Wikipedia

My Christmas

For 2014 album, see My Christmas (Plácido Domingo album). For the Christmas special of the album, see My Christmas Special.

My Christmas[1] is the thirteenth studio album and first Christmas album released by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.[2]

My Christmas
Studio album by
Andrea Bocelli
ReleasedNovember 3, 2009
GenreChristmas
Length59:17 (US)
LabelUniversal, Philips, Decca, Verve, Sugar
ProducerDavid Foster, Renato Serio
Andrea Bocelli chronology
Incanto
(2008) 		My Christmas
(2009) 		Carmen: Duets & Arias
(2010)
Singles from My Christmas
  1. "White Christmas"
    Released: 3 November 2009
  2. "What Child Is This"
    Released: 3 November 2009

The album is a compilation of seasonal holiday favorites, mainly in English, with a few selections in Italian, German, and French, produced by multiple Grammy Award winner David Foster, containing duets with Mary J. Blige, Natalie Cole, Reba McEntire, Katherine Jenkins, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and the Muppets.[3] It also includes "God Bless Us Everyone", the only original song of the album, which Bocelli recorded for the closing of the 2009 film, A Christmas Carol.[4][5]

A Spanish version of the album, called Mi Navidad, was released November 23, 2009,[6] and a PBS Christmas special of the album, filmed in the Kodak Theatre, was released on DVD December 8, 2010, after airing on PBS stations nationwide.

With over 2.2 million copies sold in the last two months of 2009 in the United States alone, the album was the best-selling holiday album of the year, and one of the best-selling albums of 2009, with worldwide sales exceeding 5 million copies.[7][8][9]

As of November 2014, My Christmas has sold over 3,010,000 copies in the United States, making it one of the best-selling holiday albums in the United States, since Nielsen SoundScan tracking music sales tracking began in 1991.[10]

Release and promotion

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2009

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The Andrea Bocelli & David Foster Christmas Special, the PBS special of the album, first aired on Thanksgiving night in the United States, and continued to be broadcast in the United States and Canada throughout the month of December. In late November, the program was broadcast in Mexico and in the UK; it later aired, December 15 and 25, on Italia 1, in Italy, December 19, on TVE2 and TROS, in Spain and the Netherlands, and Christmas Eve, on vtm and RTL-TVI, in Belgium and Luxembourg.

On November 3, during the World Premiere of Disney's A Christmas Carol, in Leicester Square, London, following the switching on of the annual Oxford Street and Regent Street Christmas lights, Bocelli led the St Paul's Cathedral Choir, and more than 14,000 people across the capital, as they broke the Official Guinness World Record for the biggest ever Christmas carol sing-along, singing "Silent Night". He completed his performance in Leicester Square with, "God Bless Us Everyone", the closing song of the movie, which he provided the vocals for in English, Italian and Spanish.[4][5] He returned to the United Kingdom, December 16, for an appearance on The One Show, broadcast live by BBC One, and on The Alan Titchmarsh Show which aired December 18, on ITV1.

On November 21, a segment of Leute Heute, a German tabloid-program on ZDF, was about My Christmas and Bocelli's meeting in Rome with Pope Benedict XVI and 250 other artists, an event which was broadcast live earlier that day in Italy, by Rai Uno. Bocelli was also joined by the Piccolo Coro dell'Antoniano, in his home in Forte dei Marmi, where they sang "Caro Gesù Bambino", a song from My Christmas which was originally recorded by the choir in 1960. Rai Uno also broadcast the performance later that day, during the Zecchino d'Oro Festival. The following day, Bocelli was among Fabio Fazio's guests, on his popular Italian talk-show, Che tempo che fa, broadcast on Rai Tre. During the program Bocelli talked about his album and performed "The Lord's Prayer", "White Christmas", and "Silent Night". It was also announced that Bocelli will return to the show, December 20, where he will give a live concert of My Christmas. Bocelli also took part in the annual 2009 José Carreras Gala, on December 17, where he sang Adeste Fideles, before singing "White Christmas" with José Carreras for the very first time, which was broadcast live, by Das Erste, in Germany. He then returning to Italy, for a concert in the Upper Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi, on December 19, which was broadcast directly after the Urbi et Orbi blessing of Pope Benedict XVI, December 25, on Rai Uno.

In North America, Bocelli gave 6 concerts. On November 28, he performed in the BankAtlantic Center, in Sunrise, Florida. He later performed in the Air Canada Centre, in Toronto, Canada, in the Izod Center, in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the William Saroyan Theatre, in Fresno, California, (changed from the much larger venue, the Save Mart Center, due to scheduling conflicts), in the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, and finally in the Honda Center, in Anaheim, California, on December 3, 5, 8, 12, and 13. His last three arena concerts alone grossed a total of over 5.6 million dollars, placing him third on Billboard's week's Hot Tours ranking, behind the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Il Divo, who both held over 5 times more concerts worldwide, compared to Bocelli's three in the United States, explaining their better showings.[11]

In the United States, Bocelli made a number of high-profile TV appearances. He first performed "White Christmas" at the 83rd annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, broadcast live on NBC, November 26. He then performed the song again, November 30, during The Today Show also live. His appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show during her Holiday Music Extravaganza, where he sang "What Child Is This", with Mary J. Blige, and later closed the show with Adeste Fideles, was also aired the same day, and was later rebroadcast on December 23. Bocelli also sang "Adeste Fideles" and was interviewed by Barbara Walters and Joy Behar on The View, which aired December 2, on ABC. On December 8, he performed "Jingle Bells" with the Muppets on NBC's The Jay Leno Show. He also performed a number of songs from the album, including "The Christmas Song" with Natalie Cole, during a dinner at David Foster's mansion in Malibu, which was feathered on The Dr. Phil Show, on December 10. Bocelli also performed "White Christmas" and "Silent Night", on Larry King Live's and Fox & Friends' holiday specials, broadcast December 23 on CNN, and December 19, 24 and 25 on Fox News. Bocelli's rendition of "Silent Night" was chosen as the Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week, for December 1, 2009.[12] Starbucks also offered My Christmas for sale, in their stores.[13]

