The group sings in a contemporary style, integrating R&B and jazz influences into their devotional songs and has 10 Grammy wins, 10 Dove Awards, one Soul Train Award and two NAACP Image Award nominations. They won Grammy Awards in 1989, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1998, and 2003 and have collaborated with Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Don Henley, Ray Charles, Queen Latifah, Joe Sample, Quincy Jones, Marcus Miller and Gordon Goodwin.
In 1980, Claude McKnight formed an a cappella quartet, The Gentlemen's Estate Quartet, at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama, a Seventh-Day Adventist College, where he was a freshman. He auditioned fellow students for the hobby group. The Gentlemen were rehearsing in a campus bathroom (later said to be in Peterson Hall), getting ready for a performance, when Mark Kibble walked by and heard them singing. He joined the harmonizing, adding a fifth part, and ended up singing with them onstage that very night.[1] Mark later invited Mervyn Warren to join the group. The group performed under the moniker "Alliance".
The group performed in local churches and on campus over the next years, with members changing due to college's inevitable comings and goings. In 1985, the lower half of the group (bass, baritone, and second tenor) left upon graduating. At that time, Alvin Chea, Cedric Dent, and David Thomas joined.
The group was signed to Warner Brothers in 1987, and quickly changed its name to "Take 6" after a name search revealed that "Alliance" was already being used. Their eponymous debut album, released in 1988, won them two Grammy Awards and resulted in top ten appearances on both the Billboard Contemporary Jazz and Contemporary Christian Charts. Take 6's swinging, harmony-rich gospel sound attracted a flurry of attention, and the group went on to record or appear with a number of luminaries, including Quincy Jones, Ella Fitzgerald and Stevie Wonder.
In 1991, after the release of their second album, So Much 2 Say, Mervyn Warren left the group to pursue a career as a producer. Joey Kibble, Mark's younger brother, was invited to round out the vocal lineup. The group added instrumentation to their purely a cappella sound beginning with the record He Is Christmas; Join The Band and Brothers continued their streak of success, and Take 6 amassed a total of seven Grammys and eight Dove awards, as well as topping the Downbeat Magazine's Reader's and Critic's poll for seven years' consecutively.
Take 6's 1998 release, So Cool, brought the group back to its a cappella origins.
In 2006 the group launched Take 6 Records and the 2006 release Feels Good was released on that label.
The group currently lists Nashville, Tennessee as its home.[2] All members grew up Seventh-Day Adventist.[
I'll Be Home for Christmas
Take 6 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of a place that I love
Even more than I usually do
And although I know
It's a long road back
I promise you
You can count on me
Please have snow
And mistletoe
And presents under the tree
Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light gleams
And I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams
Please have snow
And mistletoe
And presents under the tree
Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light gleams
And I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams
If only in my dreams
The song "I'll Be Home for Christmas" by Take 6 captures the longing and yearning of a person who may not be able to physically make it home for Christmas. The opening lines "I'm dreaming tonight, of a place that I love, even more than I usually do" sets the tone for the rest of the song. It is a song about missing your loved ones during the holiday season and wanting to be reunited with them. The singer acknowledges that it may be a long road back but promises to be home for Christmas no matter what. The repetition of the line "I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams" emphasizes the sentiment of the song - that being together with family and loved ones is the most important thing during the festive season, even if it is only in one's thoughts.
The lyrics are powerful because they reflect the emotions of millions of people who are away from their loved ones during the holidays. It is easy to identify with the feelings of nostalgia, homesickness and longing for family and friends that are integral to the holiday season. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" has been covered by many artists and remains a timeless classic.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm dreaming tonight
I'm imagining myself in a particular place tonight
Of a place that I love
Of a place that is dear to my heart
Even more than I usually do
Even more than I usually do dream of this place
And although I know
Even though I realize
It's a long road back
The journey back to that place is a long one
I promise you
I guarantee you
I'll be home for Christmas
I will be with you for Christmas
You can count on me
You can trust me
Please have snow
It would be great if there's snow
And mistletoe
It would be great if there's mistletoe
And presents under the tree
It would be great if there's presents under the tree
Christmas Eve will find me
On Christmas Eve, I will be located
Where the love light gleams
In a warm and loving environment
And I'll be home for Christmas
I will be with you for Christmas
If only in my dreams
Even if only in my mind or imagination
Lyrics © GANNON & KENT MUSIC CO, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Buck Ram, Walter Kent, Kim Gannon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jermellfeaginsr
These mighty men of God are so awesome!
@TheH00drats
i never get enough of this song all year round!!! <3 <3
@shirleystubbs387
I love this song by Take 6. The lead vocal and supporting vocals are on point as always. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
@JasonPelish
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@keyboardwarrior9647
who's the lead? is it just mark, doesn't sound familiar in beginning
@williamhoward8851
@@keyboardwarrior9647 Oh it's leading all the way with Take 6 backing him up.
@williamhoward8851
@@keyboardwarrior9647 Mark is leading!
@jackielucas9632
Absolutely beautiful version! 💘 💘 💘
@jermellfeaginsr
The harmony is amazing
@blackdiamondzdurham5293
Take 6 is awesome beyond words. They have so many Christmas classics that this gem got right by me. Added ! !!!