| Christmas | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 1986 | |||
| Recorded | September 1986 at Good Earth Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Christmas | |||
| Label | WEA | |||
| Producer | Tony Visconti | |||
| Elaine Paige chronology | ||||
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Christmas is an album by Elaine Paige, released in 1986, the fifth and final album to be released on the label until the release of Piaf in 1994. The album reached number 27 in the UK album charts.[1] The album was re-issued on CD in 2006.
It was the fourth and last of Paige's albums to be produced by Tony Visconti, after Stage (1983), Cinema (1984) and Love Hurts (1985).
The album was recorded at Visconti's Good Earth Studios in September 1986. In contrast to Paige's musical theatre background, a feature of all her Visconti-produced recordings is the pop arrangements. "Ave Maria" had been recorded and released as a single in 1982,[2] it was also included on the 2-CD set Save The Children - Christmas Carols and Festive Songs in 1988. "A Winter's Tale" was written by Wombles producer Mike Batt and Paige's then partner, lyricist Tim Rice and had been originally recorded by David Essex. Rice also contributed a voiceover as Santa on the final track. Tommy Körberg who, in 1986, was starring alongside Paige in the London production of Chess performed the Bing Crosby part on "Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy".
The album cover artwork featured Paige in a fake fur stole decorated with mistletoe. The reverse cover showed another 12 shots from the photoshoot where Paige makes a variety of humorous poses.
