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. It is available on CD, vinyl and as a digital download. The album is a collection of Christmas songs and contains collaborations with artists including Norah Jones and Sara Bareilles. It also features Frank Sinatra's bassist Chuck Berghofer as well as a 65-piece orchestra. 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.
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.
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. 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."
Release Holiday for Swing was released on September 30, 2014, through Republic Records.
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."
Track listing
Personnel Credits adapted from AllMusic:
Production
Joel McNeely – arranger, conductor, liner notes, producer Jonathan Allen – engineer Rich Breen – Engineer, mixing Joy Fehily – executive producer Mark Graham – music preparation Isobel Griffiths – contracting Dave Hage – librarian JoAnn Kane – music preparation Bob Ludwig – mastering Matthew Peak – illustrations
Additional musicians
Sara Bareilles – featured artist Jennifer Barnes – vocals (background) Dan Bates – cor anglais, oboe Chuck Berghofer – bass Mark Berrow – violin Richard Berry – French horn Ishani Bhoola – violin Dave Bishop – B-flat clarinet, flute, flute (alto), sax (tenor) Richard Bissill – French horn Nigel Black – French horn Graeme Blevins – B-flat clarinet, flute, flute (alto), sax (alto), sax (soprano) John Bradbury – violin Gordon Campbell – trombone (tenor) Emil Chakalov – violin Reiad Chibah – viola Chris Cowie – cor anglais, oboe Dave Daniels – celli Tim Davis – vocal contractor, vocals (background) Caroline Dearnley – celli Alison Dods – violin Phillip Eastop – French horn Dai Emanuel – violin Peter Erskine – drums Andrew Gathercole – flugelhorn, trumpet Richard George – violin Tim Gill – celli Adam Goldsmith – guitar (acoustic) Missi Hale – vocals (background) David Hartley – celeste, piano Andrew Haveron – leader, violin John Heley – celli Ian Humphries – violin Magnus Johnston – leader, violin Karen Jones – flute Norah Jones – featured artist Skaila Kanga – harp Patrick Kiernan – violin Liam Kirkman – trombone (tenor) Julia Knight – viola Teri Eiko Koide – vocals (background) Boguslaw Kostecki – violin David Loucks – vocals (background) Mike Lovatt – flugelhorn, trumpet Jim Lynch – flugelhorn, trumpet Seth MacFarlane – vocals, liner notes Rita Manning – violin Danny Marsden – flugelhorn, trumpet Eliza Marshall – flute Howard McGill – B-flat clarinet, flute, flute (alto), sax (tenor) Steve Morris – violin Nick Moss – B-flat clarinet, flute, flute (alto), sax (tenor) Kate Musker – viola Everton Nelson – leader, violin Mark Nightingale – trombone (tenor) Andy Panayi – B-flat clarinet, flute, flute (alto), sax (alto), sax (soprano) John Parricelli – guitar (acoustic) Alan Pasqua – piano Camilla Pay – harp David Pyatt – French horn Frank Ricotti – percussion Tom Rizzo – guitar (acoustic) Martin Robertson – B-flat clarinet, clarinet (bass), flute, sax (baritone) Jackie Shave – leader, violin Emlyn Singleton – violin Colin Skinner – B-flat clarinet, clarinet (bass), flute, sax (baritone) Sonia Slany – violin Jamie Talbot – B-flat clarinet, flute, flute (alto), sax (alto), sax (soprano) Cathy Thompson – violin Phil Todd – B-flat clarinet, flute, flute (alto), sax (alto), sax (soprano) Chris Tombling – violin Bozidar Vukotic – celli Vicci Wardman – viola Richard Watkins – French horn Bruce White – viola Pat White – flugelhorn, trumpet Rolf Wilson – violin Andy Wood – trombone (bass)
Chart performance Chart (2014)Peak positionUS Top Holiday Albums (Billboard) 8
Release history RegionDateFormat(s)LabelUnited StatesSeptember 30, 2014Republic
References