Once Upon a Christmas (Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton album)
Once Upon a Christmas is a collaborative studio album by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. It was released on October 29, 1984, by RCA Nashville.
| Once Upon a Christmas | ||||
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| Released | November 5, 1984 | |||
| Recorded | August 1984 | |||
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| Genre | Christmas | |||
| Length | 35:35 | |||
| Label | RCA Nashville | |||
| Producer |
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| Kenny Rogers chronology | ||||
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| Dolly Parton chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Once Upon a Christmas | ||||
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Overview
The album was accompanied by a Christmas television special titled Kenny & Dolly: A Christmas to Remember, which originally aired on CBS on December 2, 1984 and has been rerun numerous times, though never issued on home video, DVD or Blu-ray despite public demand (bootleg copies have been produced in large quantities, however). A single, "The Greatest Gift of All" (No. 53 Country, No. 81 Pop, and No. 40 Adult Contemporary) was released from the album. In the United Kingdom, "Christmas Without You" was issued as the single. This album became one of the biggest Christmas albums of the 1980s and still sells today, with "A Christmas to Remember" played by U.S. radio stations and satellite radio during the Christmas holiday season. In the UK the BBC gives airplay to several of the tracks across its network during the Christmas period. In 1989, it was certified Double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[1] As of November 2017, the album has sold 1,012,500 copies in the Nielsen SoundScan era (which started collating sales figures in 1991).[2]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Performer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Believe in Santa Claus" | Kenny & Dolly | 3:31 |
| 2. | "Winter Wonderland/Sleigh Ride" | Dolly | 3:44 |
| 3. | "Christmas Without You" | Kenny & Dolly | 3:54 |
| 4. | "The Christmas Song" | Kenny | 3:25 |
| 5. | "A Christmas to Remember" | Kenny & Dolly | 3:42 |
| 6. | "With Bells On" | Kenny & Dolly | 2:44 |
| 7. | "Silent Night" | Kenny | 3:18 |
| 8. | "The Greatest Gift of All" | Kenny & Dolly | 3:46 |
| 9. | "White Christmas" | Dolly | 3:06 |
| 10. | "Once Upon a Christmas" | Kenny & Dolly | 4:25 |
Alternate version
In 1997, the album was released on the BMG Special Products label with a slightly altered track listing. The song order had been slightly rearranged and two songs had been omitted ("The Christmas Song" and "Silent Night"). However, Parton's 1982 recording "Hard Candy Christmas" was added, making a total of nine tracks.
Alternate track listing
| No. | Title | Performer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Believe in Santa Claus" | Kenny & Dolly | 3:29 |
| 2. | "Winter Wonderland/Sleigh Ride" | Dolly | 3:42 |
| 3. | "With Bells On" | Kenny & Dolly | 2:41 |
| 4. | "Christmas Without You" | Kenny & Dolly | 3:52 |
| 5. | "White Christmas" | Dolly | 3:04 |
| 6. | "A Christmas to Remember" | Kenny & Dolly | 3:40 |
| 7. | "Hard Candy Christmas" | Dolly | 3:38 |
| 8. | "The Greatest Gift of All" | Kenny & Dolly | 3:44 |
| 9. | "Once Upon a Christmas" | Kenny & Dolly | 4:20 |
Personnel
- Kenny Rogers – vocals
- Dolly Parton – vocals
- Erich Bulling – keyboards, synthesizer programming
- Jimmy Cox – keyboards
- David Foster – keyboards, rhythm arrangements (1, 2, 3, 5-8, 10)
- John Hobbs – keyboards
- Randy Waldman – keyboards
- John Goux – guitar
- Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar
- Michael Landau – guitar
- Fred Tackett – guitar
- Kin Vassy – guitar
- Billy Joe Walker Jr. – guitar
- Dennis Belfield – bass guitar
- Joe Chemay – bass guitar
- Neil Stubenhaus – bass guitar
- Ed Greene – drums
- Paul Leim – drums, percussion
- John Robinson – drums
- Victor Feldman – percussion
- Jeremy Lubbock – string arrangements, rhythm arrangements (4, 9)
Production
- Producers – David Foster and Kenny Rogers
- Production Assistant – Debbie Caponetta
- Engineers – Humberto Gatica and Tommy Vicari
- Additional Engineers – Terry Christian, Larry Ferguson, Tom Fouce, Stuart Furusho, David Leonard, Laura Livingston, Bob Pickering, John Richards, Stephen Schmitt and Stephen Shelton.
- Mixed by Humberto Gatica
- Mastered by Wally Traugott at Capitol Records (Hollywood, California).
- Art Direction – John Coulter Design
- Front and Back Cover Photography – Reid Miles
- Inner Sleeve Photography – Gene Trindl
- Creative Consultant for Dolly Parton – Diana Thomas
Charts
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 12 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 31 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Holiday Albums | 4 |
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[3] | 31 |
| Chart (2015) | Peak position |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[4] | 31 |
References
- "American album certifications – Rogers, Kenny and Dolly Parton – Once Upon a Christmas". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
- Bjorke, Matt (November 26, 2017). "Top Country Catalog Sales Chart: November 26, 2017". Roughstock. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 230. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- "Kenny Rogers Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard.
