A Very Gaga Thanksgiving
Encyclopedia
A Very Gaga Thanksgiving is a Thanksgiving
television special
that originally aired on November 24, 2011 in the United States on ABC
. Conceived and directed by Lady Gaga
, it discusses the personal life of Gaga and the inspiration behind her music. Development for A Very Gaga Thanksgiving immediately surfaced in November 2011, when it was announced that Gaga would host a television special on Thanksgiving
. It features guest appearances from Katie Couric
, Art Smith
, and Tony Bennett
. Gaga herself performed stripped down, acoustic versions of four songs from her second studio album
, Born This Way
, along with two Christmas songs and a duet with Bennett.
Television critics praised the ABC special, who expressed that it was sincere and unpretentious. Upon airing, it was viewed by 5.749 million viewers and attained a 1.8/5 rating in the 18-49 demographic, according to Nielson ratings, and was ABC's best rated thanksgiving special in the last five years. An extended play
containing four of the songs performed on the special was released digitally, and was named A Very Gaga Holiday.
in Manhattan
. Gaga also performs eight songs to a small audience of friends and family, including "Marry the Night
", "You and I", "Hair
" and "The Edge of Glory
", as well as covers of Irving Berlin
classic "White Christmans
" and Nat King Cole
's "Orange Colored Sky
". She also sings a duet with show tune
artist Tony Bennett
, which is a cover of Babes In Arms
song "The Lady Is a Tramp
". Gaga sings "Bad Romance
" onstage in a different scene. American chef Art Smith
accompanies Gaga with a turkey dinner and waffle
s. In another scene, a small group of children gather around her as she blows glitter on them.
herself. Principal photography
took place at the Covent of the Sacred Heart
in New York City
. Gaga told Women's Wear Daily
: "My dad will be so excited. I actually directed it. It’s the first of two things I directed. I directed this as well as the video for 'Marry The Night,' my new single.…So we'll be watching that and eating turkey and doing what all New Yorkers do, which is getting ready for every window to be filled with Christmas cheer the next day."
A promotional photo of Gaga was released that shows her "going full ice princess", which Erin Strecker of Entertainment Weekly
presumed will be her primary apparel. In a press statement early in November 2011, Couric commented that the special's story will amaze viewers and show a different side of Gaga:
Smith commented that "It's important for people to see that this amazing woman [Gaga] has a family that supports her." A 30-second preview of the special premiered on November 20, 2011 on Lady Gaga's YouTube
channel. It revealed the appearances of Bennett, Couric and Smith. After watching the preview, a staff member of Idolator
commented that it "reminds us of our own family Turkey Day get-togethers: there are people running around in ridiculous attire, someone’s crying and the hostess is a (Mother) Monster of sorts." Jesse Carp of Cinema Blend
questioned how a pop recording artist like Gaga would fit into a traditional Thanksgiving special, but looked forward to watching it. In a three-minute teaser trailer
, Gaga makes crafts and shares holiday food with third-grade children. The full TV special premiered on November 24, 2011, at 9:30 pm ET.
on FOX
, Person of Interest
on CBS
, and The Secret Circle
on The CW. In its second hour, total viewership and ratings slightly declined to 5.388 million viewers and a 1.6/5 ratings in the 18-49 demographic, despite airing simultaneously with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
on NBC
and a rerun of The Mentalist
on CBS
. A Very Gaga Thanksgiving had the highest rating in the 18-49 demographic in its time slot, and total viewership increased 23% (1.3 million viewers) from its preceder I Am... World Tour
. It subsequently gave ABC its best ratings in four years for its respective time slot on Thanksgiving Day.
