George Winston December 1982 Windham Hill Records Original Vinyl LP NM
$
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Description
Welcome to Classic Cadillac Records! I visually grade all my records as accurately as possible and will never grade anything above Near Mint unless it's still sealed. Please note that a visual grade can differ from a play grade, and am happy to spot check a record upon request. All orders are shipped within 1 business day (usually sooner) and packed with extra care to ensure fast, safe arrival. Please look closely at all pictures, read all relevant details and ask any questions you may have before buying. I offer a full 30-day return policy on everything I sell, so buy with confidence! 20% restocking fee charged on items returned for reasons other than it not working properly. Thanks for looking!
December Studio album by George Winston Released 1982 Recorded September/October 1982 Studio Different Fur, San Francisco, California Genre
- Folk
- ambient
- new age
- Christmas
45:25 (20th Anniversary Edition) Label Windham Hill, Dancing Cat (rerelease) Producer William Ackerman
George Winston George Winston chronology Winter into Spring
(1982) December
(1982) The Velveteen Rabbit
(1984)
Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating AllMusic
December is the fourth solo piano album from George Winston. It was recorded during the fall of 1982 and was released at the end of the year. It is a Christmas album, and more generally a tribute to the winter season. The album is a follow up to Winter into Spring from earlier in 1982.
December is Winston's highest-selling album, having been certified triple Platinum by the RIAA, signifying 3 million copies in shipment. The success of the album, along with several of Winston's other albums from the early 1980s, enabled the record label, Windham Hill, to get international distribution and a higher profile. The album also spent 136 weeks on the Billboard 200, reaching a peak of No. 54 in January 1984, over a year after its original release. In 1987, five years after its release, it reached No. 2 on Billboard's Top Holiday Albums chart.
A 20th Anniversary Edition of the album, with two bonus tracks, was released in 2001. The album was again reissued in 2013 by Valley Entertainment with Dancing Cat Records, Winston's own label. This reissue was packaged in a Digipak and features revised cover art.
Critical reception
AllMusic critic William Ruhlmann commented that December ranks as "the mother of all solo instrumental albums, and with good reason. Mixing traditional carols with Pachelbel's Canon and a few originals, Winston produces a solo piano album of unparalleled—and undeniable—beauty. How can music be simultaneously stirring and soothing, relaxed yet exalted? Millions have found the answer here, and an industry has spent decades trying to duplicate it."
Amazon's editorial staff noted "the album is a classic for a reason—few capture the soft, pensive nature of the season quite like Winston's magnum opus."
Track listing
All tracks are written by George Winston, except where noted.
Side One No. Title Writer(s) Liner notes by Winston Length 1. "Thanksgiving" Inspired by friends and places of Miles City, Montana 4:04 2. "Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head" John Jacob Niles Originally an Appalachian carol of the late 1800s 2:40 3. "Joy" J. S. Bach, arr. by David Qualey Inspired by an arrangement by guitarist David Qualey 3:13 4. "Prelude" Inspired by American Peanuts jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi 1:16 5. "Carol of the Bells" M. D. Leontovych; arr. by George Winston 3:56 6. "Night, Part One: Snow" 1:51 7. "Night, Part Two: Midnight" 1:56 8. "Night, Part Three: Minstrels" Malcolm Dalglish Inspired by St. Basil's Hymn, a traditional Greek children's New Year's carol based upon a rendition by American hammered dulcimer player Malcolm Dalglish, from his album Thunderhead (1982) 2:00 Side Two No. Title Writer(s) Liner notes by Winston Length 9. "Variations on the Kanon by Johann Pachelbel" Johann Pachelbel; arr. by George Winston 5:21 10. "The Holly and the Ivy" Traditional; arr. by George Winston 4:52 11. "Some Children See Him" Alfred S. Burt One of 15 carols Burt wrote as gifts for friends. The piece was originally a song with lyrics by Wilha Hutson. 3:43 12. "Peace" 4:02 Total length: 38:54 20th Anniversary Edition bonus tracks No. Title Writer(s) Length 13. "A Christmas Song" John Barry 2:25 14. "Sleep Baby Mine" Alfred S. Burt 4:06 Total length: 45:25price rating