In Brasil, following the success of the South American leg of the Incanto tour, were over 100,000 people attended his free concert at the São Paulo's "Parque Indipendencia", earlier in the year,[14] it was announced that Bocelli would hold another Open-Air, entrance free, concert in Florianópolis, on December 28, where a crowd of about a million people was expected to attend. However, for financial and political reasons, the concert was later canceled on short notice, along with all the other events scheduled for Christmas in the city.

2010

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As part of the 2010 leg of the My Christmas Tour, Bocelli gave two concerts in the two largest indoor arenas of the United Kingdom, The O2 Arena, in London, and the M.E.N. Arena, in Manchester, and a concert in the largest indoor arena in Ireland, The O2, in Dublin, in late November 2010.[15][16][17] His sold out concert at the O2 in London, was the most attended show in the venue's history, with 16,500 people attending the event.[18]

In early December, Bocelli gave 6 concerts in the United States. He will perform in Madison Square Garden, in New York City, Prudential Center, in Newark, New Jersey, TD Garden, in Boston, Toyota Center, in Houston, Staples Center, in Los Angeles, and the MGM Grand's Garden Arena, in the Las Vegas Strip.[19] The Toyota Center concert, in Houston, was attended by former president George Bush Sr. and first lady Barbara Bush.

Bocelli also toke part in the Christmas in Washington special on December 12, in the presence of president Barack Obama and the first lady.[20][21] On December 19, Bocelli gave a concert, conducted by Claudio Scimone, in the Italian Senate.[22] The concert was attended by Italy's top officials including Italy's president Giorgio Napolitano, Renato Schifani, the president of the Italian Senate, Gianfranco Fini, the president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies and Tarcisio Bertone, Cardinal Secretary of State of the Holy See.[23]

2011

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Bocelli gave 5 concerts in the United States in December 2011,[24] in support of both My Christmas and his then new live album, Concerto: One Night in Central Park. Bocelli also performed White Christmas in an appearance at Good Morning America, airing December 22.

Critical reception

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The album received generally positive reviews.

Matt Collar of AllMusic gave the album a positive review and praised it as "not only a warm and inviting holiday album, but also a superb classical crossover entry worthy of Bocelli's discography."[25]

Commercial performance

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In the United States, despite being released in early November, My Christmas was the fifth best-selling album of 2009, and second, only to Susan Boyle's debut album I Dreamed A Dream, in the lists of best-selling albums released in 2009, best-selling albums during the 2009 holiday season, and best-selling 2009 Internet Albums.[7][8] It was also the best-selling holiday album of 2009, with just under 2.21 million units sold in only nine weeks, over four times as many as the year's second seasonal seller, Sting's If on a Winter's Night..., and nearly as many copies as the rest of the top ten seasonal best-sellers combined.[8] It is only the second Christmas album, in Nielsen SoundScan history, to wind up in the year-end top five, the other being Josh Groban's Noël, the best-selling album of 2007.[26] By November 2014, My Christmas had sold 3.01 million copies in the US,[8][27][28][29] making it one of the best-selling holiday album in the United States since Nielsen SoundScan music sales tracking began in 1991.

My Christmas was also the sixth best-selling album of 2009, fifth best-selling album released in 2009, second best-selling album during the holiday season, and best-selling holiday album, in Canada, with 228,000 units sold in the country, 222,000 of which were physical sales, making it also the sixth best-physical seller of the year.[30] Bocelli was also the sixth and tenth best-selling artist of the year, in the United States and Canada respectively, with 2,668,000 and 264,000 units of his albums sold in both countries, in 2009.[8][30]

My Christmas sold over 5 million copies worldwide, in 2009 alone, despite being released internationally for a little over a month during the year,[9] making it the 10th best selling album in 2009, worldwide.[31][32]

United States

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My Christmas was listed in the top three on the Billboard 200 chart in its first eight weeks on the chart, selling over 100,000 copies on each of those weeks, and spending five of them at the No. 2 position, making it the first album to spend five or more weeks peaking in the runner-up position, since Now 8, in 2001, and the 11th to do so in the last 25 years.[33] It also held the No. 1 position on the US Classical albums chart, for nine consecutive weeks, and on the Holiday albums chart for eight consecutive weeks, slipping to No. 2 on its ninth week of release (the week after Christmas). On December 7, 2009, My Christmas was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of more than two million copies in the US.[34]

