http://www.elvisnews.com/images/coverart/big/cd_christmasduets.jpg

 

 

In the USA, Christmas Duets enters the Billboard TOP 200 at #61 this week, while in Canada it landed at #20 in the TOP 100 albums chart.

 

 

Great news :dance:

Here's a review from the Net : http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/10/23/210429.php

 

 

Ah the wonders of modern technology! The RCA label has released another Elvis Presley Christmas album but rather than just repackaging some of his holiday hits, they decided to get a little creative. They gathered together a number of country music’s biggest female stars to sing duets with him. Such artists as Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood, Leann Rimes, Wynonna Judd, Amy Grant, Gretchen Wilson, Anne Murray, and even Olivia Newton-John lend their voices to create duets on some of Elvis’ classic Christmas songs.

 

The original tracks have been remastered and more instrumentation has been added to create a fuller and different sound. Some of the background vocals have been changed or at least enhanced. The results add up to not only an interesting but an excellent album.

 

Martina McBride doe not overwhelm Elvis on “Blue Christmas” as she's been known to do with other artists. She gives a subtle performance that matches the smoothness of his vocal. The drum track is turned up to give the song a little more punch than the original.

 

Carrie Underwood plays it a little too conservative on the classic “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” There is just not enough of her on the track.

 

“Here Comes Santa Claus” finds Leann Rimes giving a perky vocal that compliments Elvis well. The instrumental backing is turned down a bit in order to focus on the purity of their voices.

 

“Santa Claus Is Back In Town” is probably the strongest track on the album. This is a blues rendition that fits Wynonna Judd well. She trades vocal runs with Elvis and more than holds her own. This is the track that I played over and over again.

 

“Silent Night” is presented in traditional style. Sara Evans vocal is excellent but I can’t help think that she and Carrie Underwood should have traded songs.

 

Amy Grant joins Elvis on “White Christmas.” The vocals are excellent but the tempo is faster than the original.

 

“Merry Christmas Baby” is a second blues outing and another superior track. A piano and drums dominate the instrumental backing with some clear harmonica added on the break. Gretchen Wilson doesn’t really duet with Elvis but rather adds phasing that enhances his vocal.

 

“O Little Town Of Bethlehem” is not a duet but a threesome. Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman bring their clear harmonies to this song and create a wonderful counterpoint. The three voices give this track a fuller sound than many of the others.

 

Anne Murray has a lower vocal register than the other singers on the album and as such creates a different sound when she combines it with Elvis’. “Sleigh Bells” is presented in traditional up-tempo form.

 

The Christmas hymn, “O Come All Ye Faithful,” finds Olivia Newton-John providing half of the duet. Her voice is not a match for Elvis, so she wisely stays in the background.

 

Also included are three bonus tracks of Elvis singing alone. “The First Noel,” "If I Get Home On Christmas Day," and “Winter Wonderland” have all been issued a number of times over the years. Here we find them remastered with extra instruments added. The sound is so clear that you can actually hear the intake of Elvis’ breath.

 

Christmas Duets presents some classic Elvis in a new and creative way. It is a good and fun holiday listen. Merry Christmas to all fans of the true king of rock ‘n’ roll!

 

 

It sounds really good, i have seen a few clips and they all sound pretty cool really. :yahoo:

I bought this and love it.

'I'll Be Home for Christmas' Enters the Charts

 

The Billboard site mentions another duet that entered a chart.

 

Elvis Presley ends a decade's absence from Hot Country Songs, as "I'll Be Home for Christmas," with Carrie Underwood, opens at #60. The King last graced the list in January 1998 with his 1957 chestnut "Blue Christmas" (prior to a change in policy that allows only new holiday releases to impact the chart). "Home" and an updated version of "Blue" featuring Martina McBride appear on the new Presley release "Christmas Duets." He last reached Hot Country Songs with a non-seasonal entry when the double-sided remix single "I Was the One/Wear My Ring Around Your Neck" charted for two weeks in May 1983.

 

Source: Billboard / Updated: Dec 3, 2008

 

Someone’s put this on Youtube B)

 

 

This album hasn't really received much publicity in the UK :(

'I'll Be Home for Christmas' Enters the Charts

 

The Billboard site mentions another duet that entered a chart.

