The Gift is the twenty-seventh studio album and a holiday album by country music singer Kenny Rogers. It was released in 1996 via Magnatone Records. The album features a rendition of "Mary, Did You Know?" featuring Wynonna Judd. This version of the song charted at No. 55 on Hot Country Songs in 1997.^[1]

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic wrote that "it does suffer from uneven material and the occasional indifferent performance. There are enough good moments here to make it worthwhile for hardcore Kenny fans, but not enough to make it of interest to less dedicated listeners."^[2]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Mary, Did You Know?" (featuring Wynonna Judd^[3])	Buddy Greene, Mark Lowry	3:53
2.	"A Soldier's King"	Kenny Horton, John Barlow Jarvis	3:56
3.	"Pretty Little Baby Child" (featuring The Katinas^[3])	Jarvis, Bill Rice, Sharon Rice	3:48
4.	"What a Wonderful Beginning"	Austin Cunningham, Allen Shamblin	3:51
5.	"It's the Messiah"	Don Potter	3:51
6.	"I Trust You"	Skip Ewing, Don Schlitz	2:38
7.	"Sweet Little Jesus Boy" (featuring GLAD^[3])	Robert MacGimsey; arr. and adapt. by Larry Cansler	2:54
8.	"The Chosen One Montage" ("The Chosen One", "Away in a Manger", "O Holy Night", "Silent Night", "The First Noel", "We Three Kings", & "Joy to the World")	Various writers: "The Chosen One" - Rogers, Warren Hartman, Steve Glassmeyer "Away in a Manger" - James R. Murray "O Holy Night" - Adolphe Adam, John Sullivan Dwight "Silent Night" - Franz Xaver Gruber, Joseph Mohr "The First Noel" - John Stainer "We Three Kings" - John Henry Hopkins Jr. "Joy to the World" - Isaac Watts, Lowell Mason Arr. and adapt. by Bergen White and Warren Hartman	15:43
9.	"Til the Season Comes Around Again"	Randy Goodrum, Jarvis	3:55

Personnel

Compiled from The Gift liner notes.^[3]

Musicians

Kenny Rogers – lead vocals
Bobby Ogdin – keyboards (1-4, 6, 9), acoustic piano (5)
Eugene Golden – keyboards (7)
Steve Glassmeyer – keyboards (8)
Warren Hartman – keyboards (8), acoustic piano (8), arrangements (8)
Don Potter – acoustic guitar (1, 2, 4, 5, 6)
Larry Byrom – electric guitar (3, 9)
Dax Browning – electric guitar (6)
Billy Panda – acoustic guitar (8)
Michael Rhodes – bass (1)
Duncan Mullins – bass (2-6, 9)
Bob Burns – bass (8)
Paul Leim – drums (1-4, 8, 9)
Eddie Bayers – drums (5, 6)
Farrell Morris – percussion (1-5, 8)
Bergen White – orchestral arrangements (1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9), choral arrangements (8)
Larry Cansler – arrangements (7)
The Nashville String Machine – strings (1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9)
Cynthia Wyatt – harp (4, 8, 9)
Bob Mason – cello (6)
Jim Grosjean – viola (6)
Carl Gorodetzky – string contractor (1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9), violin (6)
Pamela Sixfin – violin (6)
Tom McAninch – French horn (2, 8, 9)
Bobby Taylor – oboe (8), French horn (8)
Jim Horn – bass flute (8), recorder (8)
Dennis Good – trombone (8)
Barry Green – trombone (8)
Chris McDonald – trombone (8)
Mike Haynes – trumpet (8)
Don Sheffield – trumpet (8)
George Tidwell – trumpet (8)
Wynonna Judd – duet vocal (1)
The Katinas – guest vocals (3)
Austin Cunningham – backing vocals (4)
Lona Heid – backing vocals (4, 6)
Glad – duet vocals (7)
Brandon Conger – children's dialogue (8)
Megan Dockery – children's choir (8), children's dialogue (8)
Michael Jones – children's choir (8)
Kelly Stewart – children's choir (8)
Sarah Valley – children's dialogue (8)
Choir on "A Soldier's King", "What a Wonderful Beginning", "It's the Messiah", and "The Chosen One Montage" – Lisa Cochran, Michael Eldred, James Ferguson, Stephanie Hall, Mark Ivey, Marabeth Jordan, Jana King, Ellen Musik, Louis Nunley, Guy Penrod, Lisa Silver and Dennis Wilson

