Labor of Love (Radney Foster album)
Encyclopedia
Labor of Love is the second studio album by American country music
artist Radney Foster
. It was released in 1995 on Arista Records
, peaking at #61 on the Billboard
Top Country Albums charts and producing three chart singles. It was also his final release for Arista Nashville
, although his third album — 1999's See What You Want to See
— was issued on Arista Austin.
tribute album. "Willin' to Walk" was issued as the second single in 1995, with its radio edit having been remixed by Steve Ripley
of The Tractors
. Closing out the album was "If It Were Me". These three singles peaked at #58, #54 and #59, respectively, on the Billboard
country charts.
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 Radney Foster
Radney Foster
Radney Foster is an American Texas Country artist. Initially a songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee, Foster made his debut in 1986 alongside Bill Lloyd in the duo Foster & Lloyd...
. It was released in 1995 on Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
, peaking at #61 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Top Country Albums charts and producing three chart singles. It was also his final release for Arista Nashville
Arista Nashville
Arista Nashville is an American record label that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment, operated under the Sony Music Nashville division. Founded in 1989, the label specializes in country music artists, including Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood...
, although his third album — 1999's See What You Want to See
See What You Want to See
See What You Want to See is American country music artist Radney Foster's third studio album. It was released in 1999 on Arista Records. The record features a number of notable guests, such as Darius Rucker from Hootie & the Blowfish, as well as Abra Moore and Emmylou Harris...
— was issued on Arista Austin.
History
Initially, the album was to have been released in 1994 under the title Never Say Die. However, after lead-off single "Labor of Love" failed to reach Top 40, the album was delayed twice so that it would not interfere with Foster's contribution to a Merle HaggardMerle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
tribute album. "Willin' to Walk" was issued as the second single in 1995, with its radio edit having been remixed by Steve Ripley
Steve Ripley
Steve Ripley is a recording artist, songwriter, studio engineer, guitarist, and inventor. He has been active in the music business since 1977...
of The Tractors
The Tractors
The Tractors is an American country rock band composed of a loosely associated group of musicians, headed by guitarist Steve Ripley. Under the band's original lineup, The Tractors was signed to Arista Records in 1994, releasing their self-titled debut album that year; the album went on to become...
. Closing out the album was "If It Were Me". These three singles peaked at #58, #54 and #59, respectively, on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
country charts.
Track listing
- "Willin' to Walk" (Radney Foster) – 2:39
- "Labor of Love" (Foster, Cindy Bullens) – 3:38
- "My Whole Wide World" (Foster, Bullens) – 4:31
- "Never Say Die" (Foster, George DucasGeorge Ducas (singer)George Ducas is an American country music artist. He has released two studio albums: 1994's George Ducas and 1997's Where I Stand, and has charted six singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, of which the highest was the #9 "Lipstick Promises" in 1995...
) – 4:08 - "Jesse's Soul" (Foster, Tim DuBois) – 4:40
- "Everybody Gets the Blues" (Foster, Ducas) – 3:04
- "If It Were Me" (Foster, Kim RicheyKim RicheyKimberly Kay "Kim" Richey is an American singer/songwriter. Though her work fits into the general country music category, her sound is not easily categorized. Her songs have been hits on both the country and pop charts...
) – 4:40 - "Broke Down" (Foster, Gary Nicholson) – 3:24
- "Precious Pearl" (Foster) – 4:13
- "Last Chance for Love" (Foster) – 4:05
- "Walkin' Talkin' Woman" (Foster) – 2:37
- "Making It Up as I Go" (Foster) – 4:35
Appearing On The Album
- Joan Besen – 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...
, clavinetClavinetA Clavinet is an electrically amplified keyboard instrument manufactured by the Hohner company. It is essentially an electronically amplified clavichord, analogous to an electric guitar. Its distinctive bright staccato sound has appeared particularly in funk, disco, rock, and reggae songs.Various...
, bellsBell (instrument)A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck... - Sam BushSam BushSam Bush is an American bluegrass mandolin player considered an originator of the Newgrass style.- History :...
– 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... - Mary Chapin CarpenterMary Chapin CarpenterMary 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...
– background vocals - Joey Click – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Deryl DoddDeryl DoddDeryl Dwaine Dodd is an American Texas Country artist. Originally a regular on the Texas club circuit, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, soon finding work as a background vocalist and songwriter...
– background vocals - Dan Dugmore – 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...
, pedal steel guitarPedal steel guitarThe pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal"... - Steve Fishell – pedal steel guitar, lap steel guitarLap steel guitarThe lap steel guitar is a type of steel guitar, an instrument derived from and similar to the guitar. The player changes pitch by pressing a metal or glass bar against the strings instead of by pressing strings against the fingerboard....
- Radney Foster – acoustic guitar, vocals
- Bill Hullett – lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, 12-string guitar - Carl JacksonCarl JacksonCarl Jackson is an American country and bluegrass musician. Jackson's first Grammy was awarded in 1992 for his duet album with John Starling titled "Spring Training." In 2003 Jackson produced the Grammy Award-winning CD titled Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of the Louvin Brothers - a tribute to Ira...
– background vocals - Michael Joyce – bass guitar
- Albert LeeAlbert LeeAlbert William Lee, born 21 December 1943 in Leominster, Herefordshire, England, is an English guitarist known for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking technique. Lee has worked both in the studio and on tour with some of the most famous musicians which stretch through a very wide of genres...
– lead guitar, 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... - Jimmy Maddox – Hammond B-3 organ
- Mike McAdam – lead 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...
, 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...
, 6-string bass guitar - Bob Mummert – drums, percussion, timpaniTimpaniTimpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
, castanets - Lloyd MainesLloyd MainesLloyd Maines is an American Grammy Award-winning country music record producer, musician and songwriter. He was born and raised in Lubbock, Texas and is now based in Bulverde, Texas....
– pedal steel guitar - Lee Roy ParnellLee Roy ParnellLee Roy Parnell is an American country music artist. Active since 1990, he has recorded eight studio albums, and has charted more than twenty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts...
– slide guitarSlide guitarSlide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles... - Kim RicheyKim RicheyKimberly Kay "Kim" Richey is an American singer/songwriter. Though her work fits into the general country music category, her sound is not easily categorized. Her songs have been hits on both the country and pop charts...
– background vocals - Harry Stinson – background vocals
- Pete Wasner – piano
Radney's Touring Band
- As Listed In Liner Notes
- Mike McAdam: Guitars
- Jimmie Crawford: SteelSteel guitarSteel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
- Jimmy "Dusty Fingers" Maddox: Piano & B-3 Organ
- Joey Click: Bass
- Bob Mummert: Drums, Percussion
Production
- Produced By Steve Fishell For JackalopeJackalopeThe jackalope is a mythical animal of North American folklore described as a jackrabbit with antelope horns or deer antlers and sometimes a pheasant's tail . The word "jackalope" is a portmanteau of "jackrabbit" and "antalope", an archaic spelling of "antelope". It is also known as Lepus...
Productions & Radney Foster - Recorded By Mike Poole; Assisted By Ed Simonton
- Mixed By Chuck Ainlay; Assisted By Graham Lewis
- Digital Editing By Don Cobb
- Mastered By Denny Purcell
Chart performance
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 61 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Heatseekers | 36 |