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Track Listing 1. Winter Wonderland 2. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! 3. Jolly Old St. Nicholas - (previously unreleased) 4. Little Drummer Boy 5. This Christmas - (previously unreleased) 6. Feliz Navidad - (Spanish) 7. Bethlehem - (previously unreleased) 8. Christmas Song, The 9. O Come All Ye Faithful 10. Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer - (previously unreleased) 11. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas 12. Sleigh Ride - (previously unreleased) 13. Silent Night 14. What Child Is This? 15. Christmas Time Is Here 16. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentleman 17. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town 18. Child's Prayer 19. One Little Candle 20. White Christmas
Album Notes Chicago: Bill Champlin (vocals, acoustic guitar, organ, keyboards, synthesizer, programming); Keith Howland (vocals, guitar); Lee Loughnane (vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn); Robert Lamm (vocals, piano, electric piano, Clavinet, vibraphone); Jason Scheff (vocals, keyboards, bass, programming); Walt Parazaider (flute, alto flute, alto & tenor saxophones); James Pankow (trombone, synthesizer); Tris Imboden (drums). Additional personnel includes: Luis Conte (percussion). Principally recorded at A & M, Hollywood, California; Rumbo, Canoga Park, California and Gold Mine Studios, Woodland Hills, California in 1998. Originally released on Columbia (3035). Includes liner notes by David Millman. The 2003 edition of Chicago's Christmas album (now subtitled WHAT'S IT GONNA BE SANTA?) includes the entirety of the band's 1998 Christmas release CHICAGO 25: CHRISTMAS, and adds no less than six newly recorded tracks. Produced by the legendary Phil Ramone (the original sessions featured E Street band keyboardist Roy Bittan at the helm), the new tracks feature more of the group's unique interpretations of holiday chestnuts. Rather than tired re-treads of the same old songs, the versions on this album generally benefit from radically reconfigured arrangements that often make the songs unrecognizable until the lyrics come in. This approach works splendidly, breathing new life and excitement into the well-worn genre of December-themed tunes. Throughout, Chicago seamlessly weaves a Yuletide tapestry of its trademark horns, vocal harmonies, and jazzy chord changes, which allows this album to rank with the group's best work.
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