A Christmas Album [LP], Streisand, Barbra, Vinyl

A Christmas Album was originally released in October 1967.  Barbra Streisand recorded four Christmas songs in London on June 25, 1966 while she was in London performing Funny Girl at the Prince of Wales Theatre.  According to producer Ettore Stratta, Barbra insisted on different interpretations without traditional arrangements for these songs.  Streisand recorded the rest of the album in September 1966 while she was in Hollywood filming the Funny Girl movie.  Of the variety of both secular and religious songs included on the album, the standout track is Barbra’s “new” adaptation of the classic holiday song “Jingle Bells?” with the “?” added by Barbra!  The track captures Barbra’s freewheeling vocal complete with jazzy dramatics.  Upon it’s original release, the album spent five weeks at #1 on the Billboard Christmas chart and the album has been certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA with sales of more than five million copies in the United States.

 

Long out of print on vinyl, A Christmas Album vinyl configuration is once again available and includes a bonus track: “Gounod’s Ave Maria” (English.)  This track was included on a limited-edition holiday Starbucks sampler which is no longer available.