Neck and Neck
Encyclopedia
Neck and Neck is a 1990 collaborative album by Chet Atkins
and Mark Knopfler
released by Columbia Records
. "Poor Boy Blues
" was released as a single and won the 1991 Grammy for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. "So Soft Your Goodbye" won the Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance. Neck & Neck was again nominated for the 1992 Grammy for Best Country & Western Instrumental Performance.
Atkins originally recorded "Yakety Axe", a parody of Boots' Randolph's "Yakety Sax", on his 1965 album More of That Guitar Country
. This new recording features lyrics and a new arrangement that were composed by Merle Travis
. Atkins also previously recorded "I'll See You in My Dreams" on an album with Merle Travis.
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
and Mark Knopfler
Mark Knopfler
Mark Freuder Knopfler, OBE is a Scottish-born British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer and film score composer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the British rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded in 1977...
released by 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...
. "Poor Boy Blues
Poor Boy Blues
"Poor Boy Blues" or "Poor Boy, Long Ways From Home" is a traditional blues song of unknown origin. As with most traditional blues songs, there is great variation in the melody and lyrical content as performed by different artists...
" was released as a single and won the 1991 Grammy for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. "So Soft Your Goodbye" won the Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance. Neck & Neck was again nominated for the 1992 Grammy for Best Country & Western Instrumental Performance.
Atkins originally recorded "Yakety Axe", a parody of Boots' Randolph's "Yakety Sax", on his 1965 album More of That Guitar Country
More of That Guitar Country
More of That Guitar Country is the title of a recording by Chet Atkins. It is a follow-up to his Guitar Country release and was more successful. His rendition of "Yakety Sax" by Boots Randolph earned Atkins a hit on the country singles charts...
. This new recording features lyrics and a new arrangement that were composed by Merle Travis
Merle Travis
Merle Robert Travis was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and musician born in Rosewood, Kentucky. His lyrics often discussed the life and exploitation of coal miners. Among his many well-known songs are "Sixteen Tons", "Re-Enlistment Blues" and "Dark as a Dungeon"...
. Atkins also previously recorded "I'll See You in My Dreams" on an album with Merle Travis.
Track listing
- "Poor Boy Blues" (Paul KennerleyPaul KennerleyPaul Kennerley is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer working in the American contemporary country music industry. His works include the concept albums, White Mansions and The Legend of Jesse James...
) (4:03) - "Sweet Dreams" (Don GibsonDon GibsonDonald Eugene "Don" Gibson was an American songwriter and country musician. A Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, Gibson penned such country standards as "Sweet Dreams" and "I Can't Stop Loving You", and enjoyed a string of country hits from 1957 into the early 1970s.-Biography:Don Gibson was...
) (3:25) - "There'll Be Some Changes MadeThere'll Be Some Changes Made"There'll Be Some Changes Made" is a popular song with music by Benton Overstreet and lyrics by Billy Higgins, published in 1921. The song is a jazz standard, with many recordings having been made.-References in popular culture:...
" (Billy HigginsBilly HigginsBilly Higgins was an American jazz drummer. He played mainly free jazz and hard bop.Higgins was born in Los Angeles, California. Higgins played on Ornette Coleman's first records, beginning in 1958...
, Benton Overstreet) (6:28) (Parody lyrics by Margaret Archer, Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler) - "Just One Time" (Gibson) (4:12)
- "So Soft, Your Goodbye" (Randy GoodrumRandy GoodrumRandy Goodrum is an American songwriter. Goodrum has written numerous popular songs, including Anne Murray's #1 hit "You Needed Me" and "Broken Hearted Me" , Michael Johnson's "Bluer Than Blue" , England Dan & John Ford Coley's "It's Sad to Belong" , Steve Perry's "Oh Sherrie" , DeBarge's "Who's...
) (3:18) - "Yakety Axe" (Boots RandolphBoots RandolphHomer Louis "Boots" Randolph III was an American musician best known for his 1963 saxophone hit, "Yakety Sax"...
