Happy Xmas
| Happy Xmas | ||||
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| Eric Clapton's studio album | ||||
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Publication |
October 12, 2018 |
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| Label (s) | Bushbranch & Surfdog Records | |||
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Format (s) |
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Title (number) |
14th |
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Eric Clapton • Simon Climie |
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Happy Xmas is the twentieth solo studio album and the first Christmas album by British guitarist and singer Eric Clapton . It was released on October 12, 2018 on the independent labels Bushbranch and Surfdog Records. This album is the first studio release of newly recorded material since I Still Do in 2016. The album was produced by Eric Clapton and Simon Climie.
backgrounds
Christmas album (1999)
Before the release of the Happy Xmas album , Clapton only took part in one recording for a Christmas album. The album A Very Special Christmas Live (October 19, 1999), recorded at the White House in December 1998 under the US presidency of Bill Clinton , was part of a compilation series in support of the Special Olympics . The British rock musician played the four tracks Christmas Tears alone as well as the tracks Christmas Blues with John Popper , Merry Christmas Baby with Sheryl Crow and Santa Claus Is Coming to Town with Mary J. Blige , Jon Bon Jovi , Vanessa L. Williams and Tracy Chapman a. These recordings were later released on A&M Records and the concert was broadcast by Turner Network Television in the United States .
Inspiration and dedication
“I had in my head that these holiday songs could be done with a slight blues tinge, and I started to figure out how to play the blues lines in between the vocals. I got it down and one of the most identifiable songs on the album, the one that became the foundational style, is 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas'. "
“I had in my head that these Christmas carols could be played with a slight blues note and I started figuring out how to play the blues lines between the vocals. I did it and one of the most famous songs, 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, became the musical model for the other titles. "
Clapton dedicated the song Jingle Bells (In Memory Of Avicii) to the Swedish DJ Avicii , who died on April 20, 2018. With the dedication, the British guitarist joined a number of international musicians such as Madonna , Rita Ora , Eric Prydz and Kygo , who publicly shared their grief over the Swede's death. It is Clapton's second extra-family dedication on an album after JJ Cale .
publication
Announcement, format, content
The studio album was announced on August 17, 2018. The presale for Happy Xmas also started that day. The pre-orders could initially only be made via the online mail order company Amazon.com . The album was released on record ( 12-inch vinyl ) and CD . One package, the so-called "Deluxe Box Set", contained pop-up art of the album cover drawn by Clapton and a stamped metal plate with the Bushbranch Records logo and the cover.
The box set also included the album on CD, a 7-inch record with some of the songs from the release and a USB stick with high-quality WAV music files , promotional videos and an interview with Clapton. A “custom deluxe” version was packed in white and red synthetic leather. The album includes only one piece written by Clapton, For Love on Christmas Day . Otherwise, the British rock guitarist and singer mainly recorded blues and Christmas standards from the 19th and 20th centuries. Including titles such as White Christmas , the English version of the piece Still , Away in a Manger , Jingle Bells , Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas .
Promotion and tour 2018
Clapton has been promoting a release since the beginning of 2018. On his Eric Clapton World Tour 2018 , Clapton played a concert in Guildford , one in Paris , as well as concerts at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich (Connecticut), the Lanxess Arena in Cologne and the Hamburg's Barclaycard Arena and Hyde Park in London . The British musician also performed as a surprise guest with the trio of US blues musician Jimmie Vaughan on August 18, 2018 at the LifeCare Alliance Center in Columbus (Ohio). The day before, Clapton caused a stir when his management announced that the Briton would perform on his Eric Clapton World Tour 2019 as part of the 2019 Music Festival at Messe Dresden .
