Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album

Chicago 25: The Christmas Album is the nineteenth studio album by the American band Chicago, their twenty-fifth overall, released in 1998 on the band's Chicago Records label. It is an album of Christmas songs. The album was re-issued by Rhino Records in 2003 as What's It Gonna Be, Santa? with six additional, newly recorded tracks.

Produced by Roy Bittan, the original album – featuring Chicago's interpretations of well-known Christmas classics plus one original tune (co-penned by Lee Loughnane) – was very well received upon its release in August 1998, peaking at #47 in the US and going gold during a stay of 7 weeks on the charts. After Chicago entered into a long-term partnership with Rhino Records in 2002, that label re-issued Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album that same year. It was further decided to record six additional Christmas songs – with Hot Streets and Chicago 13 producer Phil Ramone – and re-issue the whole package in 2003 under a new design, title and sequencing, entitled What's It Gonna Be, Santa?, deleting its predecessor in the process. Guitarist Keith Howland sang his first lead vocal on the track, "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas". This later release reached #102 in the US during a stay of 5 weeks on the charts.

What's It Gonna Be, Santa?
(New additions in italic)

Chicago

 * Bill Champlin – organ (1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 14–17, 20), backing vocals (1–3, 6–14, 16, 18, 20), arrangements (1, 4, 7, 14, 17), BGV arrangements (1, 2, 6–14, 16, 20), lead vocals (4, 7, 10, 11, 14), synth keyboards (4), synth vibes (6), acoustic guitar (7), brass arrangements (7, 14), acoustic piano (10), electric piano (14, 17), computer programming (14, 17), all vocals (17), guitars (17), synth bass (17), vocal arrangements (17)
 * Keith Howland – guitars (1–3, 5–8, 10–12, 14–16, 20), lead vocals (3), backing vocals (3), arrangements (3, 11), BGV arrangements (3), keyboards (11)
 * Tris Imboden – drums (1–8, 10–12, 14–18, 20), arrangements (3)
 * Robert Lamm – lead vocals (1, 6, 8, 15, 20), acoustic piano (1–3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12), arrangements (1, 6, 8, 15, 20), brass arrangements (1, 8, 15), vibraphone (5), electric piano (6, 15, 16), backing vocals (3), clavinet (10)
 * Lee Loughnane – trumpet (1–5, 7, 8, 10–13, 16–18, 20), flugelhorn (1, 6, 13–15, 18), lead vocals (2, 7, 12), arrangements (2, 7, 12, 16, 18), backing vocals (3, 18), muted trumpet (14), brass arrangements (17, 18), piccolo trumpet (18), BGV arrangements (18)
 * James Pankow – trombone (1–8, 10–18, 20), brass arrangements (2–6, 8, 10–18, 20), synth keyboards (4), flute arrangements (9), arrangements (10, 13, 16, 19), vocal arrangements (19)
 * Walter Parazaider – tenor saxophone (1–6, 8, 10–18, 20), alto flute (1, 9), alto saxophone (6, 7, 13, 14, 16), flute (6, 7, 13, 14, 16), C flute (9)
 * Jason Scheff – bass (1–3, 5, 7–9, 12, 16), backing vocals (1–3, 6–14, 16, 18, 20), lead vocals (4, 5, 7, 9, 12, 13, 16), electric upright bass (4, 6, 15, 18, 20), keyboards (9), computer programming (9), arrangements (9), BGV arrangements (9, 10, 13), fretless bass (11, 14), electric bass (17)

Additional musicians

 * Roy Bittan – organ (4, 10, 18), accordion (4, 6, 18), keyboards (13), synth bells (18), acoustic piano (19)
 * George Black – computer programming (9, 13, 18, 19)
 * John Durill – synth keyboard (18), additional arrangements (19)
 * Tim Pierce – guitars (4, 11), acoustic guitars (9, 19)
 * Luis Conte – percussion (4, 6, 8, 9, 16, 20)
 * Larry Klimas – baritone saxophone (3, 10)
 * Nick Lane – additional arrangements (1)
 * Carmen Twillie – backing vocals (6, 11, 20)

Adult choir on "The Little Drummer Boy"
 * Carmen Twillie – choir director
 * Alex Brown, Tamara Champlin, Alvin Chea, Gia Ciambotti, H.K. Dorsey, Gary Falcone, Edie Lehmann Boddicker, Bobbie Page, Oren Waters, Maxine Waters and Mona Lisa Young – choir

Children's choir on "Child's Prayer" and "One Little Candle"
 * Ryan Kelly – children's choir conductor
 * Amity Addrisi, Michael Amezcua, Alex Bittan, Ryan Bittan, Clark Gable, Kayley Gable, Kate Lamm, Sean Lamm, Dylan Loughnane, River Loughnane, Sarah Pankow, Brittany Scott and Jade Thacker – lead vocals

Production
Chicago XXV
 * Produced by Roy Bittan
 * Engineered and Mixed by Ed Thacker
 * Assisted by Posie Muliadi and Eric Ferguson
 * Recorded at A&M Studios (Hollywood, CA); Rumbo Recorders (Canoga Park, CA); Gold Mine Studio (Woodland Hills, CA).
 * Mixed at A&M Studios
 * Production Coordinator – Valerie Pack
 * Art Direction and Design – John Kosh

"What's It Gonna Be, Santa?"
 * Produced by Phil Ramone
 * Engineered and Mixed by Ed Thacker at Glenwood Place Recording Studios (Burbank, CA).
 * Additional Production – Chicago and David McLees
 * Sound Supervision – Lee Loughnane and Jeff Magid
 * Remastered by David Donnelly at DNA Mastering (Studio City, CA).
 * Product Manager – Mike Engstrom
 * Discographical Annotation – Gary Peterson
 * Editorial Supervision – Cory Fry
 * Project Assistants – Jimmy Edwards and Tim Scanlin
 * Art Direction – Hugh Brown and Linda Cobb
 * Front Cover Photo – Corbis Images
 * Additional Photography – Getty Images