Motown/UMeDiana Ross is helping her fans celebrate the yuletide season this year with a new 20-track holiday compilation titled Wonderful Christmas Time that’s available now on CD and via all major digital platforms.
The album brings together songs from two 1994 holiday records, Diana’s A Very Special Season and the multi-artist Making Spirits Bright, which originally was available exclusively at Hallmark stores.
Wonderful Christmas Time includes all 14 songs from A Very Special Season, including Diana’s takes on contemporary holiday classics like Paul McCartney‘s “Wonderful Christmastime” and John Lennon‘s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”; holiday standards such as “Winter Wonderland,” “White Christmas,” “Silent Night” and “The Christmas Song”; and covers of Steve Wonder‘s “Overjoyed” and Burt Bacharach & Hal David‘s “What the World Needs Now.”
Among the tunes from Making Spirits Bright appearing on Wonderful Christmas Time are five tracks featuring the London Symphony Orchestra: “Sleigh Ride”/”Jingle Bells,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” “The First Noël” and “I Heard the Bells.”
“There are so many things I love about the holiday season,” says Ross in the album’s liner notes. “Decorating the tree with the family, the lights, the mistletoe, having family and friends and lots of kids around with the sound of their laughter and the feeling of joy and fun…It’s a happy, happy time.”
In other news, Diana will be among the performers at the 92nd Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on November 22. Ross will make it a family affair, appearing with her children Rhonda Ross, Tracee Ellis Ross, Chudney Ross, Ross Naess and Evan Ross.
The parade will air at 9:00 a.m. ET on NBC, and will also be streamed online.
Here’s the full track list of Wonderful Christmas Time:
“Wonderful Christmastime”
“Sleigh Ride”/”Jingle Bells”
“Winter Wonderland”
“It’s Christmas Time”
“White Christmas”
“Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”
“The Christmas Song”
“Overjoyed”
“Someday at Christmas”
“What the World Needs Now”
“Amazing Grace”
“His Eye Is on the Sparrow”
“Silent Night”
“O Holy Night”
“O Little Town of Bethlehem”
“Ave Maria”
“Go Tell It on the Mountain”
“The First Noël”
“I Heard the Bells”
“Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”
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