Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2

Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2
Soundtrack album by Glee Cast
Released	November 11, 2011
Genre	Christmas music
Label	Columbia / 20th Century Fox TV
Glee Cast chronology
Glee: The 3D Concert Movie (Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2011) Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2 (2011) Glee: The Music, Volume 7 (2011)

Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2 is the tenth soundtrack album by the cast of the American musical television series Glee, released by Columbia Records on November 11, 2011.^[1]

Background

The album features twelve Christmas tunes: ten covers and two original songs. The original songs are both written by Adam Anders, Peer Åström and Shelly Peiken: "Extraordinary Merry Christmas" and "Christmas Eve with You".^[2] In addition to featuring twelve of the starring characters from the television show's third season (only Dianna Agron, Jane Lynch and Harry Shum, Jr. are not listed), all four of the finalists from The Glee Project are featured: Damian McGinty solos on "Blue Christmas", Samuel Larsen is featured with Cory Monteith and Mark Salling on "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", and runners-up Lindsay Pearce and Alex Newell duet on "Do You Hear What I Hear?"

The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at number six, selling 71,000 copies in its first week.^[3]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[4]

Heather Phares of Allmusic gave the album a rating of three-and-a-half stars out of a possible five, and wrote that "listeners know what to expect" and the album "delivers just that". She praised Amber Riley's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" as "charming", Naya Rivera's "Santa Baby" as "mischievous", Heather Morris's "Christmas Wrapping" as "brilliant", and Chris Colfer and Darren Criss for their "brassy, breezy" version of "Let It Snow". She did note that the album "flags" when "unfamiliar" songs are presented and singled out the original song "Extraordinary Merry Christmas" in this regard. She also criticized the final song of the album, "Do They Know It’s Christmas?", and described it as "overwrought".^[4]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original artist	Length
1.	"All I Want for Christmas Is You"	Mariah Carey, Walter Afanasieff	Mariah Carey	4:03
2.	"Extraordinary Merry Christmas"	Adam Anders, Peer Åström, Shelly Peiken	Glee Cast original	3:39
3.	"Santa Baby"	Joan Javits, Philip Springer, Tony Springer	Eartha Kitt (Samples Instrumental track of the Madonna cover version)	2:31
4.	"Christmas Eve with You"	Anders, Åström, Peiken	Glee Cast original	3:28
5.	"Little Drummer Boy"	Katherine K. Davis	Trapp Family Singers	2:56
6.	"River"	Joni Mitchell	Joni Mitchell (Samples Piano Track from Original Version)	4:03
7.	"Do You Hear What I Hear?"	Noël Regney, Gloria Shayne Baker	Harry Simeone Chorale	3:52
8.	"Let It Snow"	Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne	Vaughn Monroe	2:47
9.	"Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"	John Frederick Coots, Haven Gillespie	Harry Reser and His Orchestra (Musical Arrangement based on the Bruce Springsteen cover version)	2:49
10.	"Christmas Wrapping"	Chris Butler	The Waitresses	4:03
11.	"Blue Christmas"	Billy Hayes, Jay W. Johnson	Doye O'Dell	3:49
12.	"Do They Know It's Christmas?"	Bob Geldof, Midge Ure	Band Aid	3:35

Personnel

Dianna Agron – vocals Adam Anders – arranger, composer, digital editing, producer, soundtrack producer, vocal arrangement, vocals Alex Anders – digital editing, engineer, vocal producer, vocals Nikki Anders – vocals Peer Åström – arranger, composer, engineer, mixing, producer Kala Balch – vocals Glen Ballard – composer Dave Bett – art direction Joshua Blanchard – assistant engineer PJ Bloom – music supervisor Anita Marisa Boriboon – art direction Ravaughn Brown – vocals Chris Butler – composer Geoff Bywater – executive in charge of music Mariah Carey – composer Deyder Cintron – assistant engineer, digital editing Chris Colfer – vocals Kamari Copeland – vocals Darren Criss – vocals Tim Davis – vocal contractor, vocals Dante Di Loreto – soundtrack executive producer Brad Falchuk – soundtrack executive producer Emily Gomez – vocals Heather Guibert – coordination Missi Hale – vocals Billy Hayes – composer Fredrik Jansson – assistant engineer Joan Javits – composer

Samuel Larsen – vocals Storm Lee – vocals David Loucks – vocals Jane Lynch – vocals Meaghan Lyons – coordination Dominick Maita – mastering Jayma Mays – vocals Damian McGinty – vocals Kevin McHale – vocals Lea Michele – vocals Cory Monteith – vocals Heather Morris – vocals Matthew Morrison – vocals Ryan Murphy – producer, soundtrack producer Alex Newell – vocals Jeanette Olsson – vocals Lindsay Pearce – vocals Shelly Peiken – composer Martin Persson – programming Nicole Ray – production coordination Amber Riley – vocals Naya Rivera – vocals Mark Salling – vocals Drew Ryan Scott – vocals Onitsha Shaw – vocals Gloria Shayne – composer Jenny Sinclair – coordination Jenna Ushkowitz – vocals Windy Wagner – vocals

Source: Allmusic^[5]

References

1. https://itunes.apple.com/ie/album/glee-the-music-the-christmas/id473247035
2. "Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2 Available 11/15!". GleeTheMusic.com. Sony Music Entertainment. October 25, 2011. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
3. Caulfield, Keith (November 23, 2011). "Drake's 'Take Care' Blasts Onto Billboard 200". Billboard (Prometheus Global Media). Retrieved November 24, 2011.
4. Phares, Heather. "Review - Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album, Vol. 2". allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
5. "Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album, Vol. 2: Credits". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved December 14, 2011.