Christmastime

Song List

1. The Happiest Christmas

2. Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells

3. Christmastime
AU (325k) | RealAudio

4. Welcome To Our World

5. Hope Of Israel
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6. (Medley) Sing We Now Of Christmas, O Come O Come Emmanuel, Emmanuel
AU (325k) | RealAudio

7. O Christmas Tree

8. Christmas Waltz

9. We Three Kings

10. (Medley) Away In A Manger, Child In The Manger

11. Carols Sing
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12. (Medley) I Saw Three Ships, Joy To The World

<Lyrics to Christmastime>

      It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but for Michael W. Smith, Christmas is also one of the busiest--and possibly most creative seasons of all. A lifelong fan of the Yuletide season, Smitty proves his devotion with a new Christmas album, Christmastime, his second holiday collection in less than a decade. Michael will also take his holiday flair out on the road at the end of the year when he once again joins friend Amy Grant for the 1998 Amy Grant Christmas tour [ tour dates ]. Having been a part of this Christmas tradition for the last 5 years actually proved to be the inspiration for Smitty's latest offering. "Playing live in front of a symphony every night was incredible" he remembers. "It made me want to capture some of that feeling on a record."

                Christmastime will mark Smitty's second release in one year--a feat that meant he had to spend a dizzying six weeks in the sweltering summer heat creating this top-notch winter wonderland of sound.

         Smitty first tackled the Noel motif in 1989 with Christmas, an album that gave birth to such now-classics as "All Is Well," "Gloria" and the Amy Grant duet, "No Eye Had Seen." And don't forget, this is the guy who also penned the enormously popular "Emmanuel" which first graced Amy Grant's A Christmas Album and then found its way into the litany of contemporary Christian Christmas music. The song also finds its way onto Christmastime in a medley together with the haunting carol, "O Come O Come Emmanuel" and "Sing We Now of Christmas" which features New York's famous American Boys Choir. "I've worked with the choir on several other occasions and I knew that if I was doing something for Christmas, they had to be a part of it," Michael explains. "There is nothing that sounds so angelic as a boys choir."

     Christmas is certainly a time when dreams come true and for Michael W. Smith, the making of Christmastime was no exception. Although Smith has maintained a close friendship with producer Brown Bannister, the two never actually worked together--until Christmastime. Together, the two cooked up several magical holiday adventures, not the least of which involved taking the crew on a trip to jolly old England to record several of the album's songs at the world-famous Abbey Road Studios in London. Although himself a Beatles fan, Smitty found the experience exhilarating beyond his admiration of the Fab Four. "Here I was in the same room as one of my heroes, composer John Williams," he recalls with amazement. "Right where he did the scores for Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark--it was pretty cool." Smitty also put his own composing talents to the test with a stunning orchestral creation combining two of his favorite tunes, "I Saw Three Ships" and "Joy to the World." "I'm really into that Irish-Celtic sound right now and so I tried to fuse that with some celebrative piano and orchestra." Laughing, he adds, "it actually became a big extravaganza!"

      No Christmas extravaganza would be complete without friends and family, and on Christmastime the spirit of musical friendship comes to life with a string of guest performances, including another of Michael's heroes, Phil Keaggy, who lends his guitar mastery to the new Michael W. Smith arrangement of "O Christmas Tree." "It's just supernatural watching Phil in a studio!" he says without reserve. Daughter Anna adds a childlike sparkle to the tender "Away In A Manger" ("at nine-years-old, she has just the right vocal texture for the song") and vocal virtuoso Sandi Patty joins Michael for a lighthearted spin with "Christmas Waltz."

       In a nod to Christmas-music-past, Michael also gives his own voice to some classic holiday tunes including a spirited romp with "Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells", a stand-out, fun arrangement of everyone's favorite song from one of Michael's favorite old albums, Andy Williams' Christmas. In fact, Smith was pleased to, on his second Christmas outing, include a few sentimental favorites from his childhood, along with the traditional, spiritual fare. Songs like "Jingle Bells" and "A Christmas Waltz" add a nostalgic and whimsical flair to Michael's usual classically-oriented seasonal repertoire. Still in a Christmas-past mood, Michael also pulled out a hidden gem from 60's sensation Petula Clark, "The Happiest Christmas". The ballad finds Smitty crooning his way through a sentimental holiday wish and creating a new song that sounds like a classic from the first listen. Producer Brown Bannister calls it "absolutely magical--my favorite." Rocketown Records first artist Chris Rice penned "Welcome To Our World" for his own debut album, but Smitty was so moved by the song, he knew he had to also include it on his own. "I wept the first time I heard it," he says.

          Christmastime features several newly penned tunes including the title cut. "Christmastime" actually began its life as an recessional which Smitty wrote for his oldest son's junior high school graduation. In fact, the song actually began life as a "happy accident." Smith, who was commissioned to write a tune for the occasion forgot that commitment until just moments before the big event. Professional that he is, Smith took his place at the piano and just started playing. "It just came to me as I was playing," he recalls of the moment, "I just kept going even after everyone cleared the auditorium. Even though I wasn't expecting it to be a new song, what I was playing just sounded so "Christmas" that I knew I had to do something with it." "Hope of Israel" was inspired by a trip to the Holy Land, where Michael was privileged to sit in on a bar mitzvah celebration. "I was so moved by the people and the dancing and the colors and the emotion," he relates, "I wrote the whole thing on the plane ride home."

