Christmas Eve with Johnny Mathis is the fourth Christmas album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on September 23, 1986, by Columbia Records. This was Mathis's fourth holiday-themed LP and focused exclusively on secular material.

The album spent a week on Billboard magazine's Christmas Albums chart in the issue dated December 12, 1992,. (no such chart was published in 1986). and two weeks on its Top Pop Catalog Albums chart in December 1994.

The recording of "Jingle Bells" on this release is subtitled "(Let's Take a Sleigh Ride)" on the front and back covers of the album jacket. (The CD booklet does not include song titles on the cover.) The track opens with background vocalists singing, "Let's take a sleigh ride, a merry sleigh ride," and the subtitle is inserted into each refrain of the chorus. Although no credit for additional lyrics is cited, the credit for the arranger of this rendition, Ray Ellis, is listed with the songwriter's name on the LP label.

The album's opener, "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas", was featured in the 1992 holiday release Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and included on its original soundtrack album.(1992) Home Alone 2: Lost in New York by various artists [CD booklet]. New York: Fox Records 07822 11000-2 In the issue of Billboard dated November 28, 2009, the list of the "Top 10 Holiday Songs (Since 2001)" places the Mathis recording at number 10.

Reception

People magazine's reviewer, Ralph Novak, describes Mathis's singing on the album as "characteristically smooth, yet never very engaged", and feels that the arrangements "tend to big stringy orchestrations that are too much for intimacy and not passionate enough for majesty."

Track listing All tracks recorded in July 1986. Personnel information taken from the liner notes for the original album:

"It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" (Meredith Willson) – 2:14 Jeremy Lubbock – arranger, conductor John Arrias – recording engineer Gerald Vinci – concertmaster Jules Chaikin – contractor "Toyland" from Babes in Toyland (Glen MacDonough, Victor Herbert) – 3:41 Ray Ellis – arranger, conductor John Arrias – recording engineer Gerald Vinci – concertmaster Joe Soldo – contractor "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" (Edward Pola, George Wyle) – 2:45 Jeremy Lubbock – arranger, conductor John Arrias – recording engineer Gerald Vinci – concertmaster Jules Chaikin – contractor "Jingle Bells" (James Pierpont) – 2:54 Ray Ellis – arranger, conductor Daren Klein – recording engineer Erno Neufeld – concertmaster Marion Klein – contractor Medley – 5:09 a. "Christmas Is for Everyone" (Richard Loring, Dorothy Wayne) b. "Where Can I Find Christmas?" from The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas (Doug Goodwin) Ray Ellis – arranger, conductor Daren Klein – recording engineer Erno Neufeld – concertmaster Marion Klein – contractor International Children's Choir (Irene Bayless, director) – backing vocals The kids from St. Michael's School, North Hollywood – backing vocals Medley from Santa Claus: The Movie – 4:03 a. "Every Christmas Eve" (Leslie Bricusse, Henry Mancini) b. "Giving (Santa's Theme)" (Bricusse, Mancini) Henry Mancini – arranger, conductor Henry Mancini Orchestra & Chorus – performers Mick Guzauski – recording engineer Erno Neufeld – concertmaster Marion Klein – contractor "The Christmas Waltz" (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne) – 2:36 Ray Ellis – arranger, conductor John Arrias – recording engineer Gerald Vinci – concertmaster Joe Soldo – contractor "We Need a Little Christmas" from Mame (Jerry Herman) – 1:54 Ray Ellis – arranger, conductor John Arrias – recording engineer Gerald Vinci – concertmaster Joe Soldo – contractor Medley – 3:44 a. "Caroling, Caroling" (Alfred Burt, Wilha Hutson) b. "Happy Holiday" from Holiday Inn (Irving Berlin) Jeremy Lubbock – arranger, conductor John Arrias – recording engineer Gerald Vinci – concertmaster Jules Chaikin – contractor "It's Christmas Time Again" (Sonny Burke, John Elliot, James K. Harwood) – 4:28 Jeremy Lubbock – arranger, conductor John Arrias – recording engineer Gerald Vinci – concertmaster Jules Chaikin – contractor

Personnel From the liner notes for the original album:

Johnny Mathis – vocals Denny Diante – producer Richard Loring – musical consultant Monica Mancini – vocal contractor John Arrias – mixing engineer Chris Bellman – mastering engineer Jo-Anne McGettrick – production coordinator Nancy Donald – art direction Tony Lane – art direction Peter Greco – lettering David Vance – photographer 24 Collection – wardrobe

Jeff Bennett (One on One Studios) – assistant engineer Greg Dennen (One on One Studios) – assistant engineer Michael Dubois (One on One Studios) – assistant engineer Daren Klein (Conway Studios) – assistant engineer Richard McKernan (Conway Studios) – assistant engineer Joe Schiff (Ocean Way) – assistant engineer Toby Wright (One on One Studios) – assistant engineer Jessie Peck – Conway Studios assistant Joe Gastwirt (Digital Magnetics Studio) – compact disc preparation Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood, California Mixed at Conway Studios, Hollywood, California

References

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