My Christmas first arrived at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, and at No. 1 on both the US Classical albums and holiday albums charts, with 149,000 copies sold on its first week, marking Bocelli's fifth top 10 effort and a record-setting seventh No. 1 peaking, on the Billboard 200 chart and Classical albums chart, respectively. It also marked, at the time, Bocelli's best sales week since Cieli di Toscana blew through 177,000 over Christmas week of 2001, and his second-best debut sales week, trailing only Bocelli's 1999 album Sogno, which pulled in a slightly better first-week number.[35][36] Moreover, at No. 3, it marked Bocelli's highest chart debut in America, since his 2006 album, Amore.[36] However, the album climbed one notch to No. 2, with 136,000 units sold (down a scant 8%) in its second week,[37] and remained at No. 2 the following four weeks, with 185,000 units sold (a gain of 36%) in its third week,[38] 218,000 sold (a gain of 18%) in its fourth,[39] and another 428,000 (up 97%) sold in its fifth week,[40] 20,000 of which were digital copies, making it the top selling album on iTunes and the No. 1 US Digital Album, of the week.[41][42][43] Its fifth week marked Bocelli's best sales week in America to date, in which My Christmas surpassed a million in total (1,12 million), and became his best-selling album in the States, since the release of Amore in 2006 (1,66 million), as well as his highest-charting album in the country.[40] The album then continued to play runner-up to Susan Boyle's Dream, for a third week, with an additional 400,000 units sold (down 7%) in its sixth week.[44]

After five weeks stuck at No. 2, My Christmas slipped one notch to No. 3 with 390,000 units sold (down 3%) in its seventh week,[45] in which the album blew through 1,9 million copies and became Bocelli's third-best seller in America, behind Romanza (4.2 million) and Sogno (2.5 million), and his best-seller released in the first decade of the 21st century.[45] Bocelli remained at No. 3 the following week, with an additional 284,000 units sold (down 27%) on the album's eighth week,[46] before slipping thirty-one positions to No. 34, with only 17,000 units sold (down 94%) in its ninth and final sales week of 2009.[47]

My Christmas re-entered the Billboard 200 chart in late November 2010, peaking at No. 11 in mid-December and selling over 70,000 units that week (fewer than 100 copies away from re-entering the top 10).[48] The album's total 2010 sales were at 371,000 copies,[27] making My Christmas the only catalog album among the five best-selling holiday albums of 2010, after topping the list the previous year, as well as Bocelli's second-best selling album ever in the U.S., surpassing his 1999 album Sogno, and trailing only his 1997 breakthrough album Romanza, with just under 2.6 million copies sold in the country in its two years of release. The album also spent four consecutive weeks at No. 1, on Billboard's Catalog Albums Chart, in December 2010.[49][50][51][52] The only previous time Bocelli had topped the Catalog Chart was in 2000, over a decade earlier, with his album Romanza.[53] My Christmas was the second best selling Catalog album of the year, surpassed only by Adele's 2008 album, 19.[54]

The album yet again reentered the chart in mid November 2011. For the week ending December 4, the album jumped 33 positions to No. 17,[55] in its 24th week on the chart, with 35,000 copies sold, topping the Catalog Albums Chart for the second straight year, and for a fifth week since its release. Bocelli was the only artist with two albums in the top 20 during that week, as his 2011 live album, Concerto, One Night in Central Park returned to the Top 10, reaching No. 8.[56] The following week, the album jumped one spot to No. 16, the highest position achieved by a catalog album that season, with 49,000 copies sold, spending a sixth non-consecutive week a top the Catalog Chart,[57] and giving Bocelli a second week with 2 albums in the Top 20,[58] as Concerto also rose to No. 6, with 79,000 copies sold.[59] Bocelli had yet another week with 2 albums in the Top 20 of the Billboard 200 chart, as My Christmas slipped only 3 positions to No. 19 with 48,000 copies sold, remaining on top of the Catalog Chart, while Concerto sold 76,000 more copies, sliding just two positions to No. 8 on the chart.[60] The following week, the Christmas album dropped to No. 36,[61] slipping to No. 2 on the Catalog chart after spending 3 straight week a top the chart,[62] while the live album dropped to No. 13.[63] My Christmas sold a total of 247,000 copies in 2011, placing it in the top 10 of the Top selling seasonal albums of the year, at No. 6, for the third consecutive year, and making it the best selling Catalog Holiday album for the second year.[28] The album was also 9th on the Billboard Year-End top-selling Catalog album chart,[64] slipping from being second the previous year. In the meantime Bocelli's other album Concerto sold 460,000 copies in its 6 weeks of release during the year, making it the 8th top selling albums during the 2011 Holiday Season.[28]

In November 2012, My Christmas reentered the Billboard 200 chart, reaching No. 2 on the Catalog Albums Chart, second only to Michael Bublé's 2011 Christmas album, on its second week of the season.[65] For the week ending December 2, the album jumped 43 positions to No. 36,[66] with nearly 20,000 copies sold on its 31st week on the chart, also reaching No. 3 on the Catalog albums chart,[67] and reentering the Top 10 of the Holiday albums chart.[68] The following week, the album climbed another spot on both the Billboard 200 and Holiday albums charts, reaching No. 35,[69] and No. 9,[70] respectively, its peak positions of the season on both charts. It also spent another week at No. 3 on the Catalog albums Chart.[71] My Christmas sold a total of 123,000 copies in 2012, placing it in the top 10 of the Top selling seasonal albums of the year, at No. 10, for the fourth consecutive year, dropping to fourth among Catalog Holiday albums after being first the two previous years.[29]

Canada

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My Christmas was listed in the top three of the Canadian Albums Chart for six consecutive weeks, and was No. 2 in four of those weeks. It debuted at No. 15 on the chart,[41] and climbed to No. 8 in its second week on the chart.[72][73][74][75] On its third week however, with an additional 16,000 units sold, it shot up six positions to No. 2,[76][77][78][79] marking Bocelli's highest peak positioning in Canada since Sogno topped the Canadian Albums chart, on its debut week a decade earlier, in 1999.[80] On its fourth week, the album slipped one notch to No. 3,[81] and stayed there, with another 42,000 units sold, on its fifth week.[82][83][84][85][86] The following week, the album was back on the No. 2 spot on the chart,[87] and stayed there the following 2 weeks, with an additional 53,000 units sold on its seventh week of release,[88][89][90][91][92] and around 30,000 on its eighth.[93] In its ninth week, the last sales week of 2009, the album slipped twenty positions to No. 22 on the chart, but remained No. 1 on the Canadian classical albums chart, a position it held in all its nine weeks, in 2009.

