Hometown Girl
Encyclopedia
Hometown Girl is the debut album from American country music
artist Mary Chapin Carpenter
. It was released on July 30, 1987 (see 1987 in country music
) on Columbia Records
. The album did not produce any chart singles. It was produced by John Jennings
, except for the track "Come On Home", which was produced by Steve Buckingham.
Vik Iyengar of Allmusic gave the album a two-and-a-half star rating out of five, saying that although it "her songwriting skills are apparent" on the album, it did not contain as many "rollicking" tunes as Carpenter's following albums. The Washington Post gave it a more favorable review, praising the songs that Carpenter wrote.
Initially, Carpenter was to have included the John Stewart
song "Runaway Train
" on this album. Her version did not make the final cut, and was instead recorded by Rosanne Cash
on her 1987 album King's Record Shop
.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Mary Chapin Carpenter
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Mary Chapin Carpenter is an American folk and country music artist. Carpenter spent several years singing in Washington, D.C. clubs before signing in the late 1980s with Columbia Records, who marketed her as a country singer...
. It was released on July 30, 1987 (see 1987 in country music
1987 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1987.-Events:* June 13 — Randy Travis' "Forever and Ever, Amen" spends three weeks at No. 1 of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart...
) on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. The album did not produce any chart singles. It was produced by John Jennings
John Jennings (musician)
John Jennings is an American musician: a guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and music producer.Among his producer work are 8 albums by Mary Chapin Carpenter, as well as releases by Beausoleil, John Gorka, and Janis Ian...
, except for the track "Come On Home", which was produced by Steve Buckingham.
Vik Iyengar of Allmusic gave the album a two-and-a-half star rating out of five, saying that although it "her songwriting skills are apparent" on the album, it did not contain as many "rollicking" tunes as Carpenter's following albums. The Washington Post gave it a more favorable review, praising the songs that Carpenter wrote.
Initially, Carpenter was to have included the John Stewart
John Stewart (musician)
John Coburn Stewart was an American songwriter and singer. He is known for his contributions to the American folk music movement of the 1960s while with The Kingston Trio and as the songwriter of The Monkees' #1 hit "Daydream Believer" and his own #5 hit "Gold", among several hundred original...
song "Runaway Train
Runaway Train (Rosanne Cash song)
"Runaway Train" is a 1988 single written by John Stewart and recorded by Rosanne Cash. "Runaway Train" was Rosanne Cash's ninth number one on the country chart as a solo artist...
" on this album. Her version did not make the final cut, and was instead recorded by Rosanne Cash
Rosanne Cash
Rosanne Cash is an American singer-songwriter and author. She is the eldest daughter of the late country music singer Johnny Cash and his first wife, Vivian Liberto Cash Distin....
on her 1987 album King's Record Shop
King's Record Shop
Although it was not Rosanne Cash's highest charting album at #6, King's Record Shop had the most singles topping the country charts. No fewer than four of its tracks placed #1 on the Billboard country singles chart...
.
Track listing
All songs written by Mary Chapin Carpenter unless noted.- "A Lot Like Me" - 4:37
- "Other Streets and Other Towns" - 5:00
- "Hometown Girl" - 4:53
- "Downtown TrainDowntown Train"Downtown Train" is a song by Tom Waits released on his album Rain Dogs in 1985.The promo video for the song was directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino and features the boxer Jake LaMotta....
" (Tom WaitsTom WaitsThomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
) - 4:10 - "Family Hands" - 4:34
- "A Road Is Just a Road" (Carpenter, John JenningsJohn Jennings (musician)John Jennings is an American musician: a guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and music producer.Among his producer work are 8 albums by Mary Chapin Carpenter, as well as releases by Beausoleil, John Gorka, and Janis Ian...
) - 3:11 - "Come On Home" (Pat Bunch, Mary Ann KennedyMary Ann Kennedy (singer)Mary Ann Kennedy is an American country music songwriter. In her career, she has been a member of the groups Calamity Jane and Kennedy Rose, both times pairing with fellow songwriter Pam Rose. Kennedy's co-writing credits include the Grammy Award-nominated songs "Ring on Her Finger, Time on Her...
, Pam RosePam RosePam Rose is an American country music songwriter. In her career, she has been a member of the groups Calamity Jane and Kennedy Rose, both times pairing with fellow songwriter Mary Ann Kennedy. Rose's co-writing credits include the Grammy Award-nominated songs "Ring on Her Finger, Time on Her Hands"...
) - 3:17 - "Waltz" - 3:24
- "Just Because" - 4:58
- "Heroes and Heroines" - 4:46
Personnel
As listed in liner notes.- Steve Buckingham — acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
- Mary Chapin Carpenter — acoustic guitar, vocals
- Jon Carroll — pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, Cream of WheatCream of WheatCream of Wheat is a porridge-type breakfast food invented in 1893 by wheat millers in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The cereal is currently manufactured and sold by B&G Foods. Until 2007, it was the Nabisco brand made by Kraft Foods. It is similar in texture to grits, but made with farina instead...
can - Jonathan Edwards — background vocals, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
- John Jennings — acoustic guitar, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, castanets, piano, fretless bass, background vocals - Robbie Magruder — drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussion - Mark O'ConnorMark O'ConnorMark O'Connor is an American bluegrass, jazz, country and classical violinist fiddler, composer and music teacher. O'Connor's music is wide-ranging, critically acclaimed, and he has received numerous awards for both his playing and his composition...
— fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, mandolin, mandolaMandolaThe mandola or tenor mandola is a fretted, stringed musical instrument. It is to the mandolin what the viola is to the violin: the four double courses of strings tuned in fifths to the same pitches as the viola , a fifth lower than a mandolin... - Rico Petruccelli — bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vibraphoneVibraphoneThe vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family.... - Tony Rice — acoustic guitar
- Mike Stein — fiddle
- Scott Young — oboeOboeThe oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...