"The Greatest Gift of All" Released: November 26, 1984
"Medley: Winter Wonderland / Sleigh Ride" Released: November 26, 1984
"The Christmas Song" Released: November 26, 1984
"Christmas Without You" Released: November 25, 1985
"I Believe in Santa Claus" Released: November 23, 1987
Once Upon a Christmas is a collaborative studio album by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. It was released on October 29, 1984, by RCA Records. The album was produced by Rogers with David Foster. It was Rogers' second Christmas album, following 1981's Christmas, and Parton's first. The album's release was accompanied by a CBS television special, Kenny & Dolly: A Christmas to Remember. The album was certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA in 1989.
Background
Rogers and Parton first worked together in 1976 when Rogers was a guest on Parton's syndicated variety series, Dolly. The pair joined forces again on Rogers' 1983 single, "Islands in the Stream", which was a number one hit. Rogers contacted Parton in late 1983 to see if she would be interested in doing a Christmas album with him. Due to the pair's busy schedules, recording did not take place until August 1984. According to an article in Billboard, the album was completed and mixing had taken place by late September.[1]
In an issue of Cashbox, Rogers said of the album, "I was raised in a Baptist family and I've always thought of Christmas as a special time, a time when families who might be apart the rest of the year can come close together again. Something special also happens when Dolly and I get together: it's a case of the whole being even greater than the sum of its parts."[2] Parton said, "This is the first Christmas special or album that I've ever done, so when Kenny called me with the idea, I jumped at it. Kenny and I love singing together; I think the blend of our voices creates a real electricity that comes across on record. He also has a real Santa Claus spirit. He makes working fun, and approaches things like I do, enjoying the people around him."[2]
Release and promotion
The album was released October 29, 1984 on LP, CD, and cassette.
Rogers and Parton promoted the album's release with a television special titled Kenny & Dolly: A Christmas to Remember, which aired December 2, 1984 on CBS. The Bob Giraldi directed special featured performances of all ten songs from the album. These range from a performance with Rogers and Parton as Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus to a performance at a USO party in World War II London to a rousing finale in a down-home country church. The television special was viewed by 30 million people.[3] Following the special, a video excerpt of the "Christmas Without You" performance was serviced to television stations.[3]
Three singles were issued simultaneously in November 1984: "The Greatest Gift of All" (a duet), "Medley: Winter Wonderland/Sleigh Ride" (a Dolly Parton solo), and "The Christmas Song" (a Kenny Rogers solo).[4][5] "The Greatest Gift of All" peaked at number 40 on the BillboardAdult Contemporary chart. It also peaked at number 53 on the Hot Country Singles chart and number 81 on the BillboardHot 100. The Parton solo, "Medley: Winter Wonderland/Sleigh Ride", did not chart during its initial release, but peaked at number 70 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in January 1999. Rogers' solo, "The Christmas Song", failed to chart.
"Christmas Without You" was issued as a single in Europe in November 1984[6] and peaked at number 88 on the UK Singles Chart. It would be issued as a single in the United States in November 1985,[7][8] but failed to chart.
A fifth single, "I Believe in Santa Claus", was issued in the United States in November 1987[9] and also failed to chart.
In a positive review, Billboard said the album "shows signs of emerging as a seasonal blockbuster." The review called Parton's compositions "lively" and said that the album is "devoid of schmaltz" and "sparkles with warmth."[11]
The album debuted at number 19 on the BillboardTop Country Albums chart dated December 15, 1984. It peaked at number 12 on the chart dated January 12, 1985. The album has spent a total of 35 weeks on the chart as of December 2019. The album also peaked at number 31 on both the Billboard 200 and the Canadian Albums Chart. The album also saw success in European countries, peaking at number 33 on the Norwegian Albums chart, number 37 on the Dutch Albums chart, and number 40 on the Swedish Albums chart.
The album received Gold and Platinum certifications from the RIAA on December 3, 1984, and was certified 2× Platinum on October 25, 1989, for shipment of 2 million copies. The album received Gold and Platinum certifications from Music Canada on December 1, 1984. The album was certified 3× Platinum on November 14, 1985, and 4× Platinum on January 21, 1987. It was certified 5× Platinum on April 13, 1988, for shipments of 500,000 copies.
Reissues
In 1997, the album was reissued on the BMG Special Products label with an altered track listing. The song order was slightly rearranged and Rogers' two solos were omitted ("The Christmas Song" and "Silent Night"). However, Parton's 1982 recording of "Hard Candy Christmas" from The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas was added.
