The Animals' Christmas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Animals' Christmas
Studio album by Art Garfunkel and Amy Grant
Released	October 1986
Recorded	December 23, 1984 December 12, 1985
Genre	Pop, Christmas music
Length	41:27
Label	Columbia
Producer	Art Garfunkel, Jimmy Webb, Geoff Emerick
Art Garfunkel chronology
The Art Garfunkel Album (1984) The Animals' Christmas (1986) Lefty (1988)
Amy Grant chronology
The Collection (1986) The Animals' Christmas (1985) Lead Me On (1988)

The Animals' Christmas is a special Christmas music album. It was released in October 1986. This album features the voices of famous singers Art Garfunkel and Amy Grant. It was Art Garfunkel's first Christmas album.

The songs on the album were written by Jimmy Webb. They tell the story of the Nativity of Jesus. But here's the cool part: the story is told from the point of view of the animals who were there! The album also features the Wimbledon King's College Choir. Many people loved The Animals' Christmas. Some even called it one of the best Christmas albums from the 1980s.

Creating The Animals' Christmas

In the early 1980s, songwriter Jimmy Webb started working on the songs for this album. He got his ideas from a children's book. This book, by Anne Thaxter Eaton, was about the Nativity story. Art Garfunkel became very interested in the project. He felt it was a true labor of love for music.

Art Garfunkel shared his thoughts about making the album. He said Jimmy Webb first showed him a short musical piece in 1983. It was for a children's choir and a small orchestra. This piece was for Jimmy's local church. Art Garfunkel liked that it was not made for money. He followed the rehearsals and loved the music.

He told Jimmy Webb he wanted to be part of it. By the next year, Jimmy had made the music longer. He added parts for Art Garfunkel to sing. These included parts for a solo singer, a narrator, and even the angel Gabriel. A woman's part was also added for the Virgin Mary.

They performed the music live in December. They played at St. John the Divine Cathedral in New York. They also performed at Festival Hall in London. They recorded these live shows. But Art Garfunkel felt the live recordings were "too loose." So, they decided to record the album in a studio.

They started recording in London in 1985. The London Symphony Orchestra played the music. The Wimbledon King's College Choir added their voices. Art Garfunkel recorded his vocals in Montserrat. Amy Grant recorded her vocals in Nashville. Other musicians added their parts in New York. The album was finished by Christmas 1986. Art Garfunkel described it as a very ambitious project. He called it a "gothic cathedral of an album."

How the Album Was Made

The Animals' Christmas was recorded over a year. This happened between December 23, 1984, and December 12, 1985. Different parts of the album were recorded in various places.

• The orchestra recorded at CTS Studios in Wembley, England.
• The boys' choir recorded at St. Paul's Church in Wimbledon, England.
• Art Garfunkel's vocals were recorded at Air Studios in Montserrat, West Indies.
• Amy Grant's vocals were recorded at Bullet Recording in Nashville, Tennessee.
• The organ music was recorded at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City.
• Extra sounds and instruments were added at The Hit Factory in New York City.

Album Art and Booklet

The original album came with a special 12-page booklet. This booklet included all the song lyrics. The lyrics were printed in four different languages. These languages were English, Spanish, French, and German. The beautiful artwork on the album cover was created by Abby Levine.

Song List

All the songs on the album were written by Jimmy Webb. Some songs also included traditional parts or words from other writers.

• "The Annunciation" – 2:38
• "The Creatures of the Field" – 2:31
• "Just a Simple Little Tune" – 2:54
• "The Decree" – 3:25
• "Incredible Phat" – 4:59
• "The Friendly Beasts" (Traditional, Jimmy Webb) – 3:24
• "The Song of the Camels" (Elizabeth Coatsworth, Jimmy Webb) – 2:46
• "Word from an Old Spanish Carol" – 3:41
• "Carol of the Birds" – 2:00
• "The Frog" – 5:15
• "Herod" – 4:21
• "Wild Geese" – 3:33

Who Made the Music and the Album

Music Team

Production Team