LOS ANGELES (Hidden Beach Records) - In a unique distribution agreement, Starbucks Coffee Company, music icon BeBe Winans and Hidden Beach Recordings have teamed to offer My Christmas Prayer, a 15-song holiday CD, exclusively at Starbucks Company-operated locations in the U.S. and Canada this Holiday season.
This collaboration marks the first exclusive distribution agreement between Starbucks Hear
Music and the independent record label. The distribution agreement underscores each company's commitment to providing quality products, while utilizing creative marketing to offer a great music experience to consumers.
'We are committed to giving our customers an enriching experience that only Starbucks can provide,' said Ken Lombard, president of Starbucks Entertainment.
'By exclusively offering My Christmas Prayer in our stores in the U.S. and Canada this holiday season, Starbucks is delivering on that vision. Our collaboration with Hidden Beach and BeBe Winans continues the heritage of pairing great music with great coffee to enhance the Starbucks Experience.'
The CD is highlighted by a spirited duet between Winans and Matchbox 20's Rob Thomas on the album's title track 'My Christmas Prayer.'
Winans was inspired to write the song while visiting U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East, to offer hope and encouragement to the soldiers' families. The disc, a collection of Yuletide classics destined to be a holiday treasure for years to come, also features favorites such as 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,' 'Silent Night,' 'Oh Come All Ye Faithful' and 'Joy to the World.'
'I am excited to share My Christmas Prayer of peace and love with the world,' said four-time Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter Winans. 'This song defies boundaries and it is my pleasure to have a conscientious partner like Starbucks on board. I cannot envision a better scenario for anyone involved, especially the fans. Starbucks is the perfect venue to connect with music lovers who understand and appreciate quality.'
My Christmas Prayer, a joint release from Winans' The Movement Group label and the Hidden Beach Celebrations Series will be available at Starbucks locations beginning Wednesday, November 10 for $12.98 U.S./$15.98 CAN.
'Without doubt, this opportunity allows us to connect with a highly valued audience in a unique and effective manner,' said Hidden Beach CEO/Founder Steve McKeever. 'As one of the world's leading brands that, like Hidden Beach, is committed to excellence and the concept of enriching people's lives, Starbucks is the ideal partner to bring this beautiful and powerful music to some of the marketplace's most discerning customers.'
The CD, produced by Winans and multi-talented Nashville-based musician Tom Hemby, paves the way for the talented singer's next studio album, Dream, which will be released in early 2005.
The sales of My Christmas Prayer exclusively in Starbucks stores comes on the heels of the platinum selling Ray Charles Genius Loves Company CD, which was produced and distributed through a collaboration between Starbucks and Concord Records. Further demonstrating the impact that Starbucks is having on the music industry, the company announced the national launch of the Hear Music media bar in Austin and Seattle; the introduction of Starbucks 'Hear Music' Channel 75 on XM Satellite Radio; the introduction of the new Starbucks Hear Music Coffeehouse retail concept; and the recent release of Emmylou Harris Artist's Choice� compilation CD. Norah Jones Artist's Choice™ compilation will also debut on November 10.
About BeBe Winans
BeBe Winans hails from one of the music industry's most respected and accomplished recording families. The groundbreaking inspirational, R&B, and Gospel vocalist, writer, and producer, has won four Grammy Awards, ten Dove Awards, six Stellar Awards, two NAACP Awards and a Soul Train Award. A multi-talented artist, Winans not only has a successful recording career, but also recently launched a syndicated BeBe Winans Radio Show and returned to acting in both film and theater. Based in Nashville, his The Movement Group (TMG) label is dedicated to presenting up-and-coming as well as seasoned inspirational artists, along with providing a home for Winans' own projects.
About Hidden Beach Recordings
Founded by music veteran Steve McKeever, Hidden Beach Recordings is an independent record label based in Santa Monica, CA. Along with introducing music sensation Jill Scott and saxophonist Mike Phillips, Hidden Beach is also home to vocalist Darius Rucker, trombonist Jeff Bradshaw, husband and wife-led group Kindred the Family Soul, gospel legend BeBe Winans, songstress Lina, singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Peter Black, and the cutting edge Unwrapped series, among others.
The Hidden Beach Celebration Series (HBSC) is a new unit of the company dedicated to releasing specialty projects hailing from a variety of areas. Epic Records Group, a division of Sony Music, serves as Hidden Beach's worldwide distributor and marketing partner.
