September 30, 2008
September 2008, Podcast: Amy shares Christmas memories and the stories behind the four new songs she recorded for The Christmas Collection: Listen
The Christmas Collection Tour schedule
Christmas Tour Pictures and videos
Tracks
Sometimes we're so busy moving ahead that it's hard to stop and look back,
but if there's anything Amy Grant has learned over the course of her
multi-platinum career, it's that sometimes reflection can be as important to
the creative process as invention. It's her penchant for simultaneously
celebrating the past while forging ahead to the future that make this a unique
time in her career, and it's what fuels her two most recent releases, "The
Christmas Collection," and the special 20th anniversary re-issue of her landmark
album "Lead Me On."
"I was so inspired looking back, it really has energized me for the next season
of my life spiritually and creatively," says Grant, a music industry icon who
has sold over 25 million albums and earned six Grammy and 23 Dove Awards.
Indeed the talented singer/songwriter has never been busier. In addition to
readying the Christmas project and the new "Lead Me On" edition, Grant is also
working on her music for her upcoming studio album, her first collection of all
new music since 2003's "Simple Things." This fall, she'll embark on a reunion
tour with seven of the 10 musicians who toured with her on the original "Lead Me
On" trek, and she'll wrap up the year with a Christmas tour featuring her
husband Vince Gill.
For many families, Grant's Christmas music has become part of the soundtrack of
their lives, having sold over 6 million Christmas albums alone. Her first
Christmas project, 1983's "A Christmas Album," has been certified platinum. Her
second holiday effort, 1992's "Home for Christmas," has been certified triple
platinum and 1999's "A Christmas to Remember" has been certified gold by the
RIAA.
In assembling "The Christmas Collection," Grant culled her favorite songs from
her three previous holiday albums and added four new recordings---two are covers
of longtime favorites and two are brand new Christmas tunes. "I don't very often
listen to my old stuff, but I sat down one night and I just went through each of
those three earlier Christmas records and I picked songs that were favorite
moments for me. There were the obvious choices like "Tennessee Christmas" and
"Breath of Heaven," but I also wanted to include some that artistically meant a
lot to me, " she explains. "For instance, I chose 'O Come All Ye Faithful'
because Phil Keaggy is playing guitar and he is one of the world's greatest
guitar players. I love knowing that he is playing on this compilation."
There are also new covers of such perennial favorites as "Jingle Bells" and
"Count Your Blessings" and two brand new tunes. Produced by her longtime friend
Brown Bannister, the four new tracks have that timeless flavor reminiscent of
the classic Christmas records that Grant grew up savoring during the holidays.
"Believe it or not, I have never seen the movie 'White Christmas,'" Grant says
of the movie that spawned "Count Your Blessings," "but I really love the
thought, 'Count your blessings.' I love what it says in the song and I think
it's true. It reminds me of an old hymn that I used to sing growing up called
'count your blessings�name them one by one'. Now, anytime I start getting the
blues or feel like I'm just spinning my wheels, I find myself going back to that
thought of daily counting your blessings. It's a great mantra especially at
Christmas time; 'if it's not a season of life you want to celebrate, it's a
great thing to remember. 'You can waste time and energy on things that don't
necessarily help but gratitude is a gateway to changing how you look at life.
Grant wrote one of the new songs, "I Need a Silent Night," an instant Christmas
classic people will find easily relatable, with Chris Eaton, who co-penned
"Breath of Heaven" with her. "Chris and I had written songs for each of my
previous Christmas albums, so I couldn't imagine not having him on this new
collection. As our conversation for a new song began he started talking about
all the excitement around shopping. He loves to shop and loves the buzz and
decorations associated with it. However, as his energy level starting going up,
up, up, while talking about it my stomach was tightening and I was sweating
because the experience is totally different when you're the mother of young
kids�so we kept talking and the idea of 'I Need A Silent Night' came about. I
love the message of the song. Christmas can be a time for such high energy,
busyness and chaos, but at the end of the day what I really need is a silent
night to reflect on the real meaning of the season. The highlight for me on this
song was having Corrina record the Luke account of The Christmas Story. I'm glad
we have her voice frozen in time on this track.
