Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends showcases a wide variety of Anne's favorite female vocalists. Among the album’s tracks and collaborating artists are "Snowbird" with Sarah Brightman, "You Needed Me" with Shania Twain, "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do" with Anne’s daughter Dawn Langstroth, "Danny's Song" with Martina McBride, “Another Pot O’ Tea” with Emmylou Harris, “A Little Good News” with Indigo Girls, “Cotton Jenny" with Olivia Newton-John, “Could I Have This Dance” with Amy Grant, “Daydream Believer” with Nelly Furtado, “A Love Song” with k.d. lang, “Time Don’t Run Out On Me” with the song’s writer, Carole King, and more.
In 1979, Anne and Dusty Springfield each recorded the song "I Just Fall In Love Again." Anne's version became a hit single that garnered her Canada’s Juno Award for "Single of the Year" in 1980. Anne and Dusty remained friends until Dusty’s passing in 1999, and for Anne, releasing an album with this type of sisterly theme wouldn't seem complete without Dusty's inclusion. With the blessing of the Springfield family and estate, a new version pairing Dusty's original with Anne’s newly recorded vocals is featured on the album.
Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends was produced by one of the most respected music producers in the world, Phil Ramone (Tony Bennett, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel), who counts 14 Grammy Awards and 32 Grammy nominations among his many honors. Together, Anne and Phil decided they would treat the songs on their own terms and not adhere rigidly to the arrangements of Anne’s classic versions. While Anne had designs on how she imagined the arrangements, she gave Phil free rein to rework the songs.
“We approached the sessions as if we were just handed these songs and told to make this record,” explains Ramone. “While arrangements were changed, there are also licks on some songs that I didn’t mess with. We stayed true to the song.”
Working with Anne for the first time, Ramone adds, was an easy task. “What I love about Anne is there are no words minced about whatever she feels,” he says. “This is not a person you have to think, ‘Will she tell me the truth?’ When we met for a few hours in Michigan before we started, we agreed we wanted to bring some daring ideas and some freshness to this album.”
“I said to Phil,” joked Anne, “The only reason I asked you was that I’m the only singer left that you haven’t worked with!”
“I’ve done duets throughout my career,” Anne says. “I did duets when I started out on (CBC Television’s) ‘Singalong Jubilee.’ I did a duets album in 1971 with Glen Campbell. Growing up I did lot of group singing at school and sang with my brothers. I’ve always loved singing harmony.”
Since releasing her debut album in 1967, Anne Murray has been honored with a spectacular number of awards. She is the proud recipient of four Grammy Awards, three American Music Awards, three Country Music Association Awards, three Canadian Country Music Association Awards and twenty-four Juno Awards. Anne has also been honored with the Legacy Award from the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (2006), the East Coast Music Association Directors' Special Achievement Award (2001), induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame (2002), and induction into the Juno Hall of Fame (1993).
Anne Murray will tour to several U.S. cities in February and March 2008 (confirmed tour dates listed below). For updates and additional information, visit Anne Murray’s official Website: www.annemurray.com
In 2011, Billboard ranked her 10th on their list of the 50 Biggest Adult Contemporary Artists Ever, and on July 1, 2017, in celebration of Canada’s 150th Anniversary, the Toronto Sun listed Anne at #1 in Canada’s Top 160 Influences that helped define Canadian culture!
Christmas Wishes
Anne Murray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If all I would wish could be
Of all the great wishes
In a wonderful world
I'd only ask for three
And if I could have three-ee wishes
And if my first wish came true
Good will among men
And love in all that we-ee do
Can you imagine a world like that
What a wonderful world it would be
And then I would wish
It could go on forever
For people like you and me
If I had my way this Christmas
And if the two others came true
My third wish would be
For now and forever
To share all my wishes with you
My third wish would be
For now and forever
To share all my-y wishes wi-ith you
The first verse of Anne Murray's "Christmas Wishes" sets the tone for the simplicity and purity of the holiday spirit. She expresses that having only three wishes would be enough, and that there would not need to be a long list of things to desire. If her wishes came true, the world would be more peaceful, and love would prevail in every aspect of life. This desire for goodness reflects a longing for a world that is consumed by harmony and respect. The second verse reinforces this harmonious vision of life, as Murray imagines a world with good will and love, a place where people can coexist and live in harmony. It's a world where people can live without fear and share love without any judgment.
Line by Line Meaning
If I had my way this Christmas
If only I could control how Christmas went
If all I would wish could be
If I could have anything I truly wanted
Of all the great wishes
Out of infinite possibilities
In a wonderful world
In a perfect and harmonious world
I'd only ask for three
I would only need three things to be content
And if I could have three-ee wishes
And if I had the opportunity to wish three times
And if my first wish came true
And if my initial desire was granted
There'd be peace on earth
Everyone would live in tranquility
Good will among men
People would treat each other with kindness
And love in all that we-ee do
And everything we did would be fueled by love
Can you imagine a world like that
Can you envision such a utopia?
What a wonderful world it would be
It would be an enchanting place to inhabit
And then I would wish
After the first two come to fruition
It could go on forever
This state of existence would persist indefinitely
For people like you and me
For individuals such as ourselves
If I had my way this Christmas
If I could fully control this joyful season
And if the two others came true
And if the second and third desires also occur
My third wish would be
My final wish would entail
For now and forever
Eternally
To share all my wishes with you
To be able to experience all my dreams with my loved one.
Contributed by Colton G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Robert Thompson
on Me Too
Lyrics found here are completely wrong; completely different song.