott Troy Thurston, Ryan Toby, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Stevie Wonder, Stevie Wonder, Phil X

    Tracklisting »

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This Christmas (Hang All The Mistletoe)
  Date Performance: 2001, Running Time: 3:30
  Comments: by Macy Gray (appears courtesy of Epic Records). Mixed @ Sanctuary Studios, Red Bank, New Jersey.
Little Drummer BoyLyrics available
  Date Performance: 2001
  Comments: by Wyclef Jean. Part 1 of "Little Drummer Boy/Hot Hot Hot" medley track. Total running time of track is 3:47.Mixed @ Platinum Recording Studios, NY. Wyclef Jean appears courtesy of Sony/Columbia Records Blandinna "Melky" Jean appears courtesy of MCA Records.
Hot Hot Hot
  Date Performance: 2001
  Comments: by Wyclef Jean. Part 2 of "Little Drummer Boy/Hot Hot Hot" medley track. Total running time of track is 3:47. Mixed @ Platinum Recording Studios, NY. Wyclef Jean appears courtesy of Sony/Columbia Records Blandinna "Melky" Jean appears courtesy of MCA Records.
The First Noel
  Date Performance: 2001, Running Time: 2:52
  Comments: Billed as "Noel! Noel!" by Eve 6 (appears courtesy of RCA Records). Mixed @ Sanctuary Studios, Red Bank, New Jersey.
Blue ChristmasLyrics available
  Date Performance: 2001, Running Time: 3:12
  Comments: by Jon Bon Jovi (appears courtesy of Island/Def Jam Music Group). Mixed @ Sanctuary Studios, Red Bank, New Jersey.
Merry Christmas Baby
  Date Performance: 2001, Running Time: 5:22
  Comments: by Stevie Wonder & Wyclef Jean. Stevie Wonder appears courtesy of Mowtown Records. Wyclef Jean appears courtesy of Sony/Columbia Records. Mixed @ Sanctuary Studios, Red Bank, New Jersey.
O Come All Ye Faithful
  Date Performance: 2001, Running Time: 3:26
  Comments: by City High (appears courtesy of Booga Basement Records). Recorded @ Platinum Recording Studios, NYC. Mixed @ Sanctuary Studios, Red Bank, New Jersey.
Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You
  Date Performance: 2001, Running Time: 2:37
  Comments: by SR-71 (appears courtesy of RCA Records). Mixed @ Sanctuary Studios, Red Bank, New Jersey.
Christmas Day
  Date Performance: 2001, Running Time: 4:01
  Comments: by Dido (appears courtesy of BMG UK). Mixed @ Sanctuary Studios, Red Bank, New Jersey.
Run Rudolph Run
  Date Performance: 2001, Running Time: 2:52
  Comments: by Sheryl Crow (appears courtesy of A&M Records). Mixed @ Sanctuary Studios, Red Bank, New Jersey.
Back Door Santa
  Date Performance: 2001, Running Time: 3:49
  Comments: by B.B. King & John Popper, B.B. King appears courtesy of MCA Records. John Popper appears courtesy of A&M Records. Mixed @ Sanctuary Studios, Red Bank, New Jersey.
Little Red RoosterLyrics available
  Date Performance: 2000, Running Time: 4:09
  Comments: by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (appear courtesy of Warner Bros. Records). Mixed @ Sanctuary Studios, Red Bank, New Jersey.
Christmas Don't Be Late (Chipmunk Song)
  Date Performance: 2001, Running Time: 2:54
  Comments: by Powder (appears courtesy of Found Music, LLC). Recorded @ Henson Studios, Hollywood, CA. Mixed @ Obie’s Hotrods Studio.
Silent Night
  Date Performance: 2000, Running Time: 3:28
  Comments: by Stevie Nicks (appears courtesy of Warner Bros. Records). Mike Campbell appears courtesy of Warner Bros. Records. Mixed @ Sanctuary Studios, Red Bank, New Jersey.
I Love You More
  Date Performance: 2001, Running Time: 3:54
  Comments: by Stevie Wonder & Kimberly Brewer. Stevie Wonder appears courtesy of Motown Records. Mixed @ Sanctuary Studios, Red Bank, New Jersey.
White ChristmasLyrics available
  Date Performance: 2001, Running Time: 3:01
  Comments: by Darlene Love. Mixed @ Sanctuary Studios, Red Bank, New Jersey.
    Guest Appearances »

Robert Aaron, Bobby Bandiera, Everett Bradley, Mike/Michael Campbell, Alan Chez, Jerry Cohen, Jean Duplessis, Donald Guillaume, Allan Hearn, Paul Herman, Steve Holley, J-Bo Dynamite, Farel Jean, Blandinna Melky Jean, Lisa Lowell, Tom (Bones) Malone, Michael Mancini, Edward Manion, Robert Quinn, Sister Bliss, Joey Stan, Sudha, Gar(r)y Tallent, Pauline Taylor, Ben(mont) (M.) Tench(, III), Ninette Terhart, Soozie Tyrell, Robert Vineberg, Narada Michael Walden, Gabe Witcher