Italy

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My Christmas spent a total of 3 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Italian FIMI Albums Chart, debuting at No. 7, with just under 10,000 copies sold in its first week of release,[94] and climbing, the following week, to No. 3 with around 16,000 sold in its second.[95] In its third week, the album climbed another notch to No. 2, with an additional 28,000 copies,[96] before reaching the No. 1 spot, with 72,000 units sold in its fourth week,[97] where it remained the following 2 week, with 92,000 units sold in its fifth week,[98] and 23,000 units sold in its sixth week of release.[99]

Hungary and Poland

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My Christmas also topped the Hungarian Albums Chart,[100] achieving triple platinum status,[101] and becoming the second best selling album of 2009 in the country.[102]

The album also topped the Polish Albums Chart, for 3 consecutive weeks in 2009.[103] In December 2011, exactly two years later, My Christmas reentered the Polish album chart at No. 2,[104] and went on to top it the following week,[105] giving it a total of four non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the chart.

United Kingdom

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In the United Kingdom, My Christmas debuted at No. 18, with over 41,000 units sold on its first week of release,[106] then slipped to No. 24, on its second, and stayed there on its third, before slipping one notch to No. 25 on its fourth week, with a three-week total exceeding 100,000 copies.

Mi Navidad chart performance

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Mi Navidad, the Spanish version of the album, arrived at No. 180 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling just under 7,000 copies on its first week, and peaked at No.1 on both the US Latin Albums and the US Latin Pop Albums charts, and at No. 3, on the US Classical Albums chart,[6] at which time Bocelli held the No. 1 and No. 3 spots simultaneously on the chart, with the two versions of the album, for 4 consecutive weeks.[107][108][109][110] Mi Navidad shipped 50,000 units in 2009 in the United States, and was certified gold by the RIAA.[111]

Singles

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"White Christmas"

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"White Christmas" was recorded by Bocelli for the album. The song debuted at No. 7 on the Hungarian Singles Chart.[112]

"What Child is This"

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Bocelli covered "What Child Is This?" for the album, singing the carol with American R&B singer Mary J. Blige. The single was released in North America on November 3, 2009, the same release date as the album.

Bocelli performed the song with Blige for his PBS My Christmas Special, which aired on PBS stations throughout the month of December. He later performed the song with Blige on the Holiday Music Extravaganza edition of The Oprah Winfrey Show, which aired November 30, 2009.[113]

"What Child is This" entered the US Hot Digital Songs chart on December 9, 2009, at number 63.

Chart (2009) Peak
position
Canadian Hot 100[41] 66
US Hot Digital Songs[41] 63

Track listing

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North American standard listing[114]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."White Christmas/Bianco Natale"Irving Berlin, DevilliDavid Foster3:59
2."Angels We Have Heard On High"TraditionalFoster3:53
3."Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"J. Fred Coots, Haven GillespieFoster3:32
4."The Christmas Song" (with Natalie Cole)Mel Tormé, Robert WellsFoster4:33
5."The Lord's Prayer" (with Mormon Tabernacle Choir)TraditionalFoster4:25
6."What Child Is This?" (with Mary J. Blige)William Chatterton DixFoster4:31
7."Adeste Fideles"John Francis Wade, Jean François BorderiesRenato Serio3:33
8."O Tannenbaum"Ernst Anschütz, Joachim August ZarnackFoster4:18
9."Jingle Bells" (with the Muppets)James PierpontFoster3:35
10."Silent Night"Joseph Mohr, Franz Xaver Gruber, John Freeman YoungFoster4:36
11."Blue Christmas" (with Reba McEntire)Billy Hayes, Jay W. JohnsonFoster4:18
12."Cantique De Noel"Adolphe Adam, Placide CappeauFoster4:34
13."Caro Gesù Bambino"Piero Soffici, Pier Quinto CariaggiFoster1:43
14."I Believe" (with Katherine Jenkins)Eric LéviFoster4:24
15."God Bless Us Everyone" (from the A Christmas Carol soundtrack)Glen Ballard, Alan SilvestriGlen Ballard, Alan Silvestri3:15
International standard listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."White Christmas/Bianco Natale"BerlinFoster3:58
2."Angels We Have Heard On High" Foster3:53
3."Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"Coots, GillespieFoster3:32
4."The Christmas Song" (with Cole)Tormé, WellsFoster4:32
5."The Lord's Prayer" (with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir) Foster4:24
6."What Child Is This" (with Blige)Chatterton DixFoster4:30
7."Adeste Fideles"Wade, BorderiesSerio3:33
8."O Tannenbaum"Anschütz, ZarnackFoster4:17
9."Jingle Bells" (with the Muppets)PierpontFoster3:34
10."Silent Night"Mohr, Gruber, YoungFoster4:36
11."Blue Christmas" (with Malika Ayane)Hayes, JohnsonFoster4:17
12."Cantique De Noel"Adam, CappeauFoster4:34
13."Caro Gesù Bambino"Soffici, CariaggiFoster1:43
14."Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle"Alphonsus LiguoriSerio2:49
15."God Bless Us Everyone"Ballard, SilvestriBallard, Silvestri3:15
16."I Believe" (with Jenkins)LéviFoster4:24
Mi Navidad (Spanish version) standard listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Blanca Navidad (White Christmas)"BerlinFoster3:59
2."Gloria In Excelsis Deo (Angels We Have Heard On High)"ChadwickFoster3:53
3."Santa Claus Llego' A La Ciudad (Santa Claus Is Coming To Town)"Coots, GillespieFoster3:32
4."The Christmas Song" (with Cole)Tormé, WellsFoster4:33
5."The Lord's Prayer" (with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir) Foster4:25
6."What Child Is This" (with Blige)Chatterton DixFoster4:31
7."Venid Adoremos (Adeste Fideles)"Wade, BorderiesSerio3:33
8."El Abeto (O Tannenbaum)"Anschütz, ZarnackFoster4:18
9."Jingle Bells" (with the Muppets)PierpontFoster3:35
10."Noche De Paz (Silent Night)"Mohr, Gruber, YoungFoster4:36
11."Blue Christmas" (with Malika Ayane)Hayes, JohnsonFoster4:18
12."Santa La Noche (Cantique De Noel)"Adam, CappeauFoster4:34
13."Caro Gesu Bambino"Soffici, CariaggiFoster1:43
14."Bajas De Las Estrellas (Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle)"Alphonsus LiguoriSerio2:49
15."Dios Nos Bendecira (God Bless Us Everyone)"SilvestriSilvestri3:16

