The Christmas Spirit

Studioalbum von Johnny Cash

Veröffent-
lichung(en)

November 1963

Aufnahme

14. August 1959 – 17. September 1963

Label(s)

Columbia Records

Genre(s)

Country-Musik

Titel (Anzahl)

Besetzung

Johnny Cash, Gesang, Gitarre

Luther Perkins, Lead-Gitarre (E-Gitarre)

Marshall Grant, Bass

W. S. Holland, Schlagzeug

Grady Martin, Gitarre

Jack Clement, Gitarre

Bob Johnson, Flöte

Bill Pursell, Klavier

Hargus Robbins, Orgel

Maybelle Carter, Autoharp

Anita Kerr, Orgel

Produktion

Don Law, Frank Jones

Chronologie
Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash (1963)	The Christmas Spirit	I Walk the Line (1964)

The Christmas Spirit ist das 17. Studioalbum des US-amerikanischen Country-Sängers Johnny Cash. Es erschien im November 1963 bei Columbia Records und wurde von Don Law und Frank Jones produziert.

Nachdem er mit Hymns by Johnny Cash und Hymns from the Heart bereits zwei religiöse Alben aufgenommen hatte, war The Christmas Spirit sein erstes Weihnachtsalbum. Überraschend belegte es in den Billboard-Pop-Charts Platz sieben und wurde damit ein großer Erfolg, obwohl es keine guten Kritiken erhielt.

Inhalt

Das Album ist eine Mischung aus eigenen Kompositionen und bekannten Standards. Cash selbst schrieb neben dem Titelsong auch noch The Gifts They Gave und We Are the Shepherds. Gemeinsam mit June Carter schrieb er Who Kept the Sheep. Ringing the Bells for Jim war eine Zusammenarbeit mit Jan Howard, die gemeinsam mit June Carter auch Christmas as I Knew It verfasst hatte. Ein weiteres Stück mit dem Titel Here Was a Man komponierte Cash gemeinsam mit Tex Ritter.

Es folgen Standards wie Silent Night, Blue Christmas oder Little Drummer Boy. Des Weiteren vertont Cash die beiden klassischen Gedichte Ballad of the Harp Weaver von Vincent Millay und I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day von Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, das für Cash von John B. Calkin adaptiert worden war.

Titelliste

The Christmas Spirit (Cash)
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John B. Calkin)
Blue Christmas (Bill Hayes, Jay Johnston)
The Gifts They Gave (Cash)
Here Was a Man (Johnny Bond, Tex Ritter)
Christmas as I Knew It (June Carter, Jan Howard)
Silent Night (Franz Gruber, Joseph Mohr)
The Little Drummer Boy (Katherine Davis, Henri Onerati, Harry Simeone)
Ringing the Bells for Jim (Carter, Howard)
We Are the Shepherds (Cash)
Who Kept the Sheep (Cash, Carter)
Ballad of the Harp Weaver (Vincent Millay)

Charts und Chartplatzierungen

Das Album belegte Platz 7 der Billboard-Pop-Album-Charts. Die Single Little Drummer Boy war erstmals 1959 erschienen und hatte zu jener Zeit Rang 24 der Single-Country-Charts erreicht.

Kritiken

Bei allmusic.com erhielt das Album lediglich zwei von fünf Sternen. Peter Hogan schrieb in seinem Johnny-Cash-Handbuch Story und Songs kompakt, dass auf der Scheibe nichts Essentielles zu finden sei und dies nicht einmal für Hörer, die Weihnachtsalben sammeln. Er kritisiert vor allem die Hintergrundsänger und furchtbare Arrangements bei Stücken wie Blue Christmas.

