Holiday for Swing

Holiday for Swing is the second full-length studio album, and first Christmas-themed album from Seth MacFarlane, released by Republic Records on September 30, 2014.[1][2] It is available on CD, vinyl and as a digital download.[2] The album is a collection of Christmas songs and contains collaborations with artists including Norah Jones and Sara Bareilles.[1] It also features Frank Sinatra's bassist Chuck Berghoffer as well as a 65-piece orchestra.[1][3] The album is the follow-up to MacFarlane's Grammy-nominated 2011 debut album Music Is Better Than Words. Like Music Is Better Than Words, Holiday for Swing was produced and conducted by film and television composer Joel McNeely.[4]

Holiday for Swing
Studio album by
Seth MacFarlane
ReleasedSeptember 30, 2014
RecordedDecember 25–31, 2013[1]
StudioAbbey Road Studios
Genre
Length42:41
LabelRepublic
Producer
Seth MacFarlane chronology
Music Is Better Than Words
(2011)		 Holiday for Swing
(2014)		 No One Ever Tells You
(2015)
Singles from Holiday for Swing
  1. "I'll Be Home for Christmas"
    Released: November 6, 2014
  2. "Baby, It's Cold Outside"
    Released: December 3, 2014

Background and recording

On May 15, 2014, it was announced that MacFarlane had completed his first Christmas album and that it would be released in time for the 2014 holiday season.[4]

The album was recorded between Christmas Day and New Year's Eve 2013 in Los Angeles and in studio 2 at Abbey Road Studios in London.[1][3][4] In an interview with Billboard, MacFarlane explained why the album was recorded during the holidays nearly one year before its release:

"Generally with a holiday album, you find yourself making the recordings during the summer or any time but Christmas, with this one we actually lucked out. Part of it was because we didn't want to bump up against the production schedule for Ted 2, which is not an ideal time to be recording anything with 12 to 15 hour days shooting a movie. It worked out nicely, and it was just a pure joy to do."[1]

Release

Holiday for Swing was released on September 30, 2014, through Republic Records.[1]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Los Angeles Times[6]

Holiday for Swing received mostly positive reviews from music critics upon its release.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic rated the album three stars out of five and states: "Apart from the ever so slight notion that he's singing with a wink borrowed from Burl Ives -- a tell that gives away his status as a Gen-Xer weaned on Rankin & Bass holiday productions -- MacFarlane plays it straight, even when he's camping it up with Sara Bareilles on "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (Norah Jones is the other guest, singing on "Little Jack Frost Get Lost"), and this sincerity plays out in his favor."[5]

Track listing
Standard edition[5]
No.TitleWriter(s)Original artistLength
1."Let It Snow"
Vaughn Monroe3:04
2."Christmas Dreaming"
Frank Sinatra2:49
3."I'll Be Home for Christmas"
Bing Crosby3:55
4."Little Jack Frost Get Lost" (featuring Norah Jones)
Frankie Carle and His Orchestra2:36
5."Snow"
3:01
6."Marshmallow World"
Crosby2:16
7."What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?"Frank LoesserMargaret Whiting5:00
8."Baby, It's Cold Outside" (featuring Sara Bareilles)Loesser
3:01
9."Mele Kalikimaka"Robert Alexander AndersonCrosby and the Andrews Sisters2:35
10."Warm in December"Sidney Keith RussellJulie London3:19
11."Moonlight in Vermont"
Whiting4:02
12."Everybody's Waiting for the Man with the Bag"
Kay Starr2:46
13."The Christmas Song"
The King Cole Trio4:17
Total length:42:41

Personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic:[7]