 

Elvis Presley ends a decade's absence from Hot Country Songs, as "I'll Be Home for Christmas," with Carrie Underwood, opens at #60. The King last graced the list in January 1998 with his 1957 chestnut "Blue Christmas" (prior to a change in policy that allows only new holiday releases to impact the chart). "Home" and an updated version of "Blue" featuring Martina McBride appear on the new Presley release "Christmas Duets." He last reached Hot Country Songs with a non-seasonal entry when the double-sided remix single "I Was the One/Wear My Ring Around Your Neck" charted for two weeks in May 1983.

 

Source: Billboard / Updated: Dec 3, 2008

 

Someone’s put this on Youtube B)

 

 

This album hasn't really received much publicity in the UK :(

 

Woooooo, nice one Carole. I am loving all these crimbo songs :yahoo:

 

Aussie Chart Update - Elvis hits #1!: :cheer:

 

The Christmas Duets album rises four spots to #1 on this week's ARIA Country Album Chart. On the ARIA Album Top 50 it debuts with a star at #38.

On the ARIA Music DVD chart, Elvis The King of Rock 'n' Roll continues its impressive run (after 35 weeks) by rising two spots to #32.

 

(News, Source: ARIA)

Thats great news Carole :yahoo:

Elvis Christmas Duets documentary on Australian TV:

 

The 30 minute documentary about the new Elvis' Christmas Duets album is now showing on Australia's Ovation cable TV channel. It shows on Boxing Day at 11.30am (EST) and 5pm Sunday 21st, as well as other repeats. Including some lovely images & footage of Elvis, it's great to see something new about Elvis on TV. Check your local TV guide for details.

 

(News, Source;EIN)

 

But what about the UK? Why aren’t Sony/BMG actively promoting it here <_<

 

The Dutch showbiz television program "RTL Boulevard" made a special item on the recently released Elvis Christmas Duets CD. Most of the footage was sent to the TV station in order to promote the new CD, but still the producers made their own version of it, and had studio guest Gordon comment on the release. If you'd like to see the clip, click the link below.

 

http://www.rtl.nl/components/actueel/rtlbo...s.avi_plain.xml

 

Published: December 19th 2008 08:52 AM.

Source: RTL Boulevard / Published by: ElvisMatters - Peter Verbruggen .

 

What was I saying…..where’s the UK version of this programme :rolleyes:

Should people stop messing with Elvis’ back catalogue?

 

The Australian Herald Sun wants you to vote: The newspaper notes; Priscilla Presley has approved an album where Elvis digitally duets with some of today's country stars on some of his old Christmas crackers. Is nothing sacred?

Call it cashing in on the name or the more positive spin of keeping the King alive for a new generation. "Thirty years down the line I can explain to my kids or grandkids how I did a duet with Elvis," American Idol country star Carrie Underwood explains in the sleeve notes.

That explanation would be: "I went into a studio and sang in between stuff recorded by a man who died before I was born, then some technological boffins put it all together and whacked it out for Christmas."

Their beyond-the-grave duet I'll Be Home For Christmas actually works surprisingly well, considering it's the musical equivalent of trying to manufacture some chemistry with the star of Weekend at Bernie's.

Underwood trades verses with Elvis while some of the musicians playing in 2008 were around in the '50s when the King recorded the original . . . they wisely keep things very faithful.

Underwood also shows why she's effectively shut Jessica Simpson out of the country market: voice, looks, talent.

Olivia Newton-John has made it clear that when it comes to duets a pulse is optional.

She did this ghostly caper with the late Peter Allen on Tenterfield Saddler for a recent duets album.

Here Livvy struggles a little to find her place beside Elvis in O Come, All Ye Faithful. It's hard to forget there's 40-something years between both acts recording their parts.

LeAnn Rimes is in perky mode on Here Comes Santa Claus, a song Elvis never designed as a duet. But it sort of works.

Martina McBride moves into relaxed, bluesy mode for Blue Christmas, and Anne Murray finds the right groove for her duet on Silver Bells.

However Gretchen Wilson channels some Mariah-style vocal gymnastics for an eight-minute Merry Christmas Baby. That's not really fair considering E wasn't around to step up to the vocal plate.

Meanwhile, the tweaking continues on all-shook-up 2008 versions of The First Noel, If I Get Home on Christmas Day and Winter Wonderland. These songs are kept intact with just Elvis's voice . . . or maybe Priscilla couldn't rope in anyone else in time.

At least the rumored Guy Sebastian/Elvis collaboration for the local version of Christmas Duets was returned to sender.

Go here to the Herald Sun and vote: So far 70% say "Yes, the King must stand alone."

 

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,2...5006024,00.html

 

(News, Source;EIN/SunHerald)