    Released »

2001-10-30

    Format »

Domestic Vinyl/CD Album

    Other Appearances »
Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. (Songwriter), Lou Baxter (Songwriter), Irving (Israel Isidore) Berlin (Baline/Beilin) (Songwriter), Marvin Brodie (Songwriter), Clarence Carter (Songwriter), Alphonsus Cassell (Songwriter), Marcus Daniel(, Sr.) (Songwriter), Katherine Davis (Songwriter), Dido (FCDB Armstrong) (Songwriter), Willie Dixon (Songwriter), Franz Xaver Gruber (Songwriter), Donny Hathaway (Songwriter), Bill(y)/William Foster Hayes(, III) (Songwriter), Howlin' Wolf (Chester Burnett) (Songwriter), Jay Johnson (Songwriter), John(ny) (D.) Marks (Songwriter), Nadine McKinnor (Songwriter), Joseph Mohr (Songwriter), Johnny Moore (Songwriter), Frederick Oakeley (Songwriter), Henry Onorati (Songwriter), Rollo (Armstrong) (Songwriter), William B. Sandys (Songwriter), Harry Moses Simeone (Songwriter), Billy (William) Squier (Songwriter), John Francis Wade (Reading) (Songwriter), Stevie Wonder (Songwriter), Stevie Wonder (Songwriter), Phil X (Programming), Phil X (Programming), Jon Bon Jovi (Executive Producer), Joel Gallen (Executive Producer), Bobby/Robert Shriver (Sargent) (Executive Producer), Eunice Kennedy Shriver (Liner Notes), Bobby Bandiera (Musical Director), Jerry (Wonder/Wanda) Duplessis (Produced By), Eve 6 (Produced By), (Nelust) Wyclef Jean (Produced By), Obie O'Brien (Produced By), SR-71 (Produced By), Phil(l) Brown (Recorded By), John Harris (Recorded By), John Harris (Recorded By), Thom Panunzio (Recorded By), Phil(l) Brown (Mixed By), George Drakoulias (Mixed By), (Nelust) Wyclef Jean (Mixed By), Obie O'Brien (Mixed By), George Marino/Morino (Mastered By), Efrain Torres (Digital Editing), Keith Haring (Artwork), Mike Rew (Mixing Assisted By), Jason Karlov, Esq. (Legal Counsel), Greg Lapidus(, Esq.) (Legal Counsel), Michal Podell, Esq. (Legal Counsel), Jim O'Neill (Coordinating Producer), Tim Shriver (Coordinating Producer), Maria Shriver (Coordinating Producer), Jeff Gold (Original Art Direction), Frank Olinsky (Original Art Direction), Liam Ward (AVSC5 Art Direction), Jeff Faberman (Album Coordinator), Eve 6 (Traditional Arrangement By)

    Record Label »
A&M

    Catalogue Number »

06949 3138 2

    Running Time »

52:54

    Liner Notes »

Keith Haring Artwork @ Estate Of Keith Haring, Used By Permission

Dear Friends:

Thank you for buying “A Very Special Christmas 5.” I hope the CD brings energy, spirit and fun to your Christmas celebrations. I know you will agree that the music is simply fantastic.

For all of us in the Special Olympics movement, the music of “A Very special Christmas” is cause for celebrations not just during the Holiday season, but throughout the year.

For 14 years, the generosity of the artists, composers and record companies has brought joy to Special Olympians the world over. Now you, too, have contributed - by providing running shoes to barefoot athletes in Africa, by helping to start a basketball league in Houston, by enabling us to bring the Special Olympics’ message of hope to China. In each of these sporting events, a real change takes place: a person with mental retardation has a chance to show the world ability, confidence, joy and hope. In sharing these gifts, these extraordinary athletes show the hope of Christmas can indeed come to life.

As we will struggle to find that hope in the days after September 11, 2001, I hope that the music will help. My Christmas prayer is that even in a small way, the music will remind us of what we already know: that good is stronger than evil, that courage is alive in the world, and that love can indeed help us discover the unlimited beauty of each and every child.

From all of us in the world of Special Olympics, Mery Christmas!

Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Founder
Special Olympics

Mastered @ Sterling Sound, NY

As always, thank you to the people who created and inspired these Christmas records: Herb Alpert, Jerry Moss, Vicki and Jimmy Iovine

We honor the memory of Jimmy’s dad, Vincent “Jimmy” lovine. January 4, 1922-January 12, 1985.

We thank all the publishers for contributing their songs. What amazing generosity!

We thank the musicians who played an all tracks except where noted.

