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Holiday for Swing

Holiday for Swing is the second studio album and first Christmas album by American actor and singer Seth MacFarlane, released by Republic Records on September 30, 2014.[1][2] It is available on CD, vinyl and as a digital download.[2] The album is a collection of Christmas songs and contains collaborations with artists including Norah Jones and Sara Bareilles.[1] It also features Frank Sinatra's bassist Chuck Berghofer as well as a 65-piece orchestra.[1][3] The album is the follow-up to MacFarlane's Grammy-nominated 2011 debut album Music Is Better Than Words. Like Music Is Better Than Words, Holiday for Swing was produced and conducted by film and television composer Joel McNeely.[4]

Background and recording

On May 15, 2014, it was announced that MacFarlane had completed his first Christmas album and that it would be released in time for the 2014 holiday season.[4]

The album was recorded between Christmas Day and New Year's Eve 2013 in Los Angeles and in studio 2 at Abbey Road Studios in London.[1][3][4] In an interview with Billboard, MacFarlane explained why the album was recorded during the holidays nearly one year before its release:

"Generally with a holiday album, you find yourself making the recordings during the summer or any time but Christmas, with this one we actually lucked out. Part of it was because we didn't want to bump up against the production schedule for Ted 2, which is not an ideal time to be recording anything with 12 to 15-hour days shooting a movie. It worked out nicely, and it was just a pure joy to do."[1]

Release

Holiday for Swing was released on September 30, 2014, through Republic Records.[1]

Critical reception

Holiday for Swing received mostly positive reviews from music critics upon its release.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic rated the album three stars out of five and states: "Apart from the ever so slight notion that he's singing with a wink borrowed from Burl Ives – a tell that gives away his status as a Gen-Xer weaned on Rankin & Bass holiday productions – MacFarlane plays it straight, even when he's camping it up with Sara Bareilles on "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (Norah Jones is the other guest, singing on "Little Jack Frost Get Lost"), and this sincerity plays out in his favor."[5]

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic:[7]

Production
Additional musicians

Chart performance

Release history

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Hampp, Andrew (August 26, 2014). "Seth MacFarlane on Playing It Straight for His New 'Holiday for Swing' Album". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c "Holiday For Swing: Music". ASIN B00NBNS94M. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  3. ^ a b Ben Beaumont-Thomas (May 16, 2014). "Seth MacFarlane records Christmas album with Norah Jones". The Guardian. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c Trakin, Roy (May 15, 2014). "Seth MacFarlane Set to Release Christmas Album". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  5. ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Holiday for Swing! – Seth MacFarlane". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  6. ^ Lewis, Randy (November 26, 2014). "Holiday reviews". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  7. ^ "Holiday for Swing – Seth MacFarlane – Credits – AllMusic". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  8. ^ "Seth MacFarlane Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  9. ^ "Seth MacFarlane Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard.
  10. ^ "Seth MacFarlane Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard.
  11. ^ "Seth MacFarlane – Chart history". Billboard Top Holiday Albums for Seth MacFarlane.