Personnel

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Unless otherwise indicated, credits are adapted from liner notes[115]

  • Andrea Bocelli - vocals (tracks 1, 4, 11–14, lead on 2–3, 5–10, 15), melodica (3), flute solo (8, 14)
  • Janet Adderly - kids choir conductor (track 3)
  • The Adderly School Kids Choir - background vocals (track 3)
  • Animal - Muppets group member voiced by Eric Jacobson[116] (track 9)
  • Haydn Bendall - orchestral recording engineer (tracks 1–6, 8–14)
  • Tom Bender - assistant audio mixing (track 15)
  • Mary J. Blige - lead vocals (track 6)
  • Courtney Blooding - production coordinator (All tracks), background vocals (tracks 6, 8, 10)
  • Edie Lehmann Boddicker - choir contractor (track 2)
  • Daniele Bonaviri - guitar solo (track 6)
  • Brian Bromberg - bass played by (track 4)
  • Valerio Calisse - choir conductor (track 7), additional recording engineer (1–6, 8–14)
  • Scott Campbell - recording engineer (track 15)
  • Peter Cobbin - choir recording engineer (track 15)
  • Vinnie Colaiuta - drums (tracks 4, 11)
  • Natalie Cole - vocals (track 4)
  • Devilli - Italian Lyrics written by (track 1)
  • Terry Edwards - London choir master (track 15)
  • David Foster - musical arrangement, orchestral arrangement (tracks 2, 5–6, 8–10), keyboards (1, 4, 6, 8, 10–11, 14), piano (5, 12–13), organ played by (2, 5)
  • Erin Foster - musical arrangement (tracks 8, 10)
  • Jordan D. Foster - musical arrangement (tracks 8–9)
  • Sara Michael Foster - musical arrangement (tracks 2, 8)
  • Fozzie Bear - Muppets group member voiced by Eric Jacobson[117] (track 9)
  • Gonzo - Muppets group member voiced by Dave Goelz (track 9)
  • Mark Graham - LA choir master (track 15)
  • Isobel Griffiths - orchestra contractor (All tracks)
  • Pierpaolo Guerrini - additional recording engineer (tracks 1–6, 8–14)
  • Mick Guzauski - audio mixing (track 15)
  • Roy Hendricks - Mary J. Blige's vocal recording engineer (track 6)
  • Katherine Jenkins - vocals (track 14)
  • Lewis Jones - assistant recording engineer (tracks 1–6, 8–14)
  • Kermit the Frog - Muppets group member voiced by Steve Whitmire (track 9)
  • Reba McEntire - vocals (track 11)
  • Chris Owens - assistant recording engineer (tracks 1–6, 8–14)
  • Miss Piggy - Muppets group member voiced by Eric Jacobson (track 9)
  • Mormon Tabernacle Choir - choir vocal performers (track 5)
  • The Muppets - vocals (track 9)
  • Maurice Murphy - trumpet solo (track 8)
  • Richard Page - background vocals (track 6)
  • Fabrizio Palma - background vocals (track 7)
  • Dean Parks - guitar (tracks 4, 8, 11), rhythm guitar (6)
  • Pepe the King Prawn - Muppets group member voiced by Bill Barretta[116](track 9)
  • Paul Pritchard - assistant recording engineer (tracks 1–6, 8–14)
  • Roman Academy Choir - background vocals (track 7)
  • William Ross - orchestral arrangements (All tracks), musical arrangement (track 12)
  • Jochem Van Der Saag - music programming, sound designer (All tracks), musical arrangement (track 12), recording engineer (1–6, 8–14), audio mixing (1–14)
  • Salvation Army Boys Choir - background vocals (tracks 8, 10)
  • Dennis S. Sands - orchestral recording engineer (track 15)
  • Renato Serio - musical arrangement (track 7)
  • Luciano Torani - recording engineer (track 7)
  • Jorge Vivo - recording engineer (tracks 1–6, 8–14)
  • Lucy Whalley - orchestra contractor (All tracks)
  • Mack Wilberg - choir conductor, choir vocal arrangements (track 5)