It was met with general acclaim from television critics. Calling it engaging, Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly
opined that A Very Gaga Thanksgiving was "disarmingly direct, sincere, and unpretentious." Tucker praised Lady Gaga's performances in the television special, expressing that they were a "warm, low-key collection of solid performances of her hits and pop standards." Dave Itzkoff of The New York Times
deemed the television special as a "dream or a hallucination." The Guardian
journalist Hadley Freeman wrote, "It was all inoffensive, silly and knowing, and laid down the groundwork for what looks likely to be the singer's next career: as America's in-house eccentric, fearless enough to satirize the country's traditions but canny enough to know that while you can deface as many Irving Berlin songs as you like, the turkey is non-negotiable." In contrast, A Very Gaga Thanksgiving was critically panned by Jen Carlson of Gothamist
, who felt that it was a "very transparent marketing ploy for the new Gaga holiday release."
The Washington Post
Sarah Anne Hughes stated that she was shocked at how traditional Gaga was in the television special. Cavan Sieczkowski of International Business Times
asserted that A Very Gaga Thanksgiving was a "charming throwback to holiday specials of times past." Sieczkowski praised the outfits, and drew comparisons to those of Elizabeth Taylor
and Ava Gardner
. In concurrence, Joe Drake of Ology
wrote: "This special was [fabulous]. I have nothing bad to say about it. Lady Gaga proves, yet again, that she is the artist of our generation. Her talent, beauty, personality and spirit make her such an incredible person to look up to and respect."
featuring audio of four performances from the special: "White Christmas
", "Orange Colored Sky
", "You and I", and "The Edge of Glory
". It was made available for purchase on November 22, 2011, to the iTunes Store
of United States. An artwork for the EP was released and featured a shot of the "White Christmas" performance at the special. It shows Gaga wearing a white hood and a white fur coat singing to a golden microphone. The title A Very Gaga Holiday is written in golden italic.
" during a surprise appearance at The Oak Room in New York City on September 29, 2010, (wearing a dress made of hair) and again on January 5, 2011. Brian Newman served as a guest performer on trumpet for performances at the Robin Hood Gala on May 9, 2011, to benefit the Robin Hood Foundation
and at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Carlisle, England on May 15, 2011. She then performed it on the ABC
special A Very Gaga Thanksgiving. Along with "Orange Colored Sky", she also performed her variation of the original "White Christmas
". Gaga put emphasis on the jazz
side of the song. She added a second verse to the song, after claiming "This song it's too short and it's a beautiful Christmas song, so I added a new extra [verse]". She describes a white snowman
, to whom she is telling Santa Claus
is on his way to him. In the end she finished by saying "Okay, so I suppose it's not very white outside yet." On November 23, 2011, it was announced that both songs were included on a digital EP titled A Very Gaga Holiday, along with two other tracks: the stripped-down live versions of her 2011 singles, "The Edge of Glory
" and "You and I", both from Gaga's second studio album, Born This Way
. The announcement happened after the grand opening of the Holiday Wonderland Gaga Workshop at Barneys New York
. It was only released in the United States
to the iTunes Store
and Amazon
.
. Halfway into the cover, before beginning the new verse, Gaga says, "So as you can tell, I'm very outgoing and a little bit shy, but I've decided that this song is just too short. It's such a beautiful Christmas song but it's only one verse, so I added an extra one." Her acoustic version of "The Edge of Glory" begins with a monologue, explaining her dedication of the song to her grandmother: "It's the second Thanksgiving I'm spending without my grandpa, and I wrote this song about him, so here it is. So Grandma, if you're watching at home, this one's for you."
gave a negative review of the EP, saying that it was uninspiring, and that "Gaga could do well to look to one of her heroines, Kate Bush, who has released a festive album featuring a song about a love affair with a snowman, proving that at 53, she's still edgier than Gaga,,, and without the need of latex shoulders."
In the United States, the EP debuted at number 52 on the Billboard 200
for the issue dated December 10, 2011. Gaga's version of "White Christmas" entered the UK Singles Chart
at number 87, for the issue dated December 3, 2011.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
television special
Television special
A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, which is not part of a regular...
that originally aired on November 24, 2011 in the United States on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. Conceived and directed by Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
, it discusses the personal life of Gaga and the inspiration behind her music. Development for A Very Gaga Thanksgiving immediately surfaced in November 2011, when it was announced that Gaga would host a television special on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
. It features guest appearances from Katie Couric
Katie Couric
Katherine Anne "Katie" Couric is an American journalist and author. She serves as Special Correspondent for ABC News, contributing to ABC World News, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, This Week and primetime news specials...
