1996 studio album by LeeAnn Rimes
Blue is the debut studio album by American country music singer LeAnn Rimes , released in the United States on July 9, 1996, by Curb Records .[1] It peaked at number three on the US Billboard 200 , and number one on the Top Country Albums chart.
Singles released from this album include, in order of release: "Blue ", "Hurt Me ", "One Way Ticket (Because I Can) ", "Unchained Melody " and "The Light in Your Eyes ". These songs all charted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart between 1996 and 1997; "Blue" and "The Light in Your Eyes" both reached top 10, while "Hurt Me" fell short off top 40. "One Way Ticket" is Rimes's only number one hit on the country music charts.[2]
A special Target edition was released during the 1996 Christmas season, which included a bonus single of "Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart", with "Unchained Melody" on the B-side .[2] [3] [4] "Unchained Melody" peaked at number three on the Country Songs chart[5] while "Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart" peaked at number 51 on the same chart in 1997.[6]
Critical reception [ edit ]
The album was met with some positive reviews. AllMusic rated Blue four out of five stars. Shawn M. Haney, who reviewed the album, called it "a glorious free-for-all of sassy pick-me-up country", and stated that "perhaps people of any age or style of interest will feel youthful again after a good listen and a half."[7] Similarly, Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B+ and stated that "such raw, old-fashioned country music, with such a big, twangy, sexy voice at the center, wouldn't be making such a stir in bland '90s Nashville if LeAnn Rimes weren't 13. In other words, the hype machine has inadvertently coughed up a gem."[10] Los Angeles Times gave the album two-and-a-half stars out of four and said that "Rimes displays the unbridled power and freshness you'd expect from a teenager. In an ideal world, she'd bring all that to bear on songs that tap her youthful zeal. Instead, too many on this major-label debut require a level of experience that's clearly beyond her years. There's no question Rimes has been blessed with a magnificent voice. Let's hope she'll be given a few years--say, at least until she's out of high school--to let her natural talent mature."[11] In his Consumer Guide, however, Robert Christgau gave the album a "neither" score,[12] and said it "may impress once or twice with consistent craft or an arresting track or two. Then it won't."[13]
Track listing [ edit ]
Blue track listingTitle Writer(s) Producer(s) 1. "Blue " Bill Mack Wilbur C. Rimes 2:49 2. "Hurt Me " Deborah Allen , Bobby Braddock , Rafe Van HoyW. Rimes 2:54 3. "One Way Ticket (Because I Can) " Keith Hinton, Judy Rodman Chuck Howard, W. Rimes, Bob Campbell-Smith (assistant) 3:44 4. "My Baby" Allen W. Rimes 2:50 5. "Honestly" Christi Dannemiller, Joe Johnston Howard, W. Rimes, Campbell-Smith (assistant) 3:22 6. "The Light in Your Eyes " Dan Tyler Howard, W. Rimes, Johnny Mulhair (co.) , Greg Walker (assistant) , Campbell-Smith (assistant) 3:21 7. "Talk to Me" Ron Grimes, L. Rimes, Jon Rutherford Howard, W. Rimes, Campbell-Smith (assistant) 3:12 8. "I'll Get Even With You" Coweta House W. Rimes, Mulhair (co.) , Walker (assistant) 3:18 9. "Cattle Call " (duet with Eddy Arnold ) Tex Owens Howard, W. Rimes, Mulhair (co.) , Walker (assistant) , Campbell-Smith (assistant) 3:09 10. "Good Lookin' Man" Joyce Harrison W. Rimes 3:11 11. "Fade to Blue" Jim Allison, Anne Reeves, Lang Scott W. Rimes, Mulhair (co.) , Walker (assistant) 3:02
Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart bonus CD single[3] Title Writer(s) Producer(s) 1. "Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart" Greg Wojohn, Roger Wojohn, Scott Wojohn W. Rimes, Roger Wojohn 3:29 2. "Unchained Melody " Alex North , Hy Zaret W. Rimes 3:51
Personnel [ edit ]
Musicians
LeAnn Rimes – lead vocals
Kelly Glenn – keyboards
Paul Goad – acoustic piano, keyboards, bass
John Hobbs – acoustic piano
Jimmy Kelly – acoustic piano, keyboards
Mike McClain – acoustic piano
Steve Nathan – keyboards
Dann Huff – electric guitar
John Jorgenson – electric guitar
Brent Rowan – electric guitar
Jerry Matheny – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Johnny Mulhair – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, steel guitar
Michael Spriggs – acoustic guitar
Bruce Bouton – steel guitar
Milo Deering – steel guitar
Paul Franklin – steel guitar
Mike Chapman – bass
Curtis Randall – bass
Bob Smith – bass
Glenn Worf – bass
Brad Billingsley – drums
Chad Cromwell – drums
Fred Gleber – drums
Greg Morrow – drums
Terry McMillan – percussion
Kevin Bailey – harmonica
Larry Franklin – fiddle
Crista Carnes – backing vocals
Perry Coleman – backing vocals
Lisa Criss – backing vocals
LaDonna Johnson – backing vocals
Mary Ann Kennedy – backing vocals
Joy McKay – backing vocals
Kayla Powell – backing vocals
Pam Rose – backing vocals
Matthew Ward – backing vocals
Dennis Wilson – backing vocals
Eddy Arnold – lead vocals on "Cattle Call"
Production
Wilbur C. Rimes – producer
Chuck Howard – producer (3, 5, 6, 7, 9)
Johnny Mulhair – co-producer (6, 8, 9, 11), recording, mixing
Greg Hunt – recording, mixing
Bob Campbell-Smith – recording, production assistant (3, 5, 6, 7, 9)
Daniel Kresco – recording assistant
Gary Leach – recording assistant, mix assistant
Aaron Swihart – recording assistant
Greg Walker – recording assistant, mix assistant, production assistant (6, 8, 9, 11)
Jeff Watkins – recording assistant
John Kelton – mixing
Csaba Petocz – mixing
David Hall – mix assistant
Glenn Meadows – mastering
Neuman, Walker & Associates, Inc. – art direction, design
Sue Austin – design coordinator
Peter Nash – photography
Studios
Recorded at Petty Sound Studios (Clovis, New Mexico); Rosewood Studio (Tyler, Texas); Midtown Tone & Volume and OmniSound (Nashville, Tennessee).
