Merry Christmas to You explained

Merry Christmas to You is the thirteenth studio album and first Christmas album by American country music singer Reba McEntire, with most of the tunes being McEntire's renditions of very familiar traditional Christmas fare. It was released on November 27, 1987, by MCA Nashville. It was her last album to bear her surname on the front cover until she released in 2017. Songs from the album would not chart until ten and twelve years after its release.

Personnel

Musicians

• John Barlow Jarvis – keyboards (1, 2)
• Matt Betton – drums (1, 2)
• Tom Brumley – steel guitar (1, 2)
• Larry Byrom – electric guitar (1, 2)
• Bill Cooley – acoustic guitar (3-10), electric guitar (3-10)
• Vince Gill – backing vocals (2)
• Emory Gordy Jr. – bass (1, 2)
• Suzy Hoskins – backing vocals (3-10)
• Donny Howard – acoustic piano (3-10)
• Donnie LaValley – steel guitar (3-10)

• Mac McAnally – acoustic guitar (1, 2)
• Reba McEntire – lead vocals, arrangements (1, 3, 5, 6), backing vocals (3-10)
• Farrell Morris – chimes (1, 2), vibraphone (1, 2)
• Mark O'Connor – fiddle (1, 2)
• Leigh Reynolds – acoustic guitar (3-10), backing vocals (3-10)
• Steve Short – drums (3-10)
• Ricky Solomon – fiddle (3-10)
• Billy Joe Walker Jr. – electric guitar (1, 2)
• Roger Wills – bass (3-10)

Production

• Chuck Ainlay – mixing (1, 2)
• Milan Bogdan – digital editing
• Jimmy Bowen – producer (3-10)
• Tony Brown – producer (1, 2)
• Bob Bullock – overdub recording (3-10), mixing (3-10)
• Mark J. Coddington – second engineer (3-10)
• Katherine DeVault – design
• J. Jacklyn Furriers – fur
• Tim Kish – second engineer (3-10)
• Simon Levy – art direction

• Russ Martin – second engineer (3-10)
• Glenn Meadows – mastering
• Reba McEntire – producer (3-10)
• Jim McGuire – photography
• Jesse Noble – project coordinator
• Ann Payne – styling
• Willie Pevear – overdub recording (3-10)
• Steve Tillisch – recording engineer (1, 2), mixing (1, 2), overdub recording (3-10)
• Ron Treat – recording engineer (3-10)
• Marty Williams – second engineer (3-10)

• • Mixed at The Castle (Franklin, Tennessee).
  • Mastered at Masterfonics (Nashville, Tennessee).

Charts

Album

Chart (1987)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums[1]	72
U.S. Billboard Top Holiday Albums	20

Singles

Year	Single	Peak positions
		US Country[2]
1997	"The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)"	63
1999	"I'll Be Home for Christmas"	68
	"Away in a Manger"	73

Notes and References

1. Web site: Reba McEntire Biography, Albums, Streaming Links AllMusic. AllMusic.
2. Web site: Reba McEntire - Chart history Billboard. www.billboard.com. 7 November 2016.