, Art Smith
Art Smith (chef)
Charles Arthur "Art" Smith is an American chef who has worked for former Florida governor Bob Graham and Jeb Bush and until 2007 was personal chef to Oprah Winfrey...
, and Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
. Gaga herself performed stripped down, acoustic versions of four songs from her second studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, Born This Way
Born This Way
Born This Way is the second studio album by American recording artist Lady Gaga that was released on May 23, 2011, by Interscope Records. The album is a follow-up to her internationally-successful albums The Fame and The Fame Monster...
, along with two Christmas songs and a duet with Bennett.
Television critics praised the ABC special, who expressed that it was sincere and unpretentious. Upon airing, it was viewed by 5.749 million viewers and attained a 1.8/5 rating in the 18-49 demographic, according to Nielson ratings, and was ABC's best rated thanksgiving special in the last five years. An extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
containing four of the songs performed on the special was released digitally, and was named A Very Gaga Holiday.
Synopsis
Couric interviews Lady Gaga about her life and the inspiration behind her music at Covent of the Sacred HeartConvent of the Sacred Heart (New York)
The Convent of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic all-girl school in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Teaching grades from pre-kindergarten through twelve, it is located on Manhattan's Upper East Side at East 91st Street and Fifth Avenue....
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. Gaga also performs eight songs to a small audience of friends and family, including "Marry the Night
Marry the Night
"Marry the Night" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga. It was released as the fifth single from her second studio album, Born This Way . The song was written and produced by Lady Gaga and Fernando Garibay, and was recorded on the tour bus during The Monster Ball Tour with Garibay...
", "You and I", "Hair
Hair (Lady Gaga song)
"Hair" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga, from her second studio album Born This Way . Written and produced by Gaga and RedOne, "Hair" was released worldwide digitally on May 16, 2011, as the only promotional single from the album, as part of the iTunes Store's "Countdown...
" and "The Edge of Glory
The Edge of Glory
"The Edge of Glory" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Lady Gaga, from her second studio album Born This Way . The song was released digitally on May 9, 2011, and was added to the United States mainstream radio playlists on May 17, 2011...
", as well as covers of Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
classic "White Christmans
White Christmas (song)
"White Christmas" is an Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the version sung by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single of all time, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide.Accounts vary as...
" and Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
's "Orange Colored Sky
Orange Colored Sky
"Orange Colored Sky" is a popular song, written by Milton DeLugg and Willie Stein and published in 1950.The best-known version of the song was recorded by Nat King Cole , but a number of other singers have recorded it, including Cole's daughter, Natalie.The recording by Nat King Cole was recorded...
". She also sings a duet with show tune
Show tune
A show tune is a popular song originally written as part of the score of a "show" , especially if the piece in question has become a "standard", more or less detached in most people's minds from the original context...
artist Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
, which is a cover of Babes In Arms
Babes in Arms
Babes in Arms is a 1937 musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by Rodgers and Hart. It concerns a teen-age boy who puts on a show with his friends to avoid being sent to a work farm.- Production history:...
song "The Lady Is a Tramp
The Lady Is a Tramp
"The Lady Is a Tramp" is a show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical Babes In Arms in which it was introduced by former child star Mitzi Green. This song is a spoof of New York high society and its strict etiquette...
". Gaga sings "Bad Romance
Bad Romance
"Bad Romance" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga. It was released as the lead single from her third extended play , and second major release The Fame Monster . Written by Lady Gaga and produced by RedOne, the track was inspired by Gaga's fear of negative love relationships and the...
