Country Music Heaven is a studio album by American country singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released in February 1993 on Curb Records and was produced by Mike Johnson. His 34th studio album, the project also marked Anderson's second release for the Curb label. The album was a collection of gospel recordings, which totaled to 12 tracks.
| Country Music Heaven | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 1993 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 35:57 | |||
| Label | Curb | |||
| Producer | Mike Johnson | |||
| Bill Anderson chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Country Music Heaven | ||||
| ||||
Background, content and release
Country Music Heaven was recorded in two separate locations: the Hilltop Studio (located in Nashville, Tennessee) and Bradley's Barn (located in Mount Juliet, Tennessee). The sessions were produced by Mike Johnson, Anderson's band leader in his touring band. Johnson had produced some of Anderson's previous album releases. Country Music Heaven was Anderson's second album for the Curb label, with his first being a compilation set issued in 1991.[1] The project was a collection of 12 gospel music recordings.[2]
It was Anderson's second album of gospel recordings. He was inspired to record the cut because his grandfather was a Methodist preacher. Anderson often performed many of the songs featured on the collection in church gatherings. Two of the album's track were new compositions by Anderson himself: "Footprints in the Sand" and "Serenity Prayer". Additional tracks were cover versions of traditional gospel and inspirational songs.[1] Country Music Heaven was released in February 1993 on Curb Records, becoming his 34th studio recording.[1] The project was issued as a cassette and compact disc.[1][3] The album's title track was released as a single in 1992, receiving a review from Billboard, which compared the song to that of Garth Brooks.[4] The album itself was reviewed by Allmusic, who only gave the release 2.5 out of 3 possible stars.[2]
Track listing
CD version
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Drinking from My Saucer" | Mike Johnson | 2:57 |
| 2. | "The Touch of the Master's Hand" | 3:15 | |
| 3. | "I Said a Prayer for You Today" | Johnson | 0:47 |
| 4. | "Friends" | 2:12 | |
| 5. | "Ol' Doc Brown" | Red Foley | 5:05 |
| 6. | "Country Music Heaven" |
| 3:57 |
| 7. | "Footprints in the Sand" | Bill Anderson | 3:38 |
| 8. | "One Solitary Life" | Johnson | 2:52 |
| 9. | "Trouble in the Amen Corner" | Archie Campbell | 3:07 |
| 10. | "The Farmer and the Lord" | Jim Wilson | 3:23 |
| 11. | "The Serenity Prayer" | Anderson | 1:00 |
| 12. | "Whispering Hope" | Debbie Mathis | 3:53 |
Cassette version
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Drinking from My Saucer" | Johnson | 2:57 |
| 2. | "The Touch of the Master's Hand" |
| 3:15 |
| 3. | "I Said a Prayer for You Today" | Johnson | 0:47 |
| 4. | "Friends" |
| 2:12 |
| 5. | "Ol' Doc Brown" | Foley | 5:05 |
| 6. | "Country Music Heaven" |
| 3:57 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Footprints in the Sand" | Anderson | 3:38 |
| 2. | "One Solitary Life" | Johnson | 2:52 |
| 3. | "Trouble in the Amen Corner" | Campbell | 3:07 |
| 4. | "The Farmer and the Lord" | Wilson | 3:23 |
| 5. | "The Serenity Prayer" | Anderson | 1:00 |
| 6. | "Whispering Hope" | Mathis | 3:53 |
Personnel
All credits are adapted from the liner notes of Country Music Heaven.[1]
Musical personnel
- Bill Anderson – lead vocals
- Kelly Black – guitar
- Gene Chrisman – drums
- Greg Dotson – drums
- Glen Duncan – fiddle, mandolin
- Lee Hilliard – background vocals
- Dirk Johnson – keyboards, piano
- Kirk Johnson – harmonica
- Mike Johnson – dobro, steel guitar
- Roger Morris – piano
- Larry Paxton – electric bass, upright bass
- Michael Severs – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
- Lester Earl Singer – acoustic guitar, dobro
Technical personnel
- Bill Anderson – arrangement
- Dennis Carney – photography
- Mike Johnson – producer
- Don Ovens – liner notes
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | February 1993 | Cassette | Curb Records | [1] |
| Compact disc | [3] |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Anderson, Bill (February 1993). "Country Music Heaven (Cassette insert)". Curb Records.
- ^ a b "Country Music Heaven: Bill Anderson: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Bill Anderson – Country Music Heaven (1993, CD)". discogs. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- ^ "Billboard Single Reviews: 1992" (PDF). American Radio History. Retrieved May 5, 2020.