The Sweetest Gift (Trisha Yearwood album)

The Sweetest Gift is the fourth studio album (and first Christmas album) by country singer Trisha Yearwood.

Composition and release

Yearwood sings a mixture of familiar traditional and popular material, along with more recent compositions such as "It Wasn't His Child" and "There's a New Kid in Town".

Two of its tracks managed to achieve positions near the lower end of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. "It Wasn't His Child" peaked at #60, and "Reindeer Boogie" at #63. The album rose to the #17 position in the Country Albums chart. A re-release of the album in 2000 has a different album cover, a promotional photograph taken during the Real Live Woman promotional period.

Reception

The album was a given a positive review by Allmusic, receiving 4 out of 5 stars.

Track listing

1. "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" (Bob MacGimsey) – 2:42
2. "Reindeer Boogie" (Charlie Faircloth, Hank Snow, Cordia Volkmar) – 2:38
3. "Take a Walk Through Bethlehem" (Ashley Cleveland, John Barlow Jarvis, Wally Wilson) – 3:49
4. "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) – 3:00
5. "It Wasn't His Child" (Skip Ewing) – 3:54
6. "Away in a Manger" (traditional) – 2:39
7. "The Sweetest Gift" (James Coats) – 3:02
8. "There's a New Kid in Town" (Don Cook, Curly Putman, Keith Whitley) – 4:27
9. "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne) – 2:26
10. "The Christmas Song" (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells) – 3:58

Personnel

Musicians

• Trisha Yearwood – lead vocals, harmony vocals (2, 5, 6, 7)
• Steve Nathan – keyboards (1), acoustic piano (2, 3, 5–10)
• Matt Rollings – acoustic piano (1)
• Becky Priest – acoustic piano (4)
• Billy Joe Walker Jr. – acoustic guitar (2, 3, 5–10)
• Bobby All – acoustic guitar (4)
• Biff Watson – acoustic guitar (7)
• Dann Huff – electric guitar (2)
• Brent Mason – electric guitar (3, 5–10)
• Johnny Garcia – electric guitar (4)
• Paul Franklin – steel guitar (2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10), dobro (7)
• Stuart Duncan – mandolin (7), fiddle (7)
• Dave Pomeroy – bass (2, 3, 5–10)
• Jay Hager – bass (4)
• Eddie Bayers – drums (2, 3, 5–10)
• Rick McClure – drums (4)
• Sam Bacco – percussion (3, 5, 9)
• Kirk "Jelly Roll" Johnson – harmonica (1, 10)
• Aubrey Haynie – fiddle (2)
• Heather Risser – fiddle (4)
• John Hobbs – string arrangements (5, 6, 8)
• Ashley Cleveland – harmony vocals (3)
• Garth Fundis – harmony vocals (5)
• Beth Yearwood Bernard – harmony vocals (7)

The Nashville String Machine

• Bob Mason – cello
• Jim Grosjean – viola
• Lee Larrison – viola
• Kristin Wilkinson – viola
• David Davidson – violin
• Connie Ellisor – violin
• Carl Gorodetzky – violin
• Pamela Sixfin – violin
• Alan Umstead – violin
• Mary Kathryn Vanosdale – violin

Production

• Garth Fundis – producer, mixing
• Gary Laney – recording
• Dave Sinko – recording, mixing
• Carlos Grier – digital editing
• Denny Purcell – mastering
• Georgetown Masters (Nashville, Tennessee) – mastering location
• Scott Paschall – production assistant
• Katherine DeVault – art direction, design
• Jim "Señor" McGuire – photography

2000 Reissue

• Randee St. Nicholas – photography
• Virginia Team – art direction
• Jerry Joyner – design
• Debra Wingo – hair stylist

Charts

Album

Singles

Certifications

References