" onstage in a different scene. American chef Art Smith
Art Smith (chef)
Charles Arthur "Art" Smith is an American chef who has worked for former Florida governor Bob Graham and Jeb Bush and until 2007 was personal chef to Oprah Winfrey...
accompanies Gaga with a turkey dinner and waffle
Waffle
A waffle is a batter- or dough-based cake cooked in a waffle iron patterned to give a distinctive and characteristic shape. There are many variations based on the type and shape of the iron and the recipe used....
s. In another scene, a small group of children gather around her as she blows glitter on them.
Production
Gaga conceived and directed the Thanksgiving Day television specialTelevision special
A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, which is not part of a regular...
herself. Principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
took place at the Covent of the Sacred Heart
Convent of the Sacred Heart (New York)
The Convent of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic all-girl school in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Teaching grades from pre-kindergarten through twelve, it is located on Manhattan's Upper East Side at East 91st Street and Fifth Avenue....
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Gaga told Women's Wear Daily
Women's Wear Daily
Women's Wear Daily is a fashion-industry trade journal sometimes called "the bible of fashion." WWD delivers information and intelligence on changing trends and breaking news in the fashion, beauty and retail industries with a readership composed largely of retailers, designers, manufacturers,...
: "My dad will be so excited. I actually directed it. It’s the first of two things I directed. I directed this as well as the video for 'Marry The Night,' my new single.…So we'll be watching that and eating turkey and doing what all New Yorkers do, which is getting ready for every window to be filled with Christmas cheer the next day."
Development
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
presumed will be her primary apparel. In a press statement early in November 2011, Couric commented that the special's story will amaze viewers and show a different side of Gaga:
Smith commented that "It's important for people to see that this amazing woman [Gaga] has a family that supports her." A 30-second preview of the special premiered on November 20, 2011 on Lady Gaga's YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel. It revealed the appearances of Bennett, Couric and Smith. After watching the preview, a staff member of Idolator
Idolator (website)
Idolator is a music blog. Created by the blog network Gawker Media in August 2006, Idolator was later sold to rival blog network Buzz Media, which also owns music blog Stereogum. From the 2007 departure of original head writer Brian Raftery until November 2009, the blog's head writer was Maura...
commented that it "reminds us of our own family Turkey Day get-togethers: there are people running around in ridiculous attire, someone’s crying and the hostess is a (Mother) Monster of sorts." Jesse Carp of Cinema Blend
Cinema Blend
Cinema Blend is a website founded and run by Josh Tyler dedicated to news and reviews of upcoming and currently playing films, movie projects, Television Shows, and a newly founded Music section which covers album reviews, band interviews and daily news from the industry. It combines gossip from...
questioned how a pop recording artist like Gaga would fit into a traditional Thanksgiving special, but looked forward to watching it. In a three-minute teaser trailer
Teaser trailer
A teaser campaign is an advertising campaign which typically consists of a series of small, cryptic, challenging advertisements that anticipate a larger, full-blown campaign for a product launch or otherwise important event. These advertisements are called "teasers" or "teaser ads"...
, Gaga makes crafts and shares holiday food with third-grade children. The full TV special premiered on November 24, 2011, at 9:30 pm ET.
Reception
A Very Gaga Thanksgiving initially aired on November 24, 2011 in the United States on ABC. It attained 5.749 million viewers and garnered a 1.8/5 rating in the 18-49 demographic in its first hour, despite airing simultaneously with a reruns of The SimpsonsThe Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
on FOX
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
, Person of Interest
Person of Interest (TV series)
Person of Interest is an American crime drama television series broadcasting on CBS. It is based on a screenplay developed by J. J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan. The series was officially picked up by CBS on May 13, 2011, and debuted on September 22, 2011. On October 25, 2011 the show was picked up...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, and The Secret Circle
The Secret Circle (TV series)
The Secret Circle is an American television series broadcast on The CW Television Network. It was developed by Andrew Miller, based on the book series of the same name written by L. J. Smith. On May 17, 2011, The CW announced they had picked up the pilot as a series...
