This Christmas, Aretha

This Christmas is the first Christmas album and thirty-sixth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin. It was originally released on October 14, 2008, as a Borders Bookstore exclusive. The album was reissued in 2009 on DMI Records.

This Christmas, Aretha
Studio album by Aretha Franklin
Released	October 14, 2008
Recorded	June–August 2008
Genre	R&B, Christmas, holiday
Length	51:00
Label	DMI
Producer	Aretha Franklin, Tena Clark
Aretha Franklin chronology
Jewels in the Crown: All-Star Duets with the Queen (2007) This Christmas, Aretha (2008) A Woman Falling Out of Love (2011)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
The Toronto Star	[1]
MSN Music	[2]
Allmusic	[3]

Having failed to launch her own Detroit-based label, Aretha’s Records, she chose to release this album on DMI Records. The album peaked at #102 on the Billboard album chart.

Track listing

Information based on the album’s Liner Notes[4]

1. "Angels We Have Heard on High" (James Chadwick) – 5:26
2. "This Christmas (with Edward Franklin)" (Donny Hathaway & Nadine McKinnor) – 5:23
3. "My Grown-Up Christmas List" (David Foster & Linda Thompson-Jenner) – 5:15
4. "The Lord Will Make A Way" (Traditional, Arranged by Aretha Franklin) – 5:43
5. "Silent Night" (Franz Gruber & Josef Mohr) – 5:06
6. "Ave Maria" (Charles Gounod & Johann Sebastian Bach) – 4:57
7. "Christmas Ain't Christmas (Without The One You Love)" (Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff) – 3:53
8. "14 Angels" (Engelbert Humperdinck, Arranged by Aretha Franklin) – 2:08
9. "One Night With The King" (Jeannie Tenney) – 6:09
10. "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" (Charles Wesley & Felix Mendelssohn) – 5:24
11. "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" (Clement C. Moore; Adaptation by Aretha Franklin) – 1:52

Personnel

Information based on the album’s Liner Notes[4]

Vocalists

• Aretha Franklin - vocals (2-3, 8-9, 11, lead on 1, 4-7, 10)
• Tawatha Agee - background vocals (4)
• Bridgette Bryant - Fire choir member (1, 5-6, 10)
• Alvin Chea - Fire choir member (1, 5-6, 10)
• Lynne Fiddmont - Fire choir member (1, 5-6, 10)
• The Fire Choir - background vocals (1, 5-6, 10)
• Lisa Fischer - background vocals (7)
• Edward Franklin - vocals (2)
• Wendy Fraser - Fire choir member (1, 5-6, 10)
• Dorian Holley - Fire choir member (1, 5-6, 10)
• Clydene Jackson - Fire choir member (1, 5-6, 10)
• Shelly Ponder - background vocals (4)
• Susie Stevens-Logan - Fire choir member (1, 5-6, 10)
• Vanesse Thomas - background vocals (7)
• Fonzi Thornton - background vocals (4, 7)
• Carmen Twillie - Fire choir member (1, 5-6, 10)
• Oren Waters - Fire choir member (1, 5-6, 10)
• Gerald White - Fire choir member (1, 5-6, 10)
• Brenda White-King - background vocals (4, 7)
• Terry Wood - Fire choir member (1, 5-6, 10)

Instrumentalists

• Aretha Franklin - acoustic piano (5, 8)
• Luis Conte - percussion (2-3, 7)
• Charles "Volley" Craig - bass played by (4, 8-9)
• Matt Dahlgren - guitar (4, 9)
• Nathan East - bass played by (1-3, 6-7, 10)
• Brandon Fields - saxophone (7)
• Richard Gibbs - piano (4, 9)
• Timothy Heinz - keyboards (1, 6, 10)
• Darryl Houston - organ played by (4, 9)
• Paul Jackson Jr. - guitar (1-2, 6-7, 10)
• Ricky Lawson - drums (1-3, 6-7, 10)
• Arthur Marbury - drums (4, 8-9)
• Teddy Richards-White - guitar (4)
• Michito Sanchez - percussion (7)
• Onita Sanders - harp (8)
• James "Big Jim" Wright - keyboards (2-3, 7)

Production

• Aretha Franklin - producer (4, 8-9)
• H. B. Barnum - conductor (4, 8-9)
• Tena Clark - producer (1-3, 5-7, 10-11)
• Les Cooper - recording engineer (1-3, 5-7, 10-11)
• Todd Fairall - recording engineer (4, 8-9)
• Steve Genewick - Pro-tools editing
• Don Goodrick - assistant recording engineer
• George Gumbs - assistant recording engineer
• Timothy Heinz - rhythm arrangements (1, 6, 10)
• Bill Meyers - orchestral arrangement, orchestra conductor
• Michael J. Powell - recording engineer (4, 8-9)
• Tony Rizzo - assistant recording engineer
• Al Schmitt - audio mixing, strings recording engineer
• Carmen Twillie - choir arrangements, choir conductor (1, 5-6, 10)
• Ed Woolley - assistant recording engineer
• James "Big Jim" Wright - rhythm arrangements (2-3, 7)

References

1. Toronto Star review
2. MSN Music review
3. Kellman, Andy. This Christmas, Aretha at AllMusic
4. Franklin, Aretha. "This Christmas, Aretha" (Album Notes). DMI Records. 2008.