A Christmas to Remember is the thirteenth studio album by Christian music and pop music singer Amy Grant. The album is a collaboration with the Patrick Williams Orchestra. It is Grant's third Christmas album with a blend of some traditional songs but mostly originals.
In 2007, A Christmas to Remember was reissued and digitally remastered by Grant's new record label, EMI/Sparrow Records, along with Grant's 13 other albums. The remastered edition is labeled with a "Digitally Remastered" logo in the 'gutter' on the CD front. Because of Grant's deal with her previous label, Word Records, the remastered editions of A Christmas to Remember and Behind the Eyes was not sold in Christian Music retailers such as Family Christian Stores or Lifeway Christian Resources until 2009. Until 2009, Word Records continued to distribute those titles to Christian retailers in the original, non-remastered editions while EMI distributed the remastered editions to most major retailers. The twelve remaining remastered editions were distributed by EMI to all US retailers, both Christian and secular.
An early release of the CD was sold exclusively at Target Stores and featured a cover of The Carpenters song "Merry Christmas Darling" as a hidden track. This track was eventually re-released on Grant's 2005 compilation Christmas album My Best Christmas.
A primetime Christmas special, Amy Grant: A Christmas to Remember, aired on December 15, 1999, on CBS, ABC, 36, Vision Celestial. Special guests included 98 Degrees (whose career saw a boost after the appearance), Tony Bennett and CeCe Winans.
Contents
Personnel
Amy Grant – vocals
Michael Omartian – acoustic piano (1, 8), arrangements (1)
Tom Hemby – acoustic guitar (1)
Biff Watson – acoustic guitar (1, 8)
Jerry McPherson – electric guitar (1)
Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass guitar (1)
Craig Nelson – bass guitar (8)
Chris McHugh – drums (1)
John Hammond – drums (8)
Nashville Pipes and Drums – drums (5), bagpipes (5)
Jay Dawson – pipe major (5)
Carol Davis – drum sergeant (5)
Bobby Taylor – oboe (9)
Tim Morrison – trumpet solo (11)
Patrick Williams – string arrangements and conductor (1)
Beverly Darnall – vocal harmony (1)
Lisa Bevill – backing vocals (1, 2, 8)
J.D. Cunningham – backing vocals (1, 2, 8)
Michael Mellett – backing vocals (1, 2, 8)
Grace Stumb – child's vocal (4)
Alvin Chea – male quartet (6)
Orchestras
Joe Soldo – orchestra contractor
Sally Stevens – vocal contractor
Bill Baker, Curt Berg, Jonathan Barracks Griffiths, Clyde Hoggan, Steve Juliani, Jon Marquart, Ralph Mullins, Danny Perito, Dave Wells and Terry Woodson – music preparation (Los Angeles)
Tom McAninch – music preparation (Nashville)
The Patrick Williams Orchestra (Tracks 2–4, 6, 7, 10 & 11)
Patrick Williams – arrangements and conductor
Endre Granat – violin concertmaster
Rhythm section
Michael Lang – acoustic piano
Dennis Budimir and John Goux – guitar
Jim Hughart – rhythm bass
Gregg Field – drums
Dale Anderson – percussion
Brass and Woodwinds
Gary Foster, Dan Higgins, Barbara Northcutt, David Shostac, Sheridon Stokes, Jim Walker and Angela Wiegand – woodwinds
William Booth, Bill Elton, Alex Iles, Ken Kugler, Bill Reichenbach Jr. and Chauncey Welsch – trombone
Rick Baptist, Wayne Bergeron, Tim Divers, Jon Lewis, Warren Luening, Malcolm McNab and Tim Morrison – trumpet
Jim Self – tuba
Production
Amy Grant – executive producer
Michael Blanton – executive producer
Jennifer Cooke – executive producer
Michael Omartian – producer
Terry Christian – engineer (1, 5, 8, 9), mixing (1, 5, 8, 9)
Al Schmitt – string engineer (1), recording (2–4, 6, 7, 10, 11), mixing (2–4, 6, 7, 10, 11)
Peter Doell – assistant engineer
Mark Eschelman – assistant engineer
Amy Frigo – assistant engineer
Steve Genewick – assistant engineer
Bob Horn – assistant engineer
Thomas Johnson – assistant engineer
Bobby Morse – assistant engineer
Grant Schmitz – assistant engineer
Bill Smith – assistant engineer
Pat Weber – assistant engineer
Doug Sax – mastering at The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California)
Suzy Martinez – project coordinator
Lisa Jurkowski – production coordinator
Beth Lee – art direction
Charts
Album – Billboard (U.S.)