Holly & Ivy  Holly & Ivy is a 1994 Christmas album and 16th overall studio album by American singer Natalie Cole. Released on October 4, 1994 by Elektra, it is Cole's first album featuring Christmas music and serves as a follow-up to "Take a Look" (1993). Cole co-produced the album with American music producer Tommy LiPuma, with whom she had worked on "Unforgettable... with Love" (1991). "Holly & Ivy" consists of 12 tracks, including 11 covers of Christmas standards and carols and one original song written by Gerry Goffin and Michael Masser. Cole promoted the album as non-traditional in interviews and live performances. Upon release, critics gave generally positive reviews for "Holly & Ivy", praising its composition and Cole's interpretations of the covered material. The album was certified gold by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on March 20, 1996 for 500,000 sales shipments; it peaked at number 36 on the "Billboard" 200 chart. "Holly & Ivy" spawned one single "No More Blue Christmas". In support of the album, Cole filmed a television special, "Natalie Cole's Untraditional Traditional Christmas", at State University of New York Performing Arts Center in Purchase, New York; it premiered on WNET on December 7, 1994. In an interview with Clarence Waldron from "Jet", Natalie Cole said the idea of recording a Christmas album started from a telephone call from producer and longtime friend Michael Masser. Cole had previously worked with Masser on the song "Someone That I Used to Love" from her 1980 album "Don't Look Back" and her 1989 single "Miss You Like Crazy". Cole described the telephone call as unexpected; during their conversation, Masser told her: "I've got this beautiful Christmas song I wrote just for you." When they met, Messer played "No More Blue Christmas"; after the session, they both agreed to record a Christmas album; the songs were recorded and produced in April 1994. Cole expressed hope that the album would remind her fans about "the true spirit of the holiday season". She wanted it to communicate Christmas as "a time for families to reflect and not just wait until the holidays to be a family." Cole's twin sister Timolin Cole said: "Christmas Eve has always been a magical time with Natalie" when she could connect with family over holiday traditions. One of the primary inspirations for "Holly & Ivy" came from her father's album "The Magic of Christmas" (1960).