Description
Mariah Carey – Merry Christmas / Columbia Audio CD 1994 / 477342 2
UPC 5099747734229
Merry Christmas is the fourth studio album by American singer Mariah Carey, and her first Christmas album. Released by Columbia Records on October 28, 1994, at the peak of the initial stretch of Carey's career, between Music Box (1993) and Daydream (1995), the album features cover versions of popular Christmas songs in addition to original material. Carey worked with Walter Afanasieff, with whom she wrote all of the original tracks, as well as producing Carey's interpretations of the covered material. Three singles were released from the album, of which "All I Want for Christmas Is You" went on to become one of the best-selling singles of all time and the best-selling Christmas ringtone in the United States.
Critical response to the album's contemporary Christmas theme was mixed. Some music critics complimented the "gospel and soul-inflected" vocals and even called it "Carey's best record" to date. Re-released on multiple occasions in various formats since its debut, the album has sold 5.7 million copies in the United States as of December 2019 and has been certified 8x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Internationally, it reached number one in Japan, Latvia, and Lithuania. It achieved top-ten in 16 additional countries including Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.
In 2005, the album was re-released as a special edition DualDisc, featuring "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and a special anniversary version of "Santa Claus is Comin' To Town" on the CD side. The DVD side features the entire album in enhanced PCM stereo and music videos. In 2010, Carey released a sequel Christmas album, Merry Christmas II You. In 2019, an anniversary deluxe edition was released featuring live renditions, newer songs like "Oh Santa!" and "The Star", and numerous remixes in commemoration of the album's twenty-fifth anniversary. As of 2021, Merry Christmas has sold 15 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling holiday albums of all time.
| Label: | Columbia – 477342 2 |
|---|---|
| Format: |
CD, Album
|
| Country: | Europe |
| Released: |
Oct 31, 1994 |
| Genre: | Electronic, Rock, Funk / Soul, Pop |
| Style: | Gospel, Vocal, Ballad, Contemporary R&B, House, Soul, Pop Rock |
Tracklist:
| 1 |
Silent Night |
|
3:41
|
||
| 2 | All I Want For Christmas Is You |
|
4:01
|
||
| 3 | O Holy Night |
|
4:27
|
||
| 4 | Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) |
|
2:35
|
||
| 5 | Miss You Most (At Christmas Time) |
|
4:33
|
||
| 6 | Joy To The World |
|
4:20
|
||
| 7 | Jesus Born On This Day |
|
3:43
|
||
| 8 | Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town |
|
3:24
|
||
| 9 | Hark! The Herald Angels Sing / Gloria (In Excelsis Deo) |
|
3:01
|
||
| 10 | Jesus Oh What A Wonderful Child |
|
4:29
|
||
| 11 | God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen |
| 1:18 |
- Art Direction – Christopher Austopchuk
- Co-producer, Arranged By – Loris Holland (tracks: 9, 10)
- Design – June Hong
- Engineer – Jay Healy (tracks: 11)
- Engineer [Assistant] – Chris Theis (tracks: 11)
- Engineer [Second] – Andy Smith (15) (tracks: 2, 7), David Gleeson (tracks: 2, 7), Gus Garces (tracks: 2, 7), Mike Scott (5) (tracks: 2, 7)
- Hair – Brian Devine (3)
- Make-Up – Billy B. (3)
- Management – Hoffman Entertainment, Inc.
- Mastered By – Bob Ludwig
- Mixed By – Mick Guzauski
- Photography By – Daniela Federici
- Photography By [Home Photos] – T.D. Valentine
- Producer, Arranged By – Loris Holland (tracks: 1), Mariah Carey, Walter Afanasieff (tracks: 2 to 11)
- Recorded By – Jay Healy (tracks: 1, 9, 10)
- Recorded By [Music] – Dana Jon Chappelle (tracks: 2 to 8, 11)
- Recorded By [Vocals] – Jay Healy (tracks: 2 to 8, 11)
- Stylist [Styling] – Basia Zamorska