, James Rich) (3:24), Lyrics by Merle TravisMerle TravisMerle Robert Travis was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and musician born in Rosewood, Kentucky. His lyrics often discussed the life and exploitation of coal miners. Among his many well-known songs are "Sixteen Tons", "Re-Enlistment Blues" and "Dark as a Dungeon"... - "Tears" (Stéphane GrappelliStéphane GrappelliStéphane Grappelli was a French jazz violinist who founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands....
, Django ReinhardtDjango ReinhardtDjango Reinhardt was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer who invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique that has since become a living musical tradition within French gypsy culture...
) (3:54) - "Tahitian Skies" (Ray FlackeRay FlackeRaymond James Flacke is a country guitar session player from Milford on Sea, England. He has graced countless recordings with his trademark ‘‘Tele-wielding Chicken pickin’’’ style for such artists as Emmylou Harris, Janie Frickie, Kathy Mattea, Lacy J...
) (3:18) - "I'll See You in My DreamsI'll See You in My Dreams (song)"I'll See You in My Dreams" is a popular song.One of the most beloved and popular songs of its day, "I'll See You in My Dreams" was written by Isham Jones, with lyrics by Gus Kahn. The song was published in 1924...
" (Isham JonesIsham JonesIsham Jones was a United States bandleader, saxophonist, bassist and songwriter.-Career:Jones was born in Coalton, Ohio, to a musical and mining family, and grew up in Saginaw, Michigan, where he started his first band...
, Gus KahnGus KahnGustav Gerson Kahn was a musician, songwriter and lyricist.-Biography:Kahn was born in Koblenz, Germany in 1886. The family emigrated from there to the United States and moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1890...
) (2:58) - "The Next Time I'm in Town" (Mark KnopflerMark KnopflerMark Freuder Knopfler, OBE is a Scottish-born British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer and film score composer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the British rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded in 1977...
) (3:22)
Credits
- Chet AtkinsChet AtkinsChester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
– guitar, vocals - Mark KnopflerMark KnopflerMark Freuder Knopfler, OBE is a Scottish-born British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer and film score composer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the British rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded in 1977...
– guitar, vocals - Floyd CramerFloyd CramerFloyd Cramer was an American Hall of Fame pianist who was one of the architects of the "Nashville sound." He popularized the "slip note" piano style where an out-of-tune note slides effortlessly into the correct note...
– piano - Guy FletcherGuy FletcherGuy Wilson Fletcher is an English multi-instrumentalist, best known for his position as the keyboardist in the British rock band Dire Straits from 1984 until the group's dissolution, and his involvement in nearly every part of Mark Knopfler's solo work to date.-Biography:Fletcher was born into a...
– bass, drums, keyboards - Paul FranklinPaul Franklin (musician)Paul Franklin is an American multi-instrumentalist, known mainly for his work as a steel guitarist. He began his career in the 1970s as a member of Barbara Mandrell's road band; in addition he toured with Mel Tillis and Jerry Reed. He has since become a prolific session musician in Nashville,...
– dobro, steel guitar, pedabro - Vince GillVince GillVincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
– vocals - Larrie LondinLarrie LondinRalph Gallant, better known by his stage name Larrie Londin , was an American drummer and session musician. Londin played with a wide range of artists including Journey and Steve Perry....
– drums - 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...
– fiddle, mandolin - Edgar Meyer – bass
- Steve WarinerSteve WarinerSteven Noel "Steve" Wariner is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. He has released eighteen studio albums, including six on MCA Records, and three each on RCA Records, Arista Records and Capitol Records...
– guitar
Album
| Chart (1990) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 127 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 27 |
| Canadian RPM Top Albums | 71 |
| Norway Albums Chart | 5 |
| UK Albums Chart | 41 |
Singles
| Year | Single | CAN Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | "Poor Boy Blues" | 92 |