on The CW. In its second hour, total viewership and ratings slightly declined to 5.388 million viewers and a 1.6/5 ratings in the 18-49 demographic, despite airing simultaneously with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and a rerun of The Mentalist
The Mentalist
The Mentalist is an American police procedural television series which debuted on September 23, 2008, on CBS. The show was created by Bruno Heller, who is also the show's executive producer...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. A Very Gaga Thanksgiving had the highest rating in the 18-49 demographic in its time slot, and total viewership increased 23% (1.3 million viewers) from its preceder I Am... World Tour
I Am... World Tour
I Am... World Tour is a live DVD/CD concert film by American R&B recording artist Beyoncé Knowles who also produced, directed and edited the concert film for her own Parkwood Pictures. The DVD was filmed in presence of more than a million of fans during her worldwide I Am... Tour, running from...
. It subsequently gave ABC its best ratings in four years for its respective time slot on Thanksgiving Day.
It was met with general acclaim from television critics. Calling it engaging, Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
opined that A Very Gaga Thanksgiving was "disarmingly direct, sincere, and unpretentious." Tucker praised Lady Gaga's performances in the television special, expressing that they were a "warm, low-key collection of solid performances of her hits and pop standards." Dave Itzkoff of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
deemed the television special as a "dream or a hallucination." The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
journalist Hadley Freeman wrote, "It was all inoffensive, silly and knowing, and laid down the groundwork for what looks likely to be the singer's next career: as America's in-house eccentric, fearless enough to satirize the country's traditions but canny enough to know that while you can deface as many Irving Berlin songs as you like, the turkey is non-negotiable." In contrast, A Very Gaga Thanksgiving was critically panned by Jen Carlson of Gothamist
Gothamist
Gothamist LLC is the operator of eleven city-centric blogs worldwide that focus on news, events, food, culture, and other local coverage.-History:...
, who felt that it was a "very transparent marketing ploy for the new Gaga holiday release."
The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
Sarah Anne Hughes stated that she was shocked at how traditional Gaga was in the television special. Cavan Sieczkowski of International Business Times
International Business Times
The International Business Times is an online global business newspaper, published in 17 editions in 10 languages across 13 countries. The publication, sometimes called IBTimes, offers news, analysis and editorial commentary on business and business related stories...
asserted that A Very Gaga Thanksgiving was a "charming throwback to holiday specials of times past." Sieczkowski praised the outfits, and drew comparisons to those of Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
and Ava Gardner
Ava Gardner
Ava Lavinia Gardner was an American actress.She was signed to a contract by MGM Studios in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew attention with her performance in The Killers . She became one of Hollywood's leading actresses, considered one of the most beautiful women of her day...
. In concurrence, Joe Drake of Ology
Ology
Ology is an entertainment and social media website based in New York City. It is run by Beth Haggerty and Vivian Moran, both of whom founded it. The company focuses on helping users to find and share content about their interests.-History:...
wrote: "This special was [fabulous]. I have nothing bad to say about it. Lady Gaga proves, yet again, that she is the artist of our generation. Her talent, beauty, personality and spirit make her such an incredible person to look up to and respect."
Music
A Very Gaga Holiday is a live EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
featuring audio of four performances from the special: "White Christmas
White Christmas (song)
"White Christmas" is an Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the version sung by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single of all time, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide.Accounts vary as...
", "Orange Colored Sky
Orange Colored Sky
"Orange Colored Sky" is a popular song, written by Milton DeLugg and Willie Stein and published in 1950.The best-known version of the song was recorded by Nat King Cole , but a number of other singers have recorded it, including Cole's daughter, Natalie.The recording by Nat King Cole was recorded...
", "You and I", and "The Edge of Glory
The Edge of Glory
"The Edge of Glory" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Lady Gaga, from her second studio album Born This Way . The song was released digitally on May 9, 2011, and was added to the United States mainstream radio playlists on May 17, 2011...
". It was made available for purchase on November 22, 2011, to the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
of United States. An artwork for the EP was released and featured a shot of the "White Christmas" performance at the special. It shows Gaga wearing a white hood and a white fur coat singing to a golden microphone. The title A Very Gaga Holiday is written in golden italic.