Charts and certifications

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Sales and certifications

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My Christmas
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[153] 5× Platinum 400,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[154] Gold 10,000‡
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[155] Gold 14,796[155]
Greece (IFPI Greece)[156] Gold 3,000^
Hungary (MAHASZ)[101] 3× Platinum 18,000^
Ireland (IRMA)[157] 2× Platinum 30,000^
Italy (FIMI)[158] 4× Platinum 280,000*
Netherlands (NVPI)[159] Gold 25,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[160] Platinum 30,000*
Poland (ZPAV)[161] Gold 10,000‡
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[162] Gold 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[163] Gold 100,000*
United States (RIAA)[34] 2× Platinum 3,010,000[10]
United States (RIAA)[111]
for Mi Navidad 		Gold (Latin) 50,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

PBS special

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Main article: My Christmas Special

My Christmas was also a major component of a PBS Great Performances special, filmed September 15, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, airing in the New York City/tri-state viewing area on THIRTEEN's Great Performances series on Thanksgiving night, November 26, with additional broadcasts, which continued throughout December, on PBS stations nationwide, featuring Bocelli and Foster with additional guests including Natalie Cole, Mary J. Blige, Reba McEntire, Katherine Jenkins and the Muppets.[164] The DVD of the full program was internationally released December 8, 2009.

Deluxe CD/DVD edition

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A Deluxe edition that features the standard CD and a bonus DVD containing highlights from the PBS My Christmas Special was released on November 23, 2009. Another Deluxe edition, containing the same DVD and, Mi Navidad, the Spanish version of the album, was released December 1, 2009.

Release history

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The US version of the album was released November 3, 2009, by Philips Records in North America, whereas the international version, containing an extra track, was released November 20, by Sugar in Italy, and by Universal in the rest of the world, except for the UK and Ireland, where it was released November 30, by Decca.

Country Date Format Label
United States November 3, 2009 CD, digital download Philips
Canada
Argentina November 20, 2009 CD, digital download Universal
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Czech Republic
Finland
Greece
Germany
Hungary
Hong Kong
Japan
Mexico
New Zealand
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Italy November 20, 2009 CD, digital download Sugar
United Kingdom November 30, 2009 CD, CD+DVD,
CD, digital download 		Decca
Ireland

The CD/DVD package was released Internationally November 23, 2009, except for the UK and Ireland, where it was released November 30, the same day as the album.

Country Date Format Label
United States November 23, 2009 CD+DVD Philips
Canada
Argentina November 23, 2009 CD+DVD Universal
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Czech Republic
Finland
Greece
Germany
Hungary
Hong Kong
Japan
Mexico
New Zealand
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Italy November 23, 2009 CD+DVD Sugar

