Miracles: The Holiday Album

{{Infobox album

| name = Miracles: The Holiday Album

| type = studio

| artist = Kenny G

| cover = Kenny-G-Miracles-Cover.jpg

| alt =

| released = November 22, 1994

| recorded = 1994

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Smooth jazz, Christmas

| length = 35:49

| label = Arista

| producer = Kenny G

| prev_title = Breathless

| prev_year = 1992

| next_title = The Very Best of Kenny G

| next_year = 1994

}}

{{Album reviews

|rev1 = Allmusic

|rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r206383|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic review]

|rev2 = Entertainment Weekly

|rev2score = C+[https://ew.com/article/1994/11/18/music-reviews-winter-holiday-albums/ Entertainment Weekly review]

}}

Miracles: The Holiday Album is the first holiday album and seventh studio album by saxophonist Kenny G. It was released by Arista Records on November 22, 1994, and peaked at number 1 on the Billboard 200, Contemporary Jazz Albums and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts.[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r206383|pure_url=yes}} Charts & Awards] at Allmusic It was the overall best-selling Christmas/holiday album in the United States for both 1994 and 1996.{{cite magazine|url=http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart_watch/43185/chart-watch-extra-bring-on-christmas/ |title=Chart Watch Extra: Bring On Christmas! |magazine=Billboard |accessdate=2009-12-04 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091211194511/http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart_watch/43185/chart-watch-extra-bring-on-christmas |archivedate=2009-12-11 }} It sold 2,987,000 copies in 1994 and 888,000 copies in 1996.{{cite news |url=http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart-watch/chart-watch-extra-top-christmas-album-234054391.html |title=Chart Watch Extra: What Will Be This Year's Top Christmas Album? | author= Paul Grein |date=October 29, 2013 |work=Chart Watch |publisher=Yahoo }}

According to Billboard magazine, Miracles: The Holiday Album is the best-selling Christmas/holiday album of the Nielsen SoundScan era of music sales tracking (March 1991 – present). As of November 2014, the album has sold a total of 7,310,000 copies in the U.S. according to SoundScan.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6334706/holidays-biggest-radio-and-album-hits |title=The Gifts That Keep on Giving: Biggest Radio and Album Hits of the Holidays |magazine=Billboard |publisher=Prometheus Global Media |date=December 1, 2014 |accessdate=December 1, 2014}}

Miracles: The Holiday Album was certified eight-times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipment of eight million copies in the United States.{{cite web |title=Kenny G Celebrates RIAA Certified Diamond, Multi-Platinum, Platinum and Gold Albums and 75 Million Total Worldwide Sales |url=http://www.vegas24seven.com/kenny-g-celebrates-riaa-certified-diamond-multi-platinum-platinum-and-gold-albums-and-75-million-total-worldwide-sales/ |website=Vegas24Seven.com |accessdate=10 August 2018}}

Track listing (non-US edition)

  1. "Winter Wonderland" (Felix Bernard/Dick Smith) – 3:03
  2. "White Christmas" (Irving Berlin) – 3:02
  3. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Hugh Martin/Ralph Blane) – 3:58
  4. "The Christmas Song" (Mel Tormé/Robert Wells) – 4:03
  5. "Silent Night" (Franz Xaver Gruber, Joseph Mohr) – 3:47
  6. "Brahms's Lullaby" (Johannes Brahms) – 3:15
  7. "Greensleeves (What Child Is This?) (Traditional)" – 3:29
  8. "Miracles" (Kenny G/Walter Afanasieff) – 2:32
  9. "Away in a Manger" (James R. Murray) – 2:39
  10. "The Chanukah Song" (Kenny G/Walter Afanasieff) – 2:31
  11. "Little Drummer Boy{{cite web |last1=Arista Records, Inc. |title=Miracles: The Holiday Album (back of album cover) |url=https://img.discogs.com/G2gfrOswZVHZobJ5qUuCh_kOPww=/fit-in/500x403/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-1072235-1189994272.jpeg.jpg |website=Img.discogs.com |publisher=Arista Records, Inc. |accessdate=4 October 2020 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20201004030115/https://img.discogs.com/G2gfrOswZVHZobJ5qUuCh_kOPww=/fit-in/500x403/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-1072235-1189994272.jpeg.jpg |archivedate=4 October 2020 |quote="11. Little Drummer Boy"}}{{cite web |title=Miracles: The Holiday Album |url=https://open.spotify.com/album/1YEno3p4GGaPwaFI4aJpqb?highlight=spotify:track:7bn1AzfL18ibECZggyGEAj |website=Spotify.com |accessdate=4 October 2020 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20201004030639/https://open.spotify.com/album/1YEno3p4GGaPwaFI4aJpqb?highlight=spotify:track:7bn1AzfL18ibECZggyGEAj |archivedate=4 October 2020 |quote=7. Little Drummer Boy}}{{cite web |title=Miracles: The Holiday Album |url=https://music.amazon.com/albums/B004ATU62Y/B004ATY76A?do=play |website=Amazon.com |accessdate=4 October 2020 |language=English |quote=7. Little Drummer Boy}}" (Katherine K. Davis/Henry Onerati/Harry Simeone) – 4:05
  12. "Silver Bells" (Jay Livingston/Ray Evans) – 4:00
  13. "Spring Breeze" (Ling-Chiu Lee/Yu-Shian Deng) – 3:20

