Michael W. Smith knew something special had happened following his performance with Carrie Underwood on the CMA Country Christmas special. "What a moment - it made my hair stand up a little bit!" he said to PEOPLE Magazine backstage at the taping of the show in Nashville. The performance, along with a showering of media praise, led to nearly a 150% increase in album sales this week for his new Christmas project - Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas.
Smith's live performances with Carrie Underwood and Little Big Town helped solidify a Top 4 position on the Billboard Holiday Albums chart. The Spirit of Christmas will remain there this week in the peak of Christmas shopping season amongst Michael Buble, Idina Menzel and Pentatonix. The Christmas project - which also features Vince Gill, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Amy Grant, Jennifer Nettles, Bono and Michael McDonald - broke into the Top 10 Overall Albums on iTunes, helping secure a No. 16 spot on the Billboard 200 and a No. 1 spot on the Billboard Christian/Gospel Albums charts this week.
Showing posts with label Jennifer Nettles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jennifer Nettles. Show all posts
Friday, December 12, 2014
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Michael W. Smith to Perform with Carrie Underwood and Little Big Town on CMA Country Christmas special
Three-time GRAMMY® winner Michael W. Smith will perform on the CMA Country Christmas special to air on ABC on Monday, December 1 at 8/7c. Smith will perform two tracks off of his top-selling Christmas album - Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas - and joining him on stage will be CMA Awards host Carrie Underwood and the newly inducted Grand Ole Opry members Little Big Town. Smith made his CMA Country Christmas debut in 2013, performing with host Jennifer Nettles. Smith will perform his original song "All Is Well" with Underwood and the beloved Christmas classic "Silent Night" with Little Big Town. The 2014 CMA Country Christmas special will also feature performances by Leann Rimes, Idina Menzel, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Steven Tyler and more.Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas released only a few short weeks ago, quickly hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Holiday Albums chart. The album features a plethora of A-list guests - including the aforementioned Carrie Underwood and Little Big Town, as well as Vince Gill, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Amy Grant, Jennifer Nettles, Bono and Michael McDonald. Huffington Post led the critical praise, calling the album an early "favorite Yuletide effort" and an instant "Christmas classic."
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Bono and Other A-List Stars Join Michael W. Smith on New Christmas Record
Three-time Grammy winner Michael W. Smith announced the September 30 release of Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas, featuring an all-star lineup of guests - Vince Gill, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Amy Grant, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Nettles, Bono and Michael McDonald.
Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas is Smith's fourth Christmas project, following the successful releases of Michael W. Smith Christmas (1989), Christmastime (1998) and It's A Wonderful Christmas (2007).
"This is the most unique and unusual record I've ever done in my 31-year career. The entire record was sequenced together before we recorded one song," recalls Smith. "Sonically you're hearing me in a way that you've probably never heard me before. At one point it's like Smitty meets Bublé. There's my granddaughter's voice singing the song from 'Home Alone,' plus the whole orchestral and symphonic feeling of Christmas, mixed together with all these amazing voices and guests - yet it all fits together in a remarkable way."
Eager to create a one-of-a-kind project to be played at Christmastime for years to come, Smith and co-producer Robert Deaton were inspired by the original Carpenters Christmas album, wanting nostalgia to hit listeners right at the top of the record. Thematically, the album is uniquely divided into three sections, creating an overall arc to the recording. Beginning with the childlike and wintry aspects of the start of the Christmas season, the collection evolves with songs and instrumentation reflecting the true meaning of Christmas with the celebration of family and faith, concluding with what Christmas brought to the world, the birth of Jesus.
Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas is Smith's fourth Christmas project, following the successful releases of Michael W. Smith Christmas (1989), Christmastime (1998) and It's A Wonderful Christmas (2007).
"This is the most unique and unusual record I've ever done in my 31-year career. The entire record was sequenced together before we recorded one song," recalls Smith. "Sonically you're hearing me in a way that you've probably never heard me before. At one point it's like Smitty meets Bublé. There's my granddaughter's voice singing the song from 'Home Alone,' plus the whole orchestral and symphonic feeling of Christmas, mixed together with all these amazing voices and guests - yet it all fits together in a remarkable way."
Eager to create a one-of-a-kind project to be played at Christmastime for years to come, Smith and co-producer Robert Deaton were inspired by the original Carpenters Christmas album, wanting nostalgia to hit listeners right at the top of the record. Thematically, the album is uniquely divided into three sections, creating an overall arc to the recording. Beginning with the childlike and wintry aspects of the start of the Christmas season, the collection evolves with songs and instrumentation reflecting the true meaning of Christmas with the celebration of family and faith, concluding with what Christmas brought to the world, the birth of Jesus.
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