She and her husband also wrote a new song for "The Christmas Collection." "Vince
is constantly playing music around the house and was noodling with some music
which happened to coincide with us trying to find new songs for the new
Christmas record.," she says. "We wrote that over a cup of coffee one morning
and it's a very romantic Christmas song. I don't think anybody really thinks
about Christmas Eve as being the most romantic time, especially if you have
children because you are exhausted, but if you could have a time like this, what
would it be like? We tried to write a song that would bring that to life."
In addition to sharing her new Christmas music during a holiday tour, Grant will
also be on the road this fall reviving the music from "Lead Me On," the
legendary 1988 project that remains among the most influential albums ever
recorded in Christian music. Grant humbly confesses that the album's enduring
popularity has surprised her. "When you're recording, you're just hoping that
someone will listen to it then," she says. "You're not thinking about 20 years
down the road. At that point, 20 years down the road seemed forever. I probably
assumed I would not be making music 20 years down the road. Your perspective
changes with time and I remember just thinking, 'I'm not going to be one of
those women that's just way past your prime and if I'm still singing when I'm
40, somebody get a hook and come drag me off stage.' That's how I felt in my
20's, but then you get to be in your 40's and go, 'I've got so much more to say
now!'"
When asked why she thinks the album remains a favorite among both fans and music
critics, she responds, "The production was very cutting edge for its time, and I
think it aged well. I think the songs are honest and intriguing, and I believe
the reckless honesty on that record is compelling."
Grant says the "Lead Me On" album came during a particularly poignant time in
her life and reflects a hard won maturity. "I was pregnant with Matt," she
recalls of expecting her first child. "I was recording into my pregnancy and
right after he was born; and my grandmother had just died. I was just wrestling
with facing some more adult issues. . . .I think I had just realized that life
can't be tied up in a neat bow and I was just wanting to just reflect on that."
Grant took all the emotions she was feeling at the time and turned them into
songs that would touch a generation wrestling with the same issues, and the
relevance of that music continues today as fans have embraced "Lead Me On" all
over again. The 20th anniversary special edition not only includes the original
album, but also second disc that features newly recorded acoustic versions of
key tracks as well as live recordings from the original "Lead Me On" tour.
"We actually had a multi-track recording of a couple of concerts that we had
never even listened to and they just sat in a vault," she says. "When EMI said
we want to re-release 'Lead Me On,' I thought, 'thank goodness, we went through
all this effort years ago to record it.' I'm so glad we did because hearing
those recordings is what inspired wanting to revisit the tour. When we go back
out and tour this fall, we're actually going to use an old set list to build the
foundation for the evening."
For the reunion tour, Grant invited the musicians who helped her take those
songs on the road 20 years ago. "It's going to be a fun walk down memory lane
for all of us because we've all gone on to other lives and certainly other
jobs," she says of the tour which will include such stellar players as Jerry
McPherson, Chris Rodriguez, Chris Eaton, Greg Morrow, Ken Rarick, and Warren
Ham. "What has been so amazing is people have wanted to come back and
participate. I'm excited about being back with almost everybody from our
original group."
Grant has also been working on the songs that will define the next chapter of
her illustrious career. "It really wasn't until I revisited "Lead Me On" that I
became re-energized to create new music. It was a real catalyst in the creative
process for me. I've been writing a lot of songs, and I'm very excited to get
back in the studio.
Ever since her teen years as a fresh-faced singer/songwriter who helped shape
the burgeoning contemporary Christian scene to her groundbreaking success as a
crossover artist, Amy Grant has consistently voiced our collective hopes,
dreams, fears and joys. With warmth, humor and grace, she continues to move
forward taking us all with her on an amazing musical journey. "I'm glad everyday
to be alive," she says with a smile. "I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I
feel like I'm getting better at living in the day instead of living in the past
and trying to anticipate tomorrow. From a songwriting standpoint, I hope my best
songwriting is
in the future. I love the creative process and it never gets old."