Weblinks

The Christmas Spirit bei AllMusic (englisch)
The Christmas Spirit bei Discogs

Johnny Cash

Studioalben	With His Hot and Blue Guitar Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous The Fabulous Johnny Cash Greatest! Hymns by Johnny Cash Songs of Our Soil Sings Hank Williams Ride This Train Now, There Was a Song! Now Here’s Johnny Cash The Lure of the Grand Canyon Hymns from the Heart The Sound of Johnny Cash All Aboard the Blue Train Blood, Sweat and Tears Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash Keep on the Sunny Side I Walk the Line Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian Orange Blossom Special Sings the Ballads of the True West Everybody Loves a Nut Happiness Is You Carryin’ On with Johnny Cash & June Carter Old Golden Throat More of Old Golden Throat Hello, I’m Johnny Cash The World of Johnny Cash Man in Black A Thing Called Love International Superstar Any Old Wind That Blows Ragged Old Flag The Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me John R. Cash Look at Them Beans One Piece at a Time The Last Gunfighter Ballad I Would Like to See You Again Gone Girl Silver Rockabilly Blues The Baron The Adventures of Johnny Cash Johnny 99 Rainbow Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town Classic Cash: Hall of Fame Series Water from the Wells of Home Boom Chicka Boom The Mystery of Life American Recordings Unchained American III: Solitary Man American IV: The Man Comes Around Personal File American V: A Hundred Highways American VI: Ain’t No Grave Out Among the Stars From Sea to Shining Sea America: A 200-Year Salute in Story and Song The Johnny Cash Children’s Album The Rambler The Holy Land Sings Precious Memories A Believer Sings the Truth Believe in Him My Mother’s Hymn Book The Johnny Cash Family Christmas Classic Christmas Johnny Cash Country Christmas
Gemeinschaftsalben	The Survivors Live Highwayman Class of ’55 Heroes Highwayman 2 The Road Goes On Forever VH1 Storytellers: Johnny Cash & Willie Nelson Every Song Tells A Story
Livealben	At Folsom Prison At San Quentin The Johnny Cash Show Strawberry Cake At Madison Square Garden A Night to Remember På Österåker Koncert V Praze
Kompilationen	Mean as Hell! Johnny Cash’s Greatest Hits The Johnny Cash Show Original Golden Hits, Volume I The World of Johnny Cash Original Golden Hits, Volume II The Johnny Cash Collection: Greatest Hits Volume II Star Portrait The Johnny Cash Songbook Sunday Morning Coming Down Five Feet High and Rising Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 Itchy Feet – 20 Foot-Tappin’ Greats A Free Man Johnny Cash: Patriot The Best of Johnny Cash Super Hits The Man in Black (The Definitive Collection) The Man in Black – His Greatest Hits 16 Biggest Hits Hits Love, God and Murder The Essential Johnny Cash The Legend of Johnny Cash: First Original Hits Johnny Cash Sings His Best: 40 Original Hits 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection The Heart of a Legend The Complete Sun Recordings, 1955–1958 Walking the Line: The Legendary Sun Recordings The Legend The Legend of Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison / At San Quentin – The 2 Classic Prison Concerts Golden Legends: Johnny Cash Bootleg Vol. I – Personal File Walk The Line – The Very Best of Johnny Cash JC: Johnny Cash The Legend of Johnny Cash Vol. II Cash – Ultimate Gospel Forever Johnny Cash The Great Lost Performance – Live at the Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, New Jersey Icon: Johnny Cash Bootleg Vol III: Live Around The World The Soul Of Truth: Bootleg Vol IV Opus Collection The Number Ones The Classics The Greatest: Duets Country: Johnny Cash The Complete Columbia Album Collection LIFE Unheard The Rebel LIFE Unheard Complete Mercury Albums 1986–1991 Classic Cash, Early Mixes: Hall Of Fame Series Golden Sounds of Country Music This Is Johnny Cash More of Old Golden Throat The Walls of a Prison The Mighty Johnny Cash Understand Your Man Give My Love to Rose Ballads of the American Indian The Unissued Johnny Cash Johnny & June Tall Man Encore Biggest Hits Inside a Swedish Prison Bitter Tears Columbia Records 1958–1986 The Man in Black 1954–1958 12 Giant Hits Come Along and Ride this Train The Man in Black 1959–1962 The Essential Johnny Cash 1955–1983 Wanted Man The Man in Black 1963–1969 Johnny Cash: The Hits Johnny Cash: Crazy Country The Best of Johnny Cash It’s All in the Family I Walk the Line/Little Fauss and Big Halsy The Mercury Years 16 Biggest Hits: Volume II A Boy Named Sue and Other Story Songs Johnny Cash & Friends Life Johnny Cash Live Recordings Traveling Cash – An Imaginary Journey June Carter and Johnny Cash: Duets ohnny Cash: The Outtakes The Best of the Johnny Cash TV Show: 1969–1971 Playlist: The Very Best of Johnny Cash Bootleg Vol. II – From Memphis to Hollywood The Broadcast Archives Johnny Cash and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Remixalben	Johnny Cash Remixed
