from A MARY CHRISTMAS
written by Donny Hathaway & Nadine McKinnor
“This Christmas” is one of the brighter gems of the late Donny Hathaway’s repertoire. Since Hathaway’s original release in 1970, this joyful and festive song has become a modern Christmas standard covered by a who’s who of stars including Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Patti Labelle,
Usher, Christina Aguilera, Destiny’s Child, Carole King and Michael McDonald. This year, R&B superstar Mary J. Blige has added her name to this prestigious list for her first holiday-themed cd, “A Mary Christmas.” David Foster, who has successfully earned the title as the “King of Platinum Christmas Albums” with his seasonal productions for Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Michael Bublè and Rod Stewart, helmed “A Mary Christmas.” His refined touch and unique feel combined with Blige’s emotional, husky voice presented one of the best holiday recordings heard in recent years.
“This Christmas” is one of the highlights of “A Mary Christmas” and is a perfect vehicle to fully appreciate the singer’s soulful, mezzo-soprano voice. Blige’s performance is very respectful of Hathaway’s original take on the song while Foster’s ear-candy production benefits from the rich use of strings, horns and keyboards that give the track a breezy, vintage feel. The Canadian super-producer also played an elegant piano solo on the song that he co-arranged with the great Jerry Hey of Seawind fame. “This Christmas” is one of the singles extracted from the album and has reached #2 on the Adult Contemporary chart to date. “A Mary Christmas” has just entered the Top Ten on Billboard’s Top 200 on its way to become one of the best sellers of this holiday season.
Listen
[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/this_christmas.mp3|titles=This Christmas|artists=Mary J. Blige]
Lead Vocals: Mary J. Blige
Piano & Keyboards: David Foster
Bass: Alex Al
Drums: Rexsell Hardy Jr.
Synth Programming & Sound Design: Jochem van der Saag
Arranged by David Foster
Orchestra Arranged by David Foster & Jerry Hey
Produced by David Foster & Jochem van der Saag
Lyrics
Hang all the mistletoe
I’m gonna get to know you better
This Christmas
And as we trim the tree
How much fun it’s gonna be together
This Christmas
Fireside blazing bright
We’re caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
A very special Christmas for me
Presents and cards are here
My world is filled with cheer, and you
This Christmas
And as I look around
Your eyes outshine the town, they do
This Christmas
Fireside blazing bright
We’re caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
A very special Christmas for me
Shake a hand, shake a hand now
Fireside blazing bright
We’re caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
A very special Christmas for me
Hang all the mistletoe
I’m gonna get to know you better
This Christmas
And as we trim the tree
How much fun it’s gonna be together
This Christmas
Fireside blazing bright
We’re caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
A very special Christmas for me
Merry Christmas
Shake a hand, shake a hand now
Wish your brother “Merry Christmas”
All over the land