BUY VINYL LP NOW FROM REAL GONE MUSIC
Johnny Mathis is known the world over as The Voice of Romance, but the legendary vocalist deserves another title, as well: The Voice of Christmas. Mathis' very first holiday album, 1958's Merry Christmas, sold over five million copies and remains one of the biggest-selling Christmas albums of all time. Now, Mathis is back with his first album since 2017 and his first yuletide set in a decade.
Christmas Time Is Here arrives on October 13 in CD and digital formats from Legacy Recordings and on vinyl from Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records. This instant-classic album boasts ten newly-recorded tracks including those which premiered last year on the digital-only EP A Merry Little Christmas. It's Mathis' seventh full Christmas LP (not counting 1999's Listen! It's Christmas for Hallmark stores, on which he contributed six new recordings).
This exquisite album celebrates the season as only Johnny can, with elegant, beautiful (and, yes, romantic) renditions of some of the greatest Christmas carols and classics of all time. Sessions for Christmas Time Is Here took place at Hollywood's renowned Capitol Recording Studio, becoming the final album recorded at the Capitol Tower before the facility closed for a two-year renovation happening now.
Produced by longtime Mathis collaborators Jay Landers (Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler) and Fred Mollin (Jimmy Webb, Linda Ronstadt), Christmas Time Is Here finds the singer revisiting many of his favorite seasonal songs and adding two-the bluesy "Merry Christmas, Baby" and heartfelt "Auld Lang Syne"-to his already-considerable repertoire. He's joined by Broadway and Hollywood star Kristin Chenoweth for a rollicking "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and brings warmth and intimacy to his chart-topping "When a Child Is Born" and a burnished "White Christmas." Poignant and joyful, Christmas Time Is Here radiates with charm, sincerity, and humanity as Johnny intimately reimagines the touching "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," the longing "Blue Christmas," and the favorite Charlie Brown Christmas tune that lends the album its title, "Christmas Time Is Here." He offers a message straight from the heart with "May the Good Lord Bless You and Keep You."
Johnny Mathis has long defined the sound of the season, and Christmas Time Is Here promises to become a cherished part of your family's own Christmas music tradition. You'll find it in stores and at the links below on October 13 on vinyl LP from Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records (including a "Christmas tree green" pressing available everywhere and a "Holly Red" pressing exclusively at Barnes & Noble) and on CD from Legacy Recordings.
Johnny Mathis, Christmas Time Is Here (Legacy (CD) / Real Gone Music/Second Disc Records (LP), 2023)
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
"Christmas Tree Green" Vinyl LP: RealGoneMusic.com / Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
"Holly Red" Vinyl LP: BarnesandNoble.com
Side One
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
- Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (Duet with Kristin Chenoweth)
- Christmas Time Is Here
- Merry Christmas, Baby
- White Christmas
Side Two
- When a Child Is Born
- Blue Christmas
- May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You
- O Little Town of Bethlehem
- Auld Lang Syne
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The Weekend Stream: November 18, 2023
Release Round-Up: Week of October 13
OUT TOMORROW: Johnny Mathis' All-New Christmas Album and Rod McKuen's Electronic Freakout!
This is the best music news I have heard/read so far this year.
I saw Johnny at Westbury Music Fair last summer and was amazed at how wonderful,wonderful he sounded.
I have already pre ordered the cd.
A CD release...it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Any new music from the legand that is Johnny Mathis is alway appreicated. I also like the article.
One correction I would like to point out is that the digital-only EP from last year is titled "A Merry Little Christmas".
Awesome! I just saw an email from Real Gone Music regarding their vinyl edition - but I'm so glad this is also being released on CD (my format of choice). Great news for this coming Christmas season!
why not more songs? these are over recorded. get the 1st xmas for his klassic cover and trax.
Johnny has long been fond of the 10-song Christmas album, i.e. his 1986 CHRISTMAS EVE WITH JOHNNY MATHIS and 2002's THE CHRISTMAS ALBUM. With those albums as well as the current one, it's all about "quality over quantity." Trust me - these are exquisite, beautifully reconsidered interpretations by an artist who remains at the top of his game, a remarkable 65 years after that first Christmas album. I hope you'll give it a listen!
i know joe .a TRUE artist and one who is very underated. wasnt trying to be negative but i know it it seemed like that. sorry
Are the Xmas songs from the Hallmark Listen Up! On any of Johnny’s compilations?
I don't believe any of the Hallmark recordings have appeared anywhere else; we weren't able to license them some years back when we assembled Johnny's then-complete Columbia Christmas albums.
Are there many Xmas songs that he’s re-recorded over the years?
Off the top of my head, Johnny revisited a few he had recorded in the past on SENDING YOU A LITTLE CHRISTMAS as well as on his new LP. There are also the duets with Gladys Knight and the Pips. With his many Christmas albums, he's certainly covered the territory well! 🙂