Soundtracks	America I Walk the Line – Movie Soundtrack Little Fauss and Big Halsy – Movie Soundtrack
Weihnachtsalben	Christmas With Johnny Cash Country Christmas The Classic Christmas Album The Christmas Spirit The Johnny Cash Family Christmas Classic Christmas Johnny Cash Country Christmas
Tributealben	Til Things Are Brighter: A Tribute to Johnny Cash Dressed in Black: A Tribute to Johnny Cash Kindred Spirits: A Tribute to the Songs of Johnny Cash All Aboard: A Tribute to Johnny Cash Johnny Cash Remixed
Videoalben	A Concert Behind Prison Walls Live at Montreux 1994 CBS TV Anniversary Special: The First 25 Years Live from Austin, TX Live in Denmark Johnny Cash in Ireland Cash for Kenya: Live in Johnstown, PA
Singles	Cry! Cry! Cry! Folsom Prison Blues I Walk the Line Get Rhythm Home of the Blues Give My Love to Rose Big River Don’t Take Your Guns to Town Little Drummer Boy Ring of Fire Daddy Sang Bass A Boy Named Sue Rock Island Line What Is Truth Sunday Morning Coming Down Man in Black If I Had a Hammer Father and Daughter One Piece at a Time Lady After the Ball (Ghost) Riders in the Sky Sixteen Tons Cat’s in the Cradle I’ve Been Everywhere The Man Comes Around Hurt Help Me Cotton Fields Green, Green Grass of Home Hey, Porter I Still Miss Someone In My Life Rock’n’Roll Ruby What’d I Say So Doggone Lonesome There You Go Train of Love Next in Line Don’t Make Me Go Ballad of a Teenage Queen Guess Things Happen That Way Come in Stranger The Ways of a Woman in Love You’re the Nearest Thing to Heaven All Over Again What Do I Care It’s Just About Time Luther Played the Boogie Thanks a Lot Frankie’s Man, Johnny You Dreamer You Katy Too I Got Stripes Five Feet High and Rising Goodbye Little Darling Straight A’s in Love I Love You Because Seasons of My Heart Smiling Bill McCall The Story of a Broken Heart Down the Street to 301 Second Honeymoon Mean Eyed Cat Oh Lonesome Me The Rebel – Johnny Yuma Tennessee Flat-Top Box The Big Battle In the Jailhouse Now Bonanza Busted The Matador Understand Your Man Dark as a Dungeon The Ballad of Ira Hayes Bad News It Ain’t Me, Babe Orange Blossom Special The Streets of Laredo Mister Garfield The Sons of Katie Elder Happy to Be with You The One on the Right Is on the Left Everybody Loves a Nut Boa Constrictor You Beat All I Ever Saw Jackson Long-Legged Guitar Pickin’ Man The Wind Changes Rosanna’s Going Wild Blistered See Ruby Fall If I Were a Carpenter What Is Truth Flesh and Blood Man in Black Singin’ in Vietnam Talkin’ Blues No Need to Worry Papa Was a Good Man A Thing Called Love Kate Oney Any Old Wind That Blows The Loving Gift Orleans Parish Prison Ragged Old Flag The Junkie and the Juicehead, Minus Me Lady Came From Baltimore My Old Kentucky Home (Turpentine and Dandelion Wine) Look at Them Beans Texas – 1947 Strawberry Cake Sold Out of Flagpoles Ridin’ on the Cotton Belt Old Time Feelin’ The Last Gunfighter Ballad Lady I Would Like to See You Again There Ain’t No Good Chain Gang Gone Girl It’ll Be Her I Will Rock and Roll with You I’ll Say It’s True I Wish I Was Crazy Again Wings in the Morning Bull Rider Songs of the Patriot Cold Lonesome Morning Last Time Without Love The Baron Mobile Bay The Reverend Mr. Black Chattanooga City Limit Sign The General Lee Georgia on a Fast Train Fair Weather Friends We Must Believe in Magic I’m Ragged But I’m Right Johnny 99 That’s the Truth Chicken in Black They Killed Him I’m Leaving Now Even Cowgirls Get the Blues The Night Hank Williams Came to Town Let Him Roll W. Lee O’Daniel (And the Light Crust Doughboys) That Old Wheel Farmer’s Almanac Going By the Book The Mistery of Life Delia’s Gone The Man Who Couldn’t Cry Rusty Cage Hurt God’s Gonna Cut You Down She Used to Love Me a Lot Green, Green Grass of Home
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