           Back home in Franklin, Tennessee, Michael surrounds himself with his own inspirations--his wife of sixteen years, Debbie and their five children. "Growing up, Christmas was always my favorite time of year," he reminisces. "I can still picture mom cooking and all the people coming over to visit and waking up to all those wonderful presents. But most important, in our family, Christmas has always been a time to celebrate the birth of Christ."

Christmastime Reviews

Review by Jacob Cheline:

This is a classic Christmas album! Nothing like the first Christmas album. Much more "Christmasy" songs that brings you into that "get out your stockings and eggnog" mood.

It album starts off with a slow, easy, and soothing Christmas classic, "The Happiest Christmas", a very nice song and then moves right into "Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells" the old Jingle Bells, that wintry song talking about Saint Nickolas, bells, sleigh rides, and good cheer.

Then prepare yourself for "Christmastime"! This song might be my favorite on the album. In the background is a nice children's choir, very soothing, singing along with Michael, sounding perfect. It has a very catchy tune, that will most definitely be a Christmas hit! This song talked about what Christmastime is all about. "Loved ones close to our hearts/ and strangers in lands afar/ Together share in the joy/ Emmanuel/ He has come to dwell/ With one voice/ Let the world rejoice"

The next song is "Welcome to Our World" by Chris Rice. This song is almost exactly like the original, but with Michael's voice. So, if you liked Chris Rice's version, then you will really like this one!

"Hope of Israel" is next, which is a new instrumental that Smitty wrote. This has a very beautiful sound, with Michael on the keyboards, and a soothing orchestra mixed in. A grand song!

The next track is a medley of "Sing We Now of Christmas" , "O Come O Come Emmanuel" and "Emmanuel". I love this track, the first part is classic, with a children chorus singing it, as it is always sung. "Emmanuel" makes the track in my opinion though. This is the classic that you see Smitty play everywhere, from the album "Emmanuel" with various artists, to playing it on the Kathy Lee Christmas special last Christmas. This song is incredible! "Emmanuel, Emmanuel/ Emmanuel, Emmanuel/ Wonderful Counselor/ Lord of Life, Lord of All/ He is the prince of peace/ Mighty God, Holy One/ Emmanuel, Emmanuel"

The next song definitely stands out on the album. "O Christmas Tree" with special guest Phil Keaggy. This song is all instrumental and if you have heard Phil Keaggy play guitar before, then you know what to expect. You hear some awesome guitar playing, and as Smitty says thanking Phil, "You are too amazing". He does a fantastic job on this song. In the middle Smitty comes in on the keyboards with the orchestra in the background, and the guitar and it sounds beautiful!

"Christmas Waltz" is that Christmas song that you hear everywhere you go, here redone with Michael and special guest Sandi Patty. This is a secular song, almost as famous as Jingle Bells, with Santa Claus, snow, gleaming candles, wishes, and candy canes. Very popular, sounds fun!

The next track is "We Three Kings", yet another instrumental song with some nice sounding keyboards and a nice little tune. Very gentle and pleasant!

Next comes another Medley with the songs, "Away in a Manger" the old song sung in every household around the world and "Child in the Manger". Anna Smith sings "Away in a Manger" with Michael on the keyboards and a small orchestra in the background. Sounds very pretty. Then on "Child in the Manger", Michael comes in with some good vocals, and a strong orchestra. Sounds very powerful! "Prophets foretold him/ Infant of wonder/ Angles behold Him on His throne/ Worthy our Savior/ Of all our praises/ Happy forever/ Are His Own".

Next is a song written by Paul and Martha Puckett in 1990. Michael plays on keyboards and piano and a children's choir sings the song. Sounds pretty nice. "All in all I see/ Carols raise His name praise/ He shall reign eternally/ Carols sing to the King/ Jesus Christ our Savior".

The last track is a medley with the songs "I Saw Three Ships" and "Joy to the World", "I saw Three Ships" is an instrumental starts the song with a interesting sounding tinwhistle and Uillean Pipes. This is a pretty good upbeat song with some nice new sounds, it has a nice strong orchestra in the background that really adds to it. Joy to the World kicks in with some simple keyboards and the song, and album ends powerfully with the tinwhistle and Uillean Pipes evident in the midst of the powerful orchestra.

This album is a really nice Christmas album. I don't know if I enjoyed is as much as the first one, it came very close or tied. The first one had some very solid ones like "All is Well". This album doesn't have as much in depth deep songs like the last one. Though it has some real nice simple ones. "Christmastime" has many that show out. I think the biggest songs are the title track, "O Christmas Tree" with Phil Keaggy, Chris Rice's song, "Welcome to Our World" and of course the incredible "Emmanuel". There is not one song on this album that I do not enjoy. This is a Christmas album must!

Review by CCM:

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