Overdubbed at KD Studios (Nashville, Tennessee).
Mixed at Masterfonics (Nashville, Tennessee); Petty Sound Studios; Rosewood Studio.
Mastered at Masterfonics
Blue debuted at number four on Billboard 200 with 123,000 copies sold in the week ending of July 27, 1996,[14] It peaked at number three in its second week with 129,500 copies sold.[15]
Weekly charts [ edit ]
Decade-end chart [ edit ]
Year-end charts [ edit ]
Certifications [ edit ]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
^ "Blue: Leann Rimes: Music" . Amazon . 1996. Retrieved June 25, 2012 .
^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008 . Record Research, Inc. pp. 352–353. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2 .
^ a b "Amazon.com: Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart: LeAnn Rimes: Music" . amazon.com . Retrieved August 8, 2011 .
^ Flippo, Chet (November 23, 1996). "Movie Roles Abound For Country Artists; Mark Miller To Shoot Hoops" . Billboard . Retrieved June 2, 2012 .
^ "Unchained Melody – LeAnn Rimes" . Billboard.com . Retrieved May 6, 2012 .
^ "Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart – LeAnn Rimes" . Billboard.com . Retrieved May 6, 2012 .
^ a b Haney, Shawn M.. Blue at AllMusic
^ Flippo, Chet (September 3, 1996). "Reviews & Previews: Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . p. 89. Retrieved December 1, 2022 .
^ Newcomer, Wendy (August 17, 1996). "Country Music" (PDF) . Cash Box . p. 22. Retrieved November 15, 2022 .
^ a b Nash, Alanna (August 2, 1996). "Blue Review" . Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on April 27, 2009. Retrieved October 17, 2012 .
^ a b Lewis, Randy (July 27, 1996). "Rimes Needs Time to Grow" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved April 12, 2013 .
^ a b Christgau, Robert . "CG: LeAnn Rimes" . RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved October 17, 2012 .
^ Christgau, Robert. "CG 90s: Key to Icons" . RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved October 5, 2012 .
^ "Billboard" . July 27, 1996. Retrieved December 2, 2011 .
^ "Billboard" . August 3, 1996. Retrieved December 2, 2011 .
^ a b "australian-charts.com – LeAnn Rimes – Blue" . australian-charts.com . Retrieved August 4, 2011 .
^ a b c d "Blue - LeAnn Rimes | Billboard.com" . Billboard . Retrieved August 8, 2011 .
^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada" . Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved October 7, 2011 .
^ "Chart Log UK: The Rabble Army – RZA" . Zobbel.de. Retrieved October 7, 2011 .
^ Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). "1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade – The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s" . Billboard . Retrieved September 30, 2010 .
^ "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Albums 1996" . Aria.com.au. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved 2011-10-07 .
^ "RPM Year End Country Albums ~Top 50" . RPM . December 16, 1996. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2011 .
^ a b [1] . google.com . Retrieved August 4, 2011.
^ "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top 100 Albums 1997" . Aria.com.au. Retrieved October 7, 2011 .
^ "RPM '97 Year End...Top 50 Country Albums" . RPM . December 15, 1997. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2011 .
^ a b "Billboard" . Billboard . Vol. 108, no. 52. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 28, 1996. p. YE-36. ISSN 0006-2510 . Retrieved August 4, 2011 .
^ a b [2] . google.com . Retrieved August 4, 2011.
^ "ARIA Annual Charts 1996" . ARIA . 1996. Retrieved March 25, 2020 .
^ "Canadian album certifications – LeAnn Rimes – Blue" . Music Canada .
^ "New Zealand album certifications – LeAnn Rimes – Blue" . Recorded Music NZ .
^ Paul Grein (November 7, 2008). "Chart Watch Extra: Ropin' The Biggest Country Hits – Chart Watch" . new.music.yahoo.com . Retrieved May 13, 2011 .
^ "American album certifications – LeAnn Rimes – Blue" . Recording Industry Association of America .
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