Christmas Duets [Digipak]

Performer: Elvis Presley
Artist: Martina McBride; Carrie Underwood; LeAnn Rimes; Wynonna Judd; Sara Evans; Amy Grant; Gretchen Wilson; Kimberly Schlapman; Karen Fairchild; Anne Murray; Olivia Newton-John
Engineer: Chuck Ainlay; Ann Mincieli; Eric Bates; Jeff Wolpert; Bart Pursley; Chris Henry
Producer: Chuck Ainlay
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Composer: Bergen White. Personnel: Curtis Young, Kerry Beatty, Jeremy Calloway, Larry Strickland, Ray C. Walker, The Jordanaires, Louis Dean Nunley, Gordon Stoker, Millie Kirkham (vocals, background vocals); Kimberly Schlapman, Karen Fairchild , Brian Beatty, Kimberly Schlapmann, Gretchen Wilson, LeAnn Rimes, Martina McBride, Amy Grant, Olivia Newton-John, Anne Murray, Sara Evans, The Palmetto State Quartet, Wynonna Judd, Carrie Underwood, Karen Fairchild (vocals); Richard Bennett , Richard Rodney Bennett (acoustic guitar); Steve Gibson, Jim Long , Steve Gibson (electric guitar); Nashville String Machine (strings); John Jarvis, Hargus "Pig" Robbins (piano); Gordon Mote (Hammond b-3 organ); David Hungate, Glenn Worf (bass guitar); Eddie Bayers (drums); Eric Darken (percussion); Brian Beattie (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Chuck Ainlay. Recording information: Bates Brothers Recording, Birmingham, AL; Germano Studios, New York, NY; Phase One Studios, Tornto, Ontario, Canada; RCA Victor Studio B, Nashville, TN; Sound Stage Studios, Nashville, TN; Studio 27, Nashville, TN. Authors: Karen Fairchild ; Kimberly Schlapmann; Gretchen Wilson; Martina McBride; Amy Grant; Olivia Newton-John; Anne Murray; Sara Evans; Wynonna Judd; Carrie Underwood. Arranger: Elvis Presley. In the manner of Natalie Cole's UNFORGETTABLE, Elvis Presley's CHRISTMAS DUETS is a collection of Christmas songs that Elvis recorded throughout his career, remixed in 2008 to add new vocal parts by many of today's biggest female country stars, some of whom had not yet been born when Elvis died in 1977. Guest vocalists include Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride, Sara Evans, LeAnn Rimes, and Amy Grant. Other guests include Anne Murray and Olivia Newton-John, the only two vocalists here whose careers intersected with Elvis chronologically. Elvis Presley never recorded duets, but that didn't stop RCA from compiling an album of duets for the 2008 Christmas season -- all with the help of the latest studio technology and ten willing duet partners. The guests are virtually all female, and virtually all come from the country field (or have recorded country in the past). It's easy to note the clever marketing moves made throughout the entire project, but that doesn't stop the results from being surprisingly agreeable, a good effort at attempting to re-create the sound and feel of classic Elvis Christmas songs from the '50s (and a few from the early '70s). It's clear that the project was handled with a great deal of care, from the sympathetic productions to the fact that the producers got help from more than just a few musicians who knew Elvis well. With Gordon Stoker leading the Jordanaires (Elvis' prime backing group), and Hargus "Pig" Robbins tinkling the ivories, this is certainly the kind of session date that Elvis wouldn't have missed (and would have ensured lasted well into the night). The duet vocals are usually fine, especially since Elvis and his guests are usually trading lines, which works much better than the occasional duet harmonies. The opener, "Blue Christmas" with Martina McBride, sets the mood, laid-back and slightly bluesy, while McBride makes sure she gives the King plenty of room. Carrie Underwood's piercing, crystalline vocals threaten to overwhelm "I'll Be Home for Christmas," but LeAnn Rimes goes back and forth in a great duet on "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)." The only outright failure is Gretchen Wilson's attempt to echo Elvis' lines and really stretch out during the eight-minute "Merry Christmas Baby." ~ John Bush

"Before Elvis, there was nothing," John Lennon once said. An overstatement, of course, but Elvis Presley's ascendance to superstardom in the mid-1950s kicked off a musical and social revolution whose impact has yet to abate. After the charming young man from Tupelo, Mississippi was discovered by Sun Records honcho Sam Phillips, the wise studio owner took Presley under his wing, leading to the landmark recording of his first single, "That's All Right (Mama)." The rest, of course, is well-documented history, with Elvis going on to conquer the pop charts, the box office, and beyond. He truly was the King, and his blend of country, pop, and R&B became the cornerstone of rock & roll.

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