Track list
| Happy Xmas - song list with songwriters and length | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | title | Songwriter | length |
| 1. | White Christmas | Irving Berlin | |
| 2. | Away in a Manger (Once in Royal David's City) | Traditional | |
| 3. | For Love on Christmas Day | ||
| 4th | Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday | William Bell | |
| 5. | Christmas tears | ||
| 6th | Home for the Holidays | Al Stillman | |
| 7th | Jingle Bells (In Memory Of Avicii) | James Lord Pierpont | |
| 8th. | Christmas in My Hometown | ||
| 9. | It's Christmas | ||
| 10. | Sentimental moments | ||
| 11. | Lonesome Christmas | ||
| 12. | Silent Night | Joseph Mohr • Franz Xaver Gruber | |
| 13. | Merry Christmas baby | Lou Baxter • Johnny Moore | |
| 14th | Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas | Hugh Martin • Ralph Blane | |
Chart placements
| Charts | Top ranking | Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Chart placements | ||
 Germany (GfK)
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37 (7 weeks) | 7th |
 Austria (Ö3)
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45 (3 weeks) | 3 |
 Switzerland (IFPI)
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73 (4 weeks) | 4th |
 United Kingdom (OCC)
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97 (1 week) | 1 |
 United States (Billboard)
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84 (7 weeks) | 7th |
Awards for music sales
| Country / Region | Award | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Awards for music sales (country / region, Award, Sales) |
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United States (RIAA)
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- | 6,000 |
| All in all | - | 6,000 |
Main article: Eric Clapton / Music Sales Awards
Web links
- Happy Xmas at AllMusic (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Jackson Maxwell: Eric Clapton Announces New Christmas Album, 'Happy Xmas'. In: Guitar World Magazine. Future Publishing Limited, August 20, 2018, accessed August 22, 2018 .
- ↑ Stephen Thomas Erlewine: I Still Do - Eric Clapton. In: AllMusic Network. Rovi Corporation, accessed August 22, 2018 .
- ↑ Dave Lifton: Eric Clapton to Release Christmas Album. In: Ultimate Classic Rock. August 18, 2018, accessed on August 22, 2018 .
- ^ Heather Phares: A Very Special Christmas Live from Washington DC. In: AllMusic Network. Rovi Corporation, accessed August 22, 2018 .
- ↑ Christmas Songs Recorded by Eric Clapton. Where's Eric! The Eric Clapton Fan Club Magazine, accessed August 22, 2018 .
- ↑ Dave Kaplan: Eric Clapton's Holiday Album 'Happy Xmas': Details. In: Billboard Magazine. Nielsen Business Media, Inc., August 17, 2018, accessed August 22, 2018 .
- ↑ Eric Clapton publishes Christmas album - with a dedication for Avicii. In: Rolling Stone magazine. RS media data, August 20, 2018, accessed on August 22, 2018 .
- ^ Anna Paul: Eric Clapton dedicates Jingle Bells to Avicii on new Christmas album. In: Metro UK. August 19, 2018, accessed on August 22, 2018 .
- ↑ Paul Sexton: Christmas With Slowhand: Eric Clapton Prepares 'Happy Xmas'. uDiscoverMusic, August 20, 2018, accessed September 9, 2018 .
- ^ EC's First Full-Length Christmas Record. Where's Eric! The Eric Clapton Fan Club Magazine, August 22, 2018, accessed August 22, 2018 .
- ↑ Eric Clapton Concert Setlists. In: Setlist FM. Accessed August 22, 2018 (English).
- ↑ EC Joins Jimmie Vaughan Trio On Stage. Where's Eric! The Eric Clapton Fan Club Magazine, August 19, 2018, accessed August 22, 2018 .
- ^ Eric Clapton at the Dresden Music Festival. In: The world. Infocom GmbH, August 19, 2018, accessed on August 22, 2018 .
- ↑ Variety Staff: Eric Clapton Announces Christmas Album, Featuring Tribute to Avicii. In: Variety Magazine. Variety Media, LLC, August 20, 2018, accessed August 22, 2018 .
- ↑ Eric Clapton - Happy Xmas. officialcharts.de, accessed on December 14, 2018 .
- ↑ Eric Clapton - Happy Xmas. austriancharts.at, accessed on December 19, 2018 .
- ↑ Eric Clapton - Happy Xmas. hitparade.ch, accessed on November 24, 2018 .
- ↑ Eric Clapton. officialcharts.com, accessed November 24, 2018 .
- ↑ Eric Clapton - Chart. billboard.com, accessed December 14, 2018 .
- ↑ Happy Xmas sales in the United States. Retrieved January 5, 2020 .