A new Johnny Mathis Christmas album slated for October

Back in 1958, just three years into Johnny Mathis' tenure on Columbia Records and months after releasing the chart-topping Johnny’s Greatest Hits, his album Merry Christmas produced seasonal favorites like “Sleigh Ride” and “Winter Wonderland,” which have become perennial favorites heard around the world every Holiday Season.

On Oct. 13, Mathis returns with Christmas Time is Here, a brand new album from Columbia Records/Legacy with 10 newly recorded holiday tracks. It will be available on CD and digital, plus festively colored vinyl released through Real Gone Music. Pre-order the album today HERE

Produced by longtime Mathis collaborators Jay Landers (Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler) and Fred Mollin (Jimmy Webb, Natalie Cole), the album expands upon last year’s digital EP Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

Christmas Time is Here includes “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Blue Christmas,” a remake of Johnny’s No. 1 U.K. single “When a Child is Born,” “Christmas Time is Here” (from A Charlie Brown Christmas), “Merry Christmas, Baby,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” featuring Broadway singer Kristin Chenoweth (Wicked, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown) as Johnny’s duet partner.

Through an extraordinary career stretching across nearly seven decades, Mathis has made several Christmas albums. After 1958’s Merry Christmas (certified 5x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America - RIAA), 1963’s Sounds of Christmas, was the first on his own Global Records label. The platinum-certified Give Me Your Love for Christmas followed in 1969, and 1986’s Christmas Eve with Johnny Mathis featured versions of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Then came 2002’s The Christmas Album and 2013’s GRAMMY-nominated Sending You a Little Christmas found Mathis collaborating with Billy Joel, Natalie Cole, Gloria Estefan, Vince Gill, Amy Grant and more.

Sessions for Christmas Time is Here took place at Hollywood’s famed Capitol Recording Studio (the final album recorded at the iconic Tower location before the studio closed for extensive renovations) and Nashville.