Production

Brent Maher – producer, recording (1-6 & 9), mixing (1-6 & 9)
Jim McKell – producer, recording, (1-6 & 9), mix assistant (1-6 & 9), mixing (7)
Jan Greenfield – production assistant
Kevin Myers – recording (7)
Frank Green – additional engineer
Mills Logan – additional engineer
Paul Skaife – additional engineer, assistant engineer
Don Cobb – digital editing
Carlos Grier – digital editing
Mills Logan – engineering
Denny Purcell – mastering
Carden & Cherry, Inc. – art direction
Matthew Barnes – photography
Don Mantooth – photography
Kenny Rogers – liner notes

Studios

Recorded at Creative Recording, Inc. (Nashville, Tennessee) and 21st Street Recording (Purcellville, Virginia).
Mixed at Creative Recording, Inc.
Mastered at Georgetown Masters (Nashville, Tennessee).

Chart performance

Chart (1996)	Peak position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[4]	10
US Billboard 200^[5]	63
US Top Holiday Albums (Billboard)^[6]	9

References

^ Whitburn, Joel (2012). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2012. Record Research, Inc. pp. 288–290. ISBN 978-0-89820-203-8.
^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Gift review". Allmusic. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d The Gift (CD insert). Kenny Rogers. Magnatone Records. 1996. 108-2.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ "Kenny Rogers Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
^ "Kenny Rogers Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
^ "Kenny Rogers Chart History (Holiday Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2021.

v t e Kenny Rogers
Studio albums	Love Lifted Me Kenny Rogers Daytime Friends Love or Something Like It The Gambler Kenny Gideon Share Your Love Love Will Turn You Around We've Got Tonight Eyes That See in the Dark What About Me? The Heart of the Matter They Don't Make Them Like They Used To I Prefer the Moonlight Something Inside So Strong Love Is Strange Back Home Again If Only My Heart Had a Voice Vote for Love Across My Heart She Rides Wild Horses There You Go Again Back to the Well Water & Bridges You Can't Make Old Friends Life Is Like a Song
Collaboration albums	Every Time Two Fools Collide (with Dottie West) Classics (with Dottie West) Timepiece (with David Foster)
Christmas albums	Christmas Once Upon a Christmas (with Dolly Parton) Christmas in America The Gift Christmas from the Heart Once Again It's Christmas
Compilations	Ten Years of Gold The Kenny Rogers Singles Album Greatest Hits (1980) 20 Greatest Hits Duets The Kenny Rogers Story Love Is What We Make It Short Stories Greatest Hits (1988) Daytime Friends – The Very Best of Kenny Rogers Live by Request 42 Ultimate Hits 21 Number Ones
Notable singles	"That Crazy Feeling" "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" "But You Know I Love You" "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" "Something's Burning" "Love Lifted Me" "Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got)" "Lucille" "Daytime Friends" "Sweet Music Man" "Every Time Two Fools Collide" (with Dottie West) "Love or Something Like It" "Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight" (with Dottie West) "The Gambler" "All I Ever Need Is You" (with Dottie West) "She Believes in Me" "'Til I Can Make It on My Own" (with Dottie West) "You Decorated My Life" "Coward of the County" "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer" (with Kim Carnes) "Love the World Away" "Lady" "I Don't Need You" "Share Your Love with Me" "Blaze of Glory" "Through the Years" "Love Will Turn You Around" "A Love Song" "We've Got Tonight" (with Sheena Easton) "All My Life" "Scarlet Fever" "Islands in the Stream" (with Dolly Parton) "Eyes That See in the Dark" "This Woman" "Buried Treasure" "Together Again" (with Dottie West) "What About Me?" (with Kim Carnes and James Ingram) "Evening Star" "Crazy" "Morning Desire" "Goodbye Marie" "Tomb of the Unknown Love" "Twenty Years Ago" "Make No Mistake, She's Mine" (with Ronnie Milsap) "I Prefer the Moonlight" "The Factory" "I Don't Call Him Daddy" "When You Put Your Heart in It" "Planet Texas" "The Vows Go Unbroken (Always True to You)" "Maybe" (with Holly Dunn) "Love Is Strange" (with Dolly Parton) "Crazy in Love" "If You Want to Find Love" "Ol' Red" "Mary, Did You Know?" (with Wynonna Judd) "The Greatest" "Buy Me a Rose" (with Alison Krauss and Billy Dean) "He Will, She Knows" "There You Go Again" "Homeland" "I Can't Unlove You"
Guest singles	"What Are We Doin' in Love" (with Dottie West) "Real Love" (with Dolly Parton) "If I Ever Fall in Love Again" (with Anne Murray)
Other songs	"Elvira" "You and I" (with the Bee Gees)
Related articles	Discography The First Edition Kenny Rogers Roasters The Real West