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My Gift to You (Alexander O'Neal album)

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Untitled
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

My Gift to You is the first and only Christmas album by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. It was originally released in 1988, on the label Tabu.

On release, the album was received favorably by the majority of music critics. However it wasn't very successful peaking at No. 149 on the Billboard 200 and reached No. 54 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[2] The album only launched one charting single in the UK. "The Christmas Song"/"Thank You for a Good Year" which peaked at No. 30 on the UK Singles Chart.[3] Another song from the album, "Sleigh Ride", would be covered in 1990 by Alvin and the Chipmunks for their TV special and soundtrack Rockin' Through the Decades.

Critical reception

In a retrospective review, Jason Ankeny of AllMusic gave the album three out of five stars and wrote that "My Gift to You is plainly a product of its era, complete with thick synthesizers and programmed rhythms, and is best enjoyed by listeners still hoping Santa brings them acid-washed jeans and Members Only jackets regardless of the year in question."[1]

Track listing

All tracks are written by James Harris and Terry Lewis, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."My Gift to You"4:21
2."Sleigh Ride"5:58
3."Our First Christmas"5:33
4."Remember Why (It's Christmas)"4:09
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."The Little Drummer Boy"
5:00
6."The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)"
3:16
7."This Christmas"
3:32
8."Winter Wonderland"
3:16
9."Thank You for a Good Year" 6:07
10."Remember Why (It's Christmas) (Reprise)" 1:21
Total length:42:28

Personnel

  • Alexander O'Neal – arranger; vocal arrangement; vocals
  • Jimmy Jam – arranger; associate producer; choir arrangement; drums; executive producer; horns; keyboard programming; keyboards; percussion; piano; producer; rhythm; string arrangements
  • Terry Lewis – arranger; associate producer; bass; choir arrangement; executive producer; guitar; horns; percussion; rhythm; string arrangements; backing vocals
  • Thomas McElroy – drum programming; drums; keyboards; producer
  • Denzil Foster – drum programming; keyboards
  • Jellybean Johnson – guitar; percussion
  • David Agent – guitar
  • Ira D. Conley – bass; bass (vocal)
  • Lee Blaskey – arranger; conductor; orchestra production
  • Michael L. Bowens – saxophone (tenor); tenor (vocal)
  • Robert Edwards – saxophone (tenor); tenor (vocal)
  • Terrence Frierson – saxophone (tenor); tenor (vocal)
  • Dorothy Cates – soprano (vocal)
  • Shirley Marie Graham – alto; alto (vocals)
  • Carrie M. Harrington – alto; alto (vocals)
  • Gary Hines – choir arrangement; director
  • Wendy Ingram – soprano; soprano (vocal)
  • Valerie Johnson – soprano; soprano (vocal)
  • Lisa Keith – arranger; vocal arrangement; backing vocals
  • Jennifer L. – alto (vocals)
  • Patricia Lacy – alto (vocals)
  • Renee McCall – soprano; soprano (vocal)
  • Otis Montgomery – saxophone (tenor); tenor (vocal)
  • Jayn Bell Porter – soprano; soprano (vocal)
  • Randy Ran – backing vocals
  • Charles Robinson – bass; bass (vocal)
  • Alecia Russell – alto
  • Aleeta D. Russell – alto (vocals)
  • Sounds of Blackness – choir; chorus
  • Jennifer Whitlock – alto; alto (vocals)
  • David B. Young – bass; bass (vocal)

Chart performance

Original release
Chart Peak
position
Swedish Albums Chart[4] 26
UK Albums Chart[5] 53
US Billboard Chart[6] 149
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[6] 54

References

  1. ^ a b Ankeny, Jason. "Jason Ankeny – My Gift to You". AllMusic. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  2. ^ Hearsay Chart & awards at AllMusic
  3. ^ Roberts, David (2002). Guinness World Records British Hit Singles (15th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Ltd. ISBN 0-85112-187-X., p.360
  4. ^ "SWE Charts > Alexander O'Neal". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 2012-05-26.
  5. ^ "UK Charts > Alexander O'Neal". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2012-05-26.
  6. ^ a b "US Albums Charts > Alexander O'Neal". Billboard. Retrieved 2012-05-26. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
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