Track listing (US edition)

  1. "Winter Wonderland" – 3:03
  2. "White Christmas" – 3:02
  3. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" – 3:58
  4. "Silent Night" – 3:47
  5. "Greensleeves" – 3:29
  6. "Miracles" – 2:32
  7. "Little Drummer Boy" – 4:05
  8. "The Chanukah Song" – 2:31
  9. "Silver Bells" – 4:00
  10. "Away in a Manger" – 2:39
  11. "Brahms's Lullaby" – 3:15

Personnel

  • Kenny G – arrangements, soprano saxophone (1, 2, 4–6, 8–11, 13), tenor saxophone (3, 12), alto saxophone (7)
  • Walter Afanasieff – arrangements (1, 3–13), all other instruments (1, 3, 5, 9, 11, 13), acoustic piano (2, 4, 6, 8, 10), keyboards (7), bass (7), drums (7), organ (12)
  • Gary Cirimelli – digital programming, Synclavier programming
  • Randy Waldman – acoustic piano (12)
  • Dann Huff – guitar (12)
  • Randy Jackson – bass (12)
  • John Robinson – drums (12)
  • Robert Damper – arrangements (2)
  • William Ross – string arrangements and conductor (2–4, 6, 8–10)

Production

  • Producer – Kenny G
  • Engineers – Steve Sheppard (tracks 1–3, 6, 8–10); David Gleeson (tracks 4, 5 & 11); Dana Jon Chappelle (tracks 7, 12 & 13).
  • Assistant Engineer on track 12 – Noel Hazel
  • Mixed by Mick Guzauski (tracks 1–12) and Steve Sheppard (track 13).
  • Recorded and Mixed at Studio G (Seattle, WA).
  • Strings on tracks 2–4, 6, 8–10 recorded at Humberto Gatica at Ocean Way Recording (Hollywood, CA).
  • Mastered by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, CA).
  • Art Direction and Design – Christopher Stern
  • Photography – Timothy White

Chart positions

class="wikitable"
Chart (1994)

!Peak
position

The Billboard 200

| style="text-align:center;"|1

US Contemporary Jazz Albums (Billboard)

| style="text-align:center;"|1

US R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)

| style="text-align:center;"|1

Singles

Information taken from this source.[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r206383|pure_url=yes}} Billboard Singles] at Allmusic

class="wikitable"
style="width:28px;" rowspan="2"| Year

! style="width:257px;" rowspan="2"| Title

! colspan="3"| Chart Positions

US Adult Contemporary
1995

| "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"

| align=center|26

Certifications and Sales

{{certification Table Top}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Australia|artist=Kenny G|title=Miracles|award=Gold|certyear=1995|relyear=1994|accessdate=21 July 2021}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Brazil|artist=Kenny G|title=Miracles|award=Platinum|certyear=1995|relyear=1994|accessdate=28 May 2019}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Japan|artist=Kenny G|title=Miracles|award=Gold|certyear=1997|relyear=1996|certmonth=1|accessdate=28 May 2019}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=New Zealand|artist=Kenny G|title=Miracles|award=Gold|id=1995-12-22|source=newchart|access-date=2024-11-20|relyear=1996}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|artist=Kenny G|title=Miracles|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1994|certyear=1995|certref={{cite book |last=Salaverrie |first=Fernando |date=September 2005 |url=http://www.mediafire.com/file/vqzno2c0fe48zam/Spanish+Certifications+for+1991-1995.pdf |title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 |language=Spanish |edition=1st |location=Madrid |publisher=Fundación Autor/SGAE |page=938 |isbn=84-8048-639-2 |accessdate=18 September 2019}}}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United States|artist=Kenny G|title=Miracles: The Holiday Album|award=Platinum|number=8|certyear=1999|relyear=1996|accessdate=28 May 2019}}

{{Certification Table Summary}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Asia Pacific|artist=Kenny G|title=Miracles|nocert=true|salesamount=1,500,000|relyear=1994|salesref={{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_AwEAAAAMBAJ&q=kenny+g+asia+billboard&pg=PA40|title=Really Big in Japan|publisher=Billboard|page=40|first=Steve|last=McClure|date=14 September 2002|accessdate=28 May 2019}}}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Worldwide|artist=Kenny G|title=Miracles|nocert=true|salesamount=13,000,000|relyear=1994|salesref={{cite web|url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2022/03/732_19209.html|title=Kenny G Returns in April|publisher=Korea Times|author=Cathy Rose A. Garcia|date=19 February 2008 |accessdate=May 31, 2022}}}}

{{Certification Table Bottom}}

See also

References