Special Thanks: President Bill & Senator Hillary Clinton, Jamie Lee Curtis, Stephanie Andrews, Susan Bank, Tony Dimitriades, Charmaine Dittmar, Kim Elliott, Tina France, Jim Jacobs, Ceci Kurzman, Lisa Ellis, Paul Korzilius, Gerry Levin, Floyd Lieberman, Sheryl Louis, Jeannie Main, Tami Marble, Capricia Marshall, Donna Maxwell, Jeff McClusky, Scott McGhee, Donna Perillo, Richard Plepler, Jeff Pollack, Alan Reback, Ken Regan, Herb Ritts, Richard Santulli, Andy Slater, David Sonnenberg, Billy Squier, Lynne Summers, George Tortarolo, Drake Turrentine, Peter Wheeler, Scooter Weintraub & Kim Widdes.

...and special thanks to the TNT gang who broadcasted the Show: Brad Siegel, Steve Koonin, Sandy Shapiro and Nyree Triptree

...and where would we be without our Interscope pals?!!: Steve Berman, Darryl Franklin, Richie Gallo, Rand Hoffman, Christina Meloche, Michele DiNardo, Kam Sangha and Lyn Weiner.

As well as the amazing team at Tenth Planet Productions: Kathy Blake, Carol Donovan, Gary Lanvy, Ryan Pinette, Bill Urban.

In Loving Memory: Greg McCarty, who worked so hard on Volume 1 in 1987. November 4, 1955-April 29, 2001

    Reviews »
Add your review here.

3/5.03/5.03/5.03/5.03/5.0
Though upsides, lack of Christmas feeling hurts here
Review written by John Fitzgerald, December 11th, 2004

My own personal feeling here is that there isn't much "Christmas feeling" in the songs on this album mainly due to most cuts being "live" recordings as maybe more of them should've been done in the studio, as evident on the superior (for the most part) 1987 original "A very special Christmas" album but that could just be my age talking. I'll start with Stevie's "Silent night" which in this live version has a slight Country feel in the rhythm arrangement but this version is more pleasingly straightforward in that there are
few other vocals to interfere with the experience (as was the case with Robbie Nevil's intrusive vocals on the 1987 studio version, who was obviously trying to "gospel things up") though this version does end more abruptly when one is used to listening to the 1987 version. It is puzzling that Stevie Wonder was asked to appear on this album twice (once with Wyclef Jean (who also appears twice on the CD) for "Merry Christmas baby" (which is the lesser of the two but it does get better as it goes along) and then again later for "I love you more" with Teresa Brewer which is very nice but the Christmas themes are somewhat hidden) but the rest is an interesting mix of artists from today and yesterday joining in. Dido's "Christmas day" is the one other exception on this disc for "Christmas feeling" as it has plenty of that. Sheryl Crow's "Run Rudolph run" is it's own predictable self, I guess no artist can really do much outside of the Chuck Berry mold it was written in, it's slightly less rocking than Bryan Adams' version on the '87 platter. Darlene Love's "White Christmas" does somewhat contend for the Christmas feel here but it's too upbeat for its own good. Jon Bon Jovi does his best Elvis impersonation on "Blue Christmas" (even has the same backing vocal arrangement that's on the King's version) but he's no Jeremy Spencer! He does get points for TRYING to be faithful to SOMETHING though. The rest of the album suffers from this very thing, Macy Gray's "This Christmas (Hang all the mistletoe)" is nice but lacks "the feel" for the season, Wyclef Jean (this time alone) does "Little drummer boy/Hot hot hot" but it is not as effective as Bob Seger's version from that darn 1987 album again and not much needs to be said for the spirit of Christmas this track has considering what it ends with. Eve 6's rocking "Noel! noel!" gets less Christmas friendly as it goes along. Due to the arrangement of City High's "O come all ye faithful" it loses out in the "feeling" at the end of the verses. SR 71's "Christmas is the time to say I love you" is a fair rocker but perhaps they should've done "Winter wonderland" to this arrangement. B.B. King & John Popper's "Back door Santa" is better than Bon Jovi's one from '87 but it has less Christmas feel (again) to Bon Jovi's version from that first album in the series strangely enough. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers "Little red rooster" is not far from the Rolling Stones' famous version (which must be the one to have influenced them here) but although it has references to Christmas in the lyrics, I'm sure many would argue as to whether it would be seen as a "Christmas song" or not. The
arrangement on Powder's "Christmas don't be late (The chipmunk song)" is too throbbing for this song though it's crashing cymbals do sound a bit bell like (though I'm sure this was unintentional on their part). I guess the bright side of the "lack of Christmas feel" on this record is that you may want to hear it at other times throughout the year (I know I have said in other reviews here that "the song is the most important thing" to me "regardless of style" etc. but as most people only listen to these kinds of recordings at this
time of year, I think it is important to take this "Christmas feeling" angle in to account for reviews of such recordings). Just my humble opinion though.

    Comments »

Stevie's version of "Silent Night" on this release is NOT the studio version that appears on the 1987 "A Very Special Christmas" album. It's a live version taken from the "A Very Special Christmas" various artists TV concert originally broadcast on TNT from December 19, 2000.

    Last Modified »
2010-06-03
    Tracklisting »
Discography entry submitted by Marty Adelson.