ReJoyce: The Christmas Album is the fourth studio album by American pop singer Jessica Simpson. Released by Columbia Records on November 23, 2004. The album features cover versions of popular Christmas songs, it includes a duet with her sister, Ashlee Simpson, on the song "Little Drummer Boy". Additionally, it also includes a duet with Nick Lachey, Simpson's husband at the time, on "Baby, It's Cold Outside". The cover of Amy Grant's "Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)" is notable, as Simpson has said that Amy Grant is one of her favorite recording artists and her role model.[3]
Its singles are "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" and "What Christmas Means To Me" (although no accompanying video was produced); the song "O Holy Night" has a video.
ReJoyce: The Christmas Album was released after Simpson's most successful studio album of her career In This Skin (2003). The album has sold 669,000 copies in the United States, as of February 23, 2009, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and has been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in January 2005. Rejoyce has sold over 2 million copies worldwide.
Critical reception
The album garnered generally positive reviews from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewin editor of Allmusic, said: ReJoyce: The Christmas Album, never approaches the old-fashioned manners implied in the title and instead wallows in the big, brassy, over-the-top spectacle of show biz. Rejoyce is a Christmas album that sounds like it was recorded at a Las Vegas revue. It's filled with showstoppers and grandstanding, relying on the tried-and-true seasonal classics while offering a couple of new songs almost as an afterthought. It's bright and incessantly cheerful, always seeming loud even during its quietest moments because the music itself is bold and brassy. While she sounds a little too breathy on occasion, Simpson acquits herself well on the record, and the entire enterprise will surely please her fans, particularly those who like her persona just a little bit better than her singing.
Chart performance
The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at #16 with sales of 152,000 copies sold in its first week.[4] The album later made a peak at #14.[5] As of February 23, 2009, the album has sold a total of 669,000 copies[6] in the U.S and has been certified Gold by the RIAA.[7]
Track listing
| 1. |
"Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" | Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne | billymann |
2:01 |
| 2. |
"The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" | Mel Tormé, Bob Wells | billymann |
4:02 |
| 3. |
"Baby, It's Cold Outside" (duet with Nick Lachey) | Frank Loesser | billymann |
2:47 |
| 4. |
"O Holy Night" | Adolphe Adam | billymann |
4:10 |
| 5. |
"The Little Drummer Boy" (duet with Ashlee Simpson) | Katherine Davis, Henry Onorati, Harry Simeone | billymann |
3:39 |
| 6. |
"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" | Tommie Connor | billymann |
3:07 |
| 7. |
"What Child Is This" | Traditional | billymann |
3:55 |
| 8. |
"What Christmas Means to Me" | George Gordy, Allen Story, Anna Gordy Gaye | billymann |
3:00 |
| 9. |
"Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)" | Chris Eaton, Amy Grant | billymann, Chris Rojas (add.) |
5:38 |
| 10. |
"It's Christmas Time Again" | billymann, Lachey, Rojas, Jessica Simpson | billymann |
3:12 |
| 11. |
"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" (featuring Tye Tribbett and GA) | Felix Mendelssohn | billymann |
3:12 |
A Special Limited Edition Christmas Collection EP
Simpson 's first EP, titled A Special Limited Edition Christmas Collection, is packaged with the ReJoyce: The Christmas Album deluxe editions that are available exclusively on her official music store.[8]
Track listing
Singles
Personnel
- Musicians
- billymann – Steel string guitar, acoustic guitar, flute, background vocals, nylon string guitar
- Great Anointing – choir, chorus
- Gary Haase – bass, horn, string bass
- Nick Lachey – vocals
- Larry Loftin – background vocals
- Richard Madenfort – 12-string acoustic guitar
- Dave Mann – flute, horn, saxophone
- Jennifer Paige – background vocals
- Paul Pimsler – guitar
- Christopher Rojas – violin, electric guitar, keyboard
- Ashlee Simpson – vocals
- Jessica Simpson – vocals
- Pete Wallace – piano, Hammond organ
- George Whitty – horn
- Joseph Quevedo – drums, percussion
- Buddy Williams – drums
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- Production
- A&R – Theresa LaBarbera Whites
- Arrangers – billymann, Nick Lachey, Christopher Rojas, Jessica Simpson, Pete Wallace
- Horn Arrangements – Gary Haase
- String Arrangements – Christopher Rojas
- Vocal Arrangement – billymann, Tye Tribett
- Woodwind Arrangement – Gary Haase
- Art Direction – Mary Maurer
- Engineers – billymann, Gary Haase, Christopher Rojas, Pete Wallace
- Assistant Engineer – Doug Tyo
- Vocal Engineer – Doug Tyo
- Mastering – Tom Coyne
- Mixing – Andy Zulla
- Photography – Gilles Bensimon
- Producers – billymann, Christopher Rojas, Pete Wallace
- Production Coordination – Lana Israel
- Production Assistants – Nikki Klarberg, Richard Madenfort
- Programming – Christopher Rojas, Pete Wallace
- Drum Programming – Christopher Rojas, Pete Wallace
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Charts
References
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