New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Integrity Music/ Zomba Gospel) - In time for the most wonderful time of the year, GOTTA HAVE GOSPEL! CHRISTMAS will begin spreading holiday cheer on Oct. 20, 2009, as 15 of today's brightest and most renowned gospel artists lend their voices in celebration of the birth of Christ - the real reason for the season.
From top to bottom, GOTTA HAVE GOSPEL! CHRISTMAS is comprised of nearly all yuletide standards and classics performed by gospel's biggest stars, including Donnie McClurkin's "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," Mary Mary's "Oh Come All Ye Faithful," Fred Hammond's "Go Tell It on the Mountain," Yolanda Adams' "Little Drummer Boy," Donald Lawrence & the Tri-City Singers' "Carol of the Bells," and Martha Munizzi's "O Little Town of Bethlehem."
GOTTA HAVE GOSPEL! CHRISTMAS also includes a number of modern, worshipful chestnuts, including Kirk Franklin & The Family's "Now Behold the Lamb," Richard Smallwood with Vision's "Oh What a Night," John P. Kee & The New Life Community Choir's "Let Us Adore Him," and "We Wish You a Timeless Christmas," a knockout duet between Israel Houghton and CeCe Winans.
"Gospel consumers and music fans everywhere will love this homage to the greatest songs of Christmas as well as newly re-purposed classics done in a contemporary gospel style," says Daniel D. McGuffey, chief marketing officer of Integrity Media. "Some of the biggest gospel artists in the world have put their unique signature spin on these wonderful songs, which makes for a marvelous seasonal experience."
Also featured on the release of GOTTA HAVE GOSPEL! CHRISTMAS, is former American Idol finalist Mandisa which includes her stunning rendition of the Christmas standout "O Holy Night," produced to perfection by the multiple GRAMMY Award-winning Brown Bannister (Michael W. Smith, Point of Grace).
GOTTA HAVE GOSPEL! CHRISTMAS arrives on the heels of the hot-off-the-presses GOTTA HAVE GOSPEL 7, which was issued Sept. 8, 2009 and debuted at No. 11 on Billboard's Gospel Albums sales chart. The two-disc set contains the latest hits dominating gospel radio, including Mary Mary's "God in Me," Kurt Carr & the Kurt Carr Singers' "Peace and Favor Rest on Us," and Israel Houghton's "Just Wanna Say."
A joint venture between Integrity Music and Zomba Gospel, the gold-selling GOTTA HAVE GOSPEL! series compiles the biggest artists and songs in gospel music, providing a comprehensive, one-stop source for core and casual gospel listeners. The talents assembled in the series' annual compilations have sold upwards of 20 million combined career sales, are fixtures in Billboard's airplay and sales charts, and collected numerous GRAMMY, Stellar, GMA Dove, and Soul Train awards. To date, the GOTTA HAVE GOSPEL! product line accounts for more than 2 million in lifetime sales.
