The Sweetest Gift (Trisha Yearwood album)

The Sweetest Gift is the fourth studio album (and first Christmas album) by country singer Trisha Yearwood.

The Sweetest Gift
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 13, 1994
Recorded1994
GenreChristmas
Length32:32
LabelMCA Nashville
ProducerGarth Fundis
Trisha Yearwood chronology
The Song Remembers When: A Live Concert Performance
(1993)
The Sweetest Gift
(1994)
Thinkin' About You
(1995)
Alternative cover
2000 re-release
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Entertainment Weekly(favorable)[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[3]

Composition and release

Yearwood sings a mixture of familiar traditional and popular material, along with more recent compositions such as "It Wasn't His Child" and "There's a New Kid in Town".

Two of its tracks managed to achieve positions near the lower end of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. "It Wasn't His Child" peaked at #60, and "Reindeer Boogie" at #63. The album rose to the #17 position in the Country Albums chart. A re-release of the album in 2000 has a different album cover, a promotional photograph taken during the Real Live Woman promotional period.

Reception

The album was a given a positive review by Allmusic, receiving 4 out of 5 stars.[1]

Track listing

  1. "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" (Bob MacGimsey) – 2:42
  2. "Reindeer Boogie" (Charlie Faircloth, Hank Snow, Cordia Volkmar) – 2:38
  3. "Take a Walk Through Bethlehem" (Ashley Cleveland, John Barlow Jarvis, Wally Wilson) – 3:49
  4. "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) – 3:00
  5. "It Wasn't His Child" (Skip Ewing) – 3:54
  6. "Away in a Manger" (traditional) – 2:39
  7. "The Sweetest Gift" (James Coats) – 3:02
  8. "There's a New Kid in Town" (Don Cook, Curly Putman, Keith Whitley) – 4:27
  9. "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne) – 2:26
  10. "The Christmas Song" (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells) – 3:58

Personnel

Musicians

The Nashville String Machine

  • Bob Mason – cello
  • Jim Grosjean – viola
  • Lee Larrison – viola
  • Kristin Wilkinson – viola
  • David Davidson – violin
  • Connie Ellisor – violin
  • Carl Gorodetzky – violin
  • Pamela Sixfin – violin
  • Alan Umstead – violin
  • Mary Kathryn Vanosdale – violin

Production

  • Garth Fundis – producer, mixing
  • Gary Laney – recording
  • Dave Sinko – recording, mixing
  • Carlos Grier – digital editing
  • Denny Purcell – mastering
  • Georgetown Masters (Nashville, Tennessee) – mastering location
  • Scott Paschall – production assistant
  • Katherine DeVault – art direction, design
  • Jim "Señor" McGuire – photography

2000 Reissue

  • Randee St. Nicholas – photography
  • Virginia Team – art direction
  • Jerry Joyner – design
  • Debra Wingo – hair stylist

Charts

Album

Chart (1994) Peak
position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[4] 17
US Billboard 200[5] 105
US Top Holiday Albums (Billboard)[6] 17

Singles

Title Date Chart Peak
position
"It Wasn't His Child" January 6, 1995 US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[7] 60
"Reindeer Boogie" January 8, 1999 US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[8] 63

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[9] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. Allmusic review
  2. Entertainment Weekly review
  3. Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 894. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. rolling stone trisha yearwood album guide.
  4. "Trisha Yearwood Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  5. "Trisha Yearwood Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  6. "Trisha Yearwood Chart History (Holiday Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  7. "Trisha Yearwood Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  8. "Trisha Yearwood Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  9. "American album certifications – Trisha Yearwood – The Sweetest Gift". Recording Industry Association of America.
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