Background and recording
Gaga covered "Orange Colored SkyOrange Colored Sky
"Orange Colored Sky" is a popular song, written by Milton DeLugg and Willie Stein and published in 1950.The best-known version of the song was recorded by Nat King Cole , but a number of other singers have recorded it, including Cole's daughter, Natalie.The recording by Nat King Cole was recorded...
" during a surprise appearance at The Oak Room in New York City on September 29, 2010, (wearing a dress made of hair) and again on January 5, 2011. Brian Newman served as a guest performer on trumpet for performances at the Robin Hood Gala on May 9, 2011, to benefit the Robin Hood Foundation
Robin Hood Foundation
The Robin Hood Foundation is a charitable organization, which attempts to alleviate problems caused by poverty in New York, United States.-History:Founded in 1988, Robin Hood was the brainchild of hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones...
and at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Carlisle, England on May 15, 2011. She then performed it on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
special A Very Gaga Thanksgiving. Along with "Orange Colored Sky", she also performed her variation of the original "White Christmas
White Christmas (song)
"White Christmas" is an Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the version sung by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single of all time, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide.Accounts vary as...
". Gaga put emphasis on the jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
side of the song. She added a second verse to the song, after claiming "This song it's too short and it's a beautiful Christmas song, so I added a new extra [verse]". She describes a white snowman
Snowman
A snowman is an anthropomorphic snow sculpture. They are customarily built by children as part of a family project in celebration of winter. In some cases, participants in winter festivals will build large numbers of snowmen...
, to whom she is telling Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
is on his way to him. In the end she finished by saying "Okay, so I suppose it's not very white outside yet." On November 23, 2011, it was announced that both songs were included on a digital EP titled A Very Gaga Holiday, along with two other tracks: the stripped-down live versions of her 2011 singles, "The Edge of Glory
The Edge of Glory
"The Edge of Glory" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Lady Gaga, from her second studio album Born This Way . The song was released digitally on May 9, 2011, and was added to the United States mainstream radio playlists on May 17, 2011...
" and "You and I", both from Gaga's second studio album, Born This Way
Born This Way
Born This Way is the second studio album by American recording artist Lady Gaga that was released on May 23, 2011, by Interscope Records. The album is a follow-up to her internationally-successful albums The Fame and The Fame Monster...
. The announcement happened after the grand opening of the Holiday Wonderland Gaga Workshop at Barneys New York
Barneys New York
Barneys New York is a chain of luxury department stores headquartered in New York City. The chain owns large stores in New York City, Beverly Hills, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Scottsdale, and smaller stores in other locations across the United States.Brands sold include...
. It was only released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
and Amazon
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
.
Composition
Gaga's cover of "White Christmas" is a "jazzy rendition" and features an extra verse about a snowmanSnowman
A snowman is an anthropomorphic snow sculpture. They are customarily built by children as part of a family project in celebration of winter. In some cases, participants in winter festivals will build large numbers of snowmen...
. Halfway into the cover, before beginning the new verse, Gaga says, "So as you can tell, I'm very outgoing and a little bit shy, but I've decided that this song is just too short. It's such a beautiful Christmas song but it's only one verse, so I added an extra one." Her acoustic version of "The Edge of Glory" begins with a monologue, explaining her dedication of the song to her grandmother: "It's the second Thanksgiving I'm spending without my grandpa, and I wrote this song about him, so here it is. So Grandma, if you're watching at home, this one's for you."
Reception
Amelia Proud of Daily MailDaily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
gave a negative review of the EP, saying that it was uninspiring, and that "Gaga could do well to look to one of her heroines, Kate Bush, who has released a festive album featuring a song about a love affair with a snowman, proving that at 53, she's still edgier than Gaga,,, and without the need of latex shoulders."
In the United States, the EP debuted at number 52 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
for the issue dated December 10, 2011. Gaga's version of "White Christmas" entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number 87, for the issue dated December 3, 2011.
Track listing
Release history
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | November 22, 2011 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
Interscope Records Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:... |
| Worldwide | November 26, 2011 |