Mi Navidad, the Spanish version of the album, was released Internationally, by Universal Latino, also on November 23, 2009.[6] Its CD/DVD package was released by the same label, on December 1.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "My Christmas". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  2. ^ Worldwide Superstar Andrea Bocelli Set To Release His First-Ever Holiday CD, My Christmas - Available November 3rd, on Decca Records.com
  3. ^ Opera superstar Andrea Bocelli talks about his pop leanings, CBC News, Dec 11, 2009 article.
  4. ^ a b "Bocelli leads Christmas carol sing-along". ClassicFm.co.uk, Nov 3, 2010 article. Archived from the original on 2011-10-11. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
  5. ^ a b "Record breaking night for London's Christmas Carol-themed lights switch-on". Indielondon.co.uk, Nov 3, 2010 article. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h "Mi Navidad - Andrea Bocelli (2009)". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
  7. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Edges Susan Boyle For 2009's Top Selling Album". Billboard.com, Jan 6, 2010 article. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
  8. ^ a b c d e "The Nielsen Company 2009 Year-End Music Industry Report". Businesswire.com, Jan 7, 2010 article. Retrieved 2010-01-07.
  9. ^ a b "Italian tenor's album sales top five million". Thaindian News.com, Dec 30, 2009 article. Archived from the original on 2010-06-12. Retrieved 2010-06-24.
  10. ^ a b "The Gifts That Keep on Giving: Biggest Radio and Album Hits of the Holidays". Billboard. December 1, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  11. ^ Hot Tours: Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Il Divo, Andrea Bocelli, Billboard January 6, 2010 article.
  12. ^ Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Andrea Bocelli - Silent Night
  13. ^ "Andrea Bocelli My Christmas by Starbucks Entertainment". Archived from the original on 2009-11-21. Retrieved 2009-12-24.
  14. ^ Andrea Bocelli Performs to 100,000 in Brazil, classicfm.co.uk March 2009 article.
  15. ^ Andrea Bocelli, O2 Arena, review, Telegraph, Nov 15, 2010 article.
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  18. ^ Andrea Bocelli makes history at O2, Classic FM, Nov 16, 2010 article.
  19. ^ Andrea Bocelli Brings His Christmas to the US
  20. ^ Andrea Bocelli joins TNT's Christmas In Washington
  21. ^ Andrea Bocelli on TNT's Official Website Archived 2012-03-02 at the Wayback Machine
  22. ^ Bocelli concert at Italian Senate, Bocelli.de.
  23. ^ Al Senato il Concerto di Natale con Bocelli, in aula anche Napolitano Italian
  24. ^ December USA Tour Official German website
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  30. ^ a b "The Nielsen Company and Billboard's 2009 Canadian Industry Report". Businesswire.com, Feb 04, 2010 article. Retrieved 2010-02-10.
  31. ^ CBC News - Boyle, Jackson top worldwide album sales
  32. ^ IFPI publishes Recording Industry in Numbers 2010 Archived 2010-05-27 at the Wayback Machine, IFPI, 28 April 2010.
  33. ^ Chart Beat Thursday: "Glee" Cast, Andrea Bocelli, Neil Diamond, Billboard.com Dec 17, 2009 article.
  34. ^ a b "American album certifications – Andrea Bocelli – My Christmas". Recording Industry Association of America.
  35. ^ Carrie Underwood Claims Second No. 1 On Billboard 200, Billboard.com Nov 11, 2009 article.
  36. ^ a b "Chart Beat Thursday: Multi-Format Diva Domination". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  37. ^ Bon Jovi Comes Full 'Circle' At No. 1 On Billboard 200, Billboard.com Nov 18, 2009 article.
  38. ^ John Mayer Snares No. 1 On Busy Billboard 200, Billboard.com Nov 25, 2009 article.
  39. ^ Susan Boyle Sees 'Dream' Soar To No. 1 On Billboard 200, Billboard Magazine.com Dec 8, 2009 article.
  40. ^ a b "Boyle's 'Dream' Continues At No. 1 On Billboard 200". Billboard Magazine, Dec 9, 2009 article. Retrieved 2009-12-09.
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  42. ^ Bocelli joins Lady Gaga at #1 on iTunes Top 10 list, Mercury-News.com Dec 8, 2009 article.
  43. ^ Bocelli beats out Lady GaGa for week's top album, The Eagle-Tribune.com Dec 13, 2009 article.
  44. ^ No Stopping Susan Boyle's 'Dream' On Billboard 200, Billboard Magazine.com Dec 16, 2009 article.
  45. ^ a b "Susan Boyle Blocks Alicia Keys From No. 1 On Billboard 200". Billboard Magazine, Dec 23, 2009 article. Retrieved 2009-12-09.
  46. ^ Susan Boyle Spends Fifth Week At No. 1 On Billboard 200, Billboard Magazine.com Dec 30, 2009 article.
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  48. ^ Holiday albums continue to lead sales charts, December 15, 2010
  49. ^ Catalog Albums chart, Billboard Magazine.com Dec 18, 2010 article.
  50. ^ Catalog Albums chart, Billboard Magazine.com Dec 25, 2010 article.
  51. ^ Catalog Albums chart, Billboard Magazine.com Jan 01, 2011 article.
  52. ^ Catalog Albums chart, Billboard Magazine.com Jan 08, 2011 article.
  53. ^ Andrea Bocelli's Catalog Chart History, Billboard Magazine.com
  54. ^ a b "Top Pop Catalog albums: Best of 2011". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
  55. ^ Michael Buble's Christmas Tops Billboard Again MTV
  56. ^ Michael Buble's 'Christmas' Jingles At No. 1 for Second Week Billboard
  57. ^ Top Pop Catalog Albums - 2011-12-24 Billboard
  58. ^ Billboard 200 - 2011-12-24 Billboard
  59. ^ Michael Buble Holds On To 1 Billboard Slot MTV
  60. ^ Michael Buble's 'Christmas' Hits Fourth Week at No. 1 Billboard
  61. ^ Billboard 200 - 2012-01-07 (No. 21-40) Billboard
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  63. ^ Billboard 200 - 2012-01-07 (No. 1-20)Billboard
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  65. ^ Catalog Albums Chart - Week of December 01, 2012 Billboard
  66. ^ Billboard 200 Chart - Week of December 15, 2012 Billboard
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  68. ^ Holiday albums chart - Week of December 15, 2012 Billboard
  69. ^ Billboard 200 Chart - Week of December 22, 2012 Billboard
  70. ^ Holiday albums chart - Week of December 22, 2012 Billboard
  71. ^ Catalog Albums Chart - Week of December 22, 2012 Billboard
  72. ^ Bon Jovi nails 3rd straight No. 1[usurped], Jam! Nov 18, 2009 article.
  73. ^ Bon Jovi nails 3rd straight No. 1, Calgary Sun Nov 18, 2009 article.
  74. ^ Bon Jovi nails 3rd straight No. 1, Edmonton Sun Nov 18, 2009 article.
  75. ^ Bon Jovi nails 3rd straight No. 1, Toronto Sun Nov 19, 2009 article.
  76. ^ Teen star Bieber debuts at No. 1[usurped], Jam! Nov 25, 2009 article.