Production
Additional musicians
  • Jennifer Barnes — vocals (background)
  • Dan Bates — cor anglais, oboe
  • Chuck Bergnoffer — bass
  • Mark Berrow — violin
  • Richard Berry — French horn
  • Ishani Bhoola — violin
  • Dave Bishop — B-flat clarinet, flute, flute (alto), sax (tenor)
  • Richard Bissill — French horn
  • Nigel Black — French horn
  • Graeme Blevins — B-flat clarinet, flute, flute (alto), sax (alto), sax (soprano)
  • John Bradbury — violin
  • Gordon Campbell — trombone (tenor)
  • Emil Chakalov — violin
  • Reiad Chibah — viola
  • Chris Cowie — cor anglais, oboe
  • Dave Daniels — celli
  • Tim Davis — vocal contractor, vocals (background)
  • Caroline Dearnley — celli
  • Alison Dods — violin
  • Phillip Eastop — French horn
  • Dai Emanuel — violin
  • Peter Erskine — drums
  • Andrew Gathercole — flugelhorn, trumpet
  • Richard George — violin
  • Tim Gill — celli
  • Adam Goldsmith — guitar (acoustic)
  • Missi Hale — vocals (background)
  • David Hartley — celeste, piano
  • Andrew Haveron — leader, violin
  • John Heley — celli
  • Ian Humphries — violin
  • Magnus Johnston — leader, violin
  • Karen Jones — flute
  • Skaila Kanga — harp
  • Patrick Kiernan — violin
  • Liam Kirkman — trombone (tenor)
  • Julia Knight — viola
  • Teri Eiko Koide — vocals (background)
  • Boguslaw Kostecki — violin
  • David Loucks — vocals (background)
  • Mike Lovatt — flugelhorn, trumpet
  • Jim Lynch — flugelhorn, trumpet
  • Seth MacFarlane — liner notes
  • Rita Manning — violin
  • Danny Marsden — flugelhorn, trumpet
  • Eliza Marshall — flute
  • Howard McGill — B-flat clarinet, flute, flute (alto), sax (tenor)
  • Steve Morris — violin
  • Nick Moss — B-flat clarinet, flute, flute (alto), sax (tenor)
  • Kate Musker — viola
  • Everton Nelson — leader, violin
  • Mark Nightingale — trombone (tenor)
  • Andy Panayi — B-flat clarinet, flute, flute (alto), sax (alto), sax (soprano)
  • John Parricelli — guitar (acoustic)
  • Alan Pasqua — piano
  • Camilla Pay — harp
  • David Pyatt — French horn
  • Frank Ricotti — percussion
  • Tom Rizzo — guitar (acoustic)
  • Martin Robertson — B-flat clarinet, clarinet (bass), flute, sax (baritone)
  • Jackie Shave — leader, violin
  • Emlyn Singleton — violin
  • Colin Skinner — B-flat clarinet, clarinet (bass), flute, sax (baritone)
  • Sonia Slany — violin
  • Jamie Talbot — B-flat clarinet, flute, flute (alto), sax (alto), sax (soprano)
  • Cathy Thompson — violin
  • Phil Todd — B-flat clarinet, flute, flute (alto), sax (alto), sax (soprano)
  • Chris Tombling — violin
  • Bozidar Vukotic — celli
  • Vicci Wardman — viola
  • Richard Watkins — French horn
  • Bruce White — viola
  • Pat White — flugelhorn, trumpet
  • Rolf Wilson — violin
  • Andy Wood — trombone (bass)

Chart performance
Chart (2014) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[8] 51
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)[9] 3
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[10] 1
US Top Holiday Albums (Billboard)[11] 8

Release history
Region Date Format(s) Label
United States[2] September 30, 2014
Republic
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References
  1. Hampp, Andrew (August 26, 2014). "Seth MacFarlane on Playing It Straight for His New 'Holiday for Swing' Album". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  2. "Holiday For Swing: Music". ASIN B00NBNS94M. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  3. Ben Beaumont-Thomas (May 16, 2014). "Seth MacFarlane records Christmas album with Norah Jones". The Guardian. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  4. Trakin, Roy (May 15, 2014). "Seth MacFarlane Set to Release Christmas Album". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  5. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Holiday for Swing! - Seth MacFarlane". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  6. Lewis, Randy (November 26, 2014). "Holiday reviews". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  7. "Holiday for Swing - Seth MacFarlane - Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  8. "Seth MacFarlane Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  9. "Seth MacFarlane Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard.
  10. "Seth MacFarlane Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard.
  11. "Seth MacFarlane – Chart history". Billboard Top Holiday Albums for Seth MacFarlane.
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