Mark Gray
Encyclopedia
Mark Eugene Gray is an American country music
artist. He has recorded both as a solo artist for Columbia Records
and as a member of the country pop
band Exile
, of which he was a member between 1979 and 1982.
Gray's solo career includes three albums and eight Top 40 country hits, of which the highest-peaking is the #6 Tammy Wynette
duet "Sometimes When We Touch
", a cover of the Dan Hill
song. Gray also co-wrote "Take Me Down" and "The Closer You Get", both of which were originally recorded by Exile and later became Number One hits for Alabama
. Other songs that Gray co-wrote include "It Ain't Easy Being Easy" for Janie Fricke
and "Second Hand Heart" for Gary Morris
.
.
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. He has recorded both as a solo artist for 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...
and as a member of the country pop
Country pop
Country pop, with roots in both the countrypolitan sound and in soft rock, is a subgenre of country music that first emerged in the 1970s. Although the term first referred to country music songs and artists that crossed over to Top 40 radio, country pop acts are now more likely to cross over to...
band Exile
Exile (American band)
Exile, originally known as The Exiles, is an American band founded in Richmond, Kentucky by J.P. Pennington. They started by playing local clubs which led to touring with Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars opening shows and providing backup for major rock artists of the period.Their name was shortened...
, of which he was a member between 1979 and 1982.
Gray's solo career includes three albums and eight Top 40 country hits, of which the highest-peaking is the #6 Tammy Wynette
Tammy Wynette
Virginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette , was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of the genre's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists....
duet "Sometimes When We Touch
Sometimes When We Touch
Sometimes When We Touch is a 1977 ballad written by Dan Hill and Barry Mann on the album Longer Fuse, but was also released as a single in 1978. It was Hill's biggest hit, peaking at #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Musicians included Larrie Londin , Bob Mann , Don Potter , Tom Scyzniak...
", a cover of the Dan Hill
Dan Hill
Daniel Grafton "Dan" Hill IV is a Canadian pop singer and songwriter. He had two major hits with his songs, "Sometimes When We Touch" and "Can't We Try," a duet with Vonda Shepard.-Early life and career:...
song. Gray also co-wrote "Take Me Down" and "The Closer You Get", both of which were originally recorded by Exile and later became Number One hits for Alabama
Alabama (band)
Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...
. Other songs that Gray co-wrote include "It Ain't Easy Being Easy" for Janie Fricke
Janie Fricke
Janie Fricke is an American country music singer, best remembered for a series of country music hits in the early to mid 1980s....
and "Second Hand Heart" for Gary Morris
Gary Morris
Gary Gwyn Morris is an American country music artist who charted a string of countrypolitan-styled hit songs throughout the 1980s....
.
Albums
All albums released on Columbia RecordsColumbia 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...
.
| Year | Album | Chart Positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country | ||
| 1984 | Magic | 26 |
| 1985 | This Ol' Piano | 33 |
| 1986 | That Feeling Inside | 35 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
CAN Country | |||
| 1983 | "It Ain't Real (If It Ain't You)" | 25 | — | Magic |
| "Wounded Hearts" | 18 | — | ||
| 1984 | "Left Side of the Bed" | 10 | 28 | |
| "If All the Magic Is Gone" | 9 | 6 | ||
| "Diamond in the Dust" | 9 | 4 | This Ol' Piano | |
| 1985 | "Sometimes When We Touch Sometimes When We Touch Sometimes When We Touch is a 1977 ballad written by Dan Hill and Barry Mann on the album Longer Fuse, but was also released as a single in 1978. It was Hill's biggest hit, peaking at #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Musicians included Larrie Londin , Bob Mann , Don Potter , Tom Scyzniak... " (with Tammy Wynette Tammy Wynette Virginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette , was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of the genre's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists.... ) |
6 | 24 | |
| "Smooth Sailing (Rock in the Road)" | 43 | 30 | ||
| "Please Be Love Please Be Love "Please Be Love" is a single by American country music artist Mark Gray. It was released in 1985 as the first single from his album That Feeling Inside. The song peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.-Chart performance:... " |
7 | 3 | That Feeling Inside | |
| 1986 | "Back When Love Was Enough" | 14 | 7 | |
| 1988 | "Song in My Heart" (with Bobbi Lace) | 69 | — | singles only |
| "It's Gonna Be Love" (with Bobbi Lace) | 70 | — | ||