  77. ^ Teen star Bieber debuts at No. 1, Calgary Sun Nov 25, 2009 article.
  78. ^ Teen star Bieber debuts at No. 1, Edmonton Sun Nov 25, 2009 article.
  79. ^ Teen star Bieber debuts at No. 1, Toronto Sun Nov 25, 2009 article.
  80. ^ Canadian Albums chart, Billboard Magazine.com Apr 10, 1999 article.
  81. ^ Susan Boyle soars to No. 1[usurped], Jam! Dec 2, 2009 article.
  82. ^ Boyle dreams up another No. 1 week[usurped], Jam! Dec 9, 2009 article.
  83. ^ Boyle dreams up another No. 1 week, Calgary Sun Dec 9, 2009 article.
  84. ^ Boyle dreams up another No. 1 week, Ottawa Sun Dec 9, 2009 article.
  85. ^ Boyle dreams up another No. 1 week, Edmonton Sun Dec 9, 2009 article.
  86. ^ Boyle dreams up another No. 1 week, Toronto Sun Dec 9, 2009 article.
  87. ^ Canadian Albums chart, Billboard Magazine.com Dec 26, 2009 article.
  88. ^ Boyle, Bocelli top holiday chart[usurped], Jam! Dec 23, 2009 article.
  89. ^ Boyle, Bocelli top holiday chart, Calgary Sun Dec 23, 2009 article.
  90. ^ Boyle, Bocelli top holiday chart, Ottawa Sun Dec 23, 2009 article.
  91. ^ Boyle, Bocelli top holiday chart, Edmonton Sun Dec 23, 2009 article.
  92. ^ Boyle, Bocelli top holiday chart, Toronto Sun Dec 23, 2009 article.
  93. ^ Susan Boyle continues chart reign[usurped], Jam! Dec 30, 2009 article.
  94. ^ Italian FIMI Albums Chart, Week 47/2009.
  95. ^ Italian FIMI Albums Chart [dead link‍], Week 48/2009.
  96. ^ Italian FIMI Albums Chart, Week 49/2009.
  97. ^ a b "Italian FIMI Albums Chart, Week 50/2009". FIMI.com. Archived from the original on 2013-07-02. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
  98. ^ Italian FIMI Albums Chart [dead link‍], Week 51/2009.
  99. ^ Italian FIMI Albums Chart [dead link‍], Week 52/2009.
  100. ^ a b "Hungary Albums Top 40, Week 51/2009". Mahasz.hu. Retrieved 2009-12-30.[permanent dead link‍]
  101. ^ a b "Adatbázis – Arany- és platinalemezek – 2010" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ.
  102. ^ a b Mahasz, ed. (2009). "Összesített album- és válogatáslemez-lista - eladási darabszám alapján 2009 (Hungarian)".
  103. ^ a b "Poland Albums Top 50, Week 52/2009". Olis.pl. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
  104. ^ Poland Albums Top 50, Week 51/2011 Olis
  105. ^ Poland Albums Top 50, Week 52/2011 Olis
  106. ^ Susan Boyle Tops Euro Chart, Billboard Magazine.com Dec 10, 2009 article.
  107. ^ Classical Albums chart, Billboard Magazine.com Dec 19, 2009 article.
  108. ^ Classical Albums chart, Billboard Magazine.com Dec 26, 2009 article.
  109. ^ Classical Albums chart, Billboard Magazine.com Jan 1, 2010 article.
  110. ^ Classical Albums chart, Billboard Magazine.com Jan 9, 2010 article.
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  112. ^ "White Christmas-bianco Natale" Hungary Top 10 Archived 2009-12-02 at the Wayback Machine, Week 51/2009
  113. ^ "Oprah's Holiday Music Extravaganza". Oprah.com. Harpo Productions.
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  116. ^ a b "11 People Who Bring the Muppets to Life". Mental Floss. 2013-04-29. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  117. ^ Setoodeh, Ramin (2014-03-11). "How Kermit and the Muppets Got Their Mojo Back". Variety. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  118. ^ Argentina Albums Top 20 Archived 2011-07-06 at the Wayback Machine
  119. ^ Australia Albums Top 50, Week 51/2009.
  120. ^ Austria Albums Top 75, Week 49/2009.
  121. ^ My Christmas on Ultratop.be, Week 50/2009
  122. ^ Belgium Albums Top 50 (Wallonia), Week 52/2009
  123. ^ "CANOE -- JAM! Music SoundScan Charts"[usurped]. jam.canoe.ca. CANOE.
  124. ^ Czech Albums Top 50, Week 50/2009.
  125. ^ Finland Albums Top 40, Week 49/2009.
  126. ^ My Christmas on lescharts.com, Week 52/2009
  127. ^ Germany Albums Top 50, Week 50/2009
  128. ^ Greece Albums Top 50 Archived 2010-02-05 at the Wayback Machine, Week 1/2010
  129. ^ Ireland Albums Top 75, Week 51/2009.
  130. ^ Italy Albums Top 50 (Musica e dischi), Week 51/2009.
  131. ^ 新生EXILE初アルバムが73万枚、初週売上げでミスチル超え スーザン・ボイルは、5位から3位にランクアップ
  132. ^ Mexico Albums Top 100, Week 49/2009.
  133. ^ Dutch Albums Top 100, Week 52/2009.
  134. ^ NZ Albums Top 40, Week 52/2009.
  135. ^ Norway Albums Top 40, Week 53/2009.
  136. ^ Portugal Albums Top 30, Week 49/2009.
  137. ^ Spain Albums Top 100, Week 52/2009.
  138. ^ Sweden Albums Top 60, Week 49/2009.
  139. ^ Swiss Albums Top 100, Week 53/2009.
  140. ^ SCHWEIZER HITPARADE - ALBEN TOP 100, Jan 3, 2010.
  141. ^ UK Albums Top 75, Week 50/2009.
  142. ^ FIMI, ed. (2010-01-19). "Classifiche annuali dei cd, dvd, compilation più venduti e digital download più scaricati online nel 2009 (Italian)". Archived from the original on 2012-04-04. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
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  153. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Andrea Bocelli – My Christmas". Music Canada. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  154. ^ "Danish album certifications – Andrea Bocelli – My Christmas". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  155. ^ a b "Andrea Bocelli" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  156. ^ "Greek Foreign Albums Chart". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 2010-02-05.
  157. ^ "The Irish Charts - 2009 Certification Awards - Multi Platinum". Irish Recorded Music Association.
  158. ^ "Italian album certifications – Andrea Bocelli – My Christmas" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved October 18, 2017. Select "Tutti gli anni" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "My Christmas" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
  159. ^ "Dutch album certifications – Andrea Bocelli – My Christmas" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved October 19, 2018. Enter My Christmas in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 2010 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  160. ^ "Norwegian album certifications – Andrea Bocelli – My Christmas" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway.
  161. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2019 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  162. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('My Christmas')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  163. ^ "British album certifications – Andrea Bocelli – My Christmas". British Phonographic Industry.
  164. ^ Andrea Bocelli & David Foster: My Christmas Preview of the Concert, Great Performances on PBS.com, Nov 17, 2009 article.
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