Neil Diamond releasing Christmas CD

NEW YORK, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Columbia Records announced plans Wednesday to release "A Cherry Cherry Christmas," a new holiday CD by U.S. pop music icon Neil Diamond.

The album will be available in stores and online Oct. 13.

"The title song, 'Cherry Cherry Christmas,' is filled with references to many of Diamond's greatest hits," the record label said in a news release. "Newly written and recorded by Neil Diamond for Christmas 2009, it is destined to become a new Christmas standard."

The CD also includes Diamond's renditions of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "White Christmas," "Deck the Halls/We Wish You a Merry Christmas," "Jingle Bell Rock," "Winter Wonderland" and "Joy to the World."

In addition, the album features Diamond singing the hymn, "Amazing Grace," as well as an original song called "Christmas Dream" and a "party-time version" of Adam Sandler's comedic, "The Chanukah Song," Columbia said.

Diamond has sold more than 125 million albums worldwide, the label noted.