| Christmas in My Hometown | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 1970 (1970-11) | |||
| Recorded | August 27, 1969 | |||
| Studio | RCA, Nashville, Tennessee | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Producer | Jack Clement(original) | |||
| Charley Pride chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Christmas in My Home Town | ||||
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Christmas in My Home Town is a studio album by Americancountry artistCharley Pride. It was released in November 1970 viaRCA Victor Records and was produced byJack Clement. The album was Pride's first collection ofholiday music and his ninth studio recording, overall. The project originally contained ten tracks in its initial release, but was re-released with additional tracks in 2013.Christmas in My Home Town received positive reviews from critics following its release.
By 1970, Charley Pride had several major hits after becoming country music's first commercially successful African-American artist. He had recently had five number one hits, which heightened his musical popularity: "All I Have to Offer You (Is Me)," "(I'm So) Afraid of Losing You Again," "Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone," "Wonder Could I Live There Anymore" and "I Can't Believe That You've Stopped Loving Me."[2] Pride's commercial success prompted his record label to have him record album of Christmas music. The project was first recorded on August 27, 1969, at the RCA Victor Studio, located inNashville, Tennessee. The sessions were originally produced byJack Clement.[3]
Christmas in My Home Town contained a mix of holiday classics and original tunes.[3] The album originally contained ten tracks, but a re-release added three more. Two of the project's tracks were composed by Pride himself: "Santa and the Kids" and "Happy Christmas Day." Other original tracks featured were the title track, composed by Lassaye Van Buren Holmes and "The First Christmas Morn." Holiday covers included "Silent Night," "Little Drummer Boy" and "O Holy Night."[1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| Billboard | Favorable |
| Ultimate Twang | Favorable |
Christmas in My Home Town has received positive reviews since its initial release in 1970. In a November 1970 issue ofBillboard magazine, writers praised Pride's performance on the record. "Country Charley Pride has a sure winner in this top program of new and older Christmas favorites." He called his covers of songs such as "O Holy Night" to be "first rate treatments." They also praised Pride's original material that was also included on the album.[4] The online music publication,Ultimate Twang, reviewed the original LP as well and also gave it a positive reception. Writers commented that it was "an excellent album, by one of the best country singers of all-time."[5] The re-released version of the album was reviewed byAllmusic's David A. Milberg, who rated it 4.5 out of 5 stars. "The title tune was a great Christmas hit. This is mellow C&W for the holidays," he wrote.[1]
Christmas in My Home Town was originally released in November 1970 on RCA Victor Studios. It was Pride's ninth studio recording in his career.[6] The project was originally distributed as avinyl LP, containing five songs on either side of the record.[7] The album was then re-released on a compact disc in 2013, and featured three additional holiday tracks that first been recorded for various Christmas compilations. The newer version featured re-mastering and production as well. The re-release was issued on Music City Records, Pride's record label at the time.[3][1] The re-released version was also issued to digital and streaming services, which includedApple Music.[8] The title track was the album's only single. It was released in November 1970.[9] The single received significant holiday airplay and became one of the year's top holiday tunes.[3][1]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Christmas in My Home Town" | Lassaye Van Buren Holmes | 2:03 |
| 2. | "Deck the Halls" | Traditional | 1:50 |
| 3. | "They Stood in Silent Prayer" | Alex Zanetis | 4:02 |
| 4. | "Santa and the Kids" |
| 1:51 |
| 5. | "Silent Night" | Traditional | 3:00 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Little Drummer Boy" |
| 2:03 |
| 2. | "Happy Christmas Day" |
| 2:09 |
| 3. | "The First Christmas Morn" | Lane | 3:12 |
| 4. | "Christmas and Love" | Holmes | 2:01 |
| 5. | "O Holy Night" | Traditional | 4:15 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Christmas in My Home Town" | Van Buren Holmes | 2:07 |
| 2. | "Deck the Halls" | Traditional; arranged by Charley Pride | 1:54 |
| 3. | "They Stood in Silent Prayer" | Alex Zanetis | 4:05 |
| 4. | "Santa and the Kids" |
| 1:55 |
| 5. | "Silent Night" | Traditional; arranged by Charley Pride | 3:05 |
| 6. | "Little Drummer Boy" |
| 2:06 |
| 7. | "Happy Christmas Day" |
| 2:15 |
| 8. | "The First Christmas Morn" | Sue Lane | 3:15 |
| 9. | "Christmas and Love" | Holmes | 2:06 |
| 10. | "O Holy Night" | Traditional; arranged by Charley Pride | 4:20 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Out of the East" | Harry Noble | 3:34 |
| 12. | "Christmas Without Mary" |
| 3:48 |
| 13. | "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" | 1:51 |
All credits are adapted from the 2013liner notes ofChristmas in My Home Town.[3]
Musical personnel
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Technical personnel
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[10] | Gold | 50,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | November 1970 | Vinyl | RCA Victor Records | [11] |
| United States | [6][7] | |||
| United Kingdom | 1973 | [12] | ||
| United States | 1976 | [13] | ||
| 2010s |
| Sony Music Entertainment | [8] | |
| 2013 | Compact disc | Music City Records | [14] |