One Good Friend
Encyclopedia
One Good Friend is the third studio album by Canadian country music
artist George Canyon
. It is the first album released by Canyon since he competed on Nashville Star 2
, and his first release in the United States
. In 2005
, the album won Canyon a Juno Award
for Country Recording of the Year
. The album was produced by Steve Mandile of the band Sixwire
, who also wrote three of the songs on it, including a co-write with Andy Childs
, another member of the band.
Fellow Canadian country musician Paul Brandt
sings back-up for the track "Letting Go".
The album's most well known track, "My Name" co-written by Canyon, was written from the perspective of an unborn baby. "A close friend and his wife had a miscarriage and I witnessed the pain they went through losing a baby. I wanted to write a song to help people cope with that trauma and somehow bring a positive light to the subject." The music video for that song continues the theme.
was the executive producer with George Canyon acting as associate producer. All tracks are produced by Tim DuBois and Steve Mandile except for "Workin' on Ten" and "Bird in December", produced by Steve Mandile and Keith Brown and "Hell or High Water", produced solely by Steve Mandile.
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 George Canyon
George Canyon
George Canyon is a Canadian country music singer. He was runner up Nashville Star 2 in 2004. He grew up in Fox Brook, Pictou County, Nova Scotia and later lived in Hopewell, Nova Scotia before he moved west. He currently lives in High River, Alberta...
. It is the first album released by Canyon since he competed on Nashville Star 2
Nashville Star
Nashville Star is an American reality television program. It was transmitted during mid-2008 on NBC, following five seasons on USA Network. It premiered on March 8, 2003, and its five seasons on USA made it the longest-running competition series on cable television. In Canada, the show aired on CMT...
, and his first release in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 2005
Juno Awards of 2005
The Juno Awards of 2005 were held April 3 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba and were hosted by comedian Brent Butt. Avril Lavigne and k-os won three awards each, while Billy Talent and Feist won 2 apiece.Nominations were announced 7 February 2005....
, the album won Canyon a Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
for Country Recording of the Year
Juno Award for Country Recording of the Year
The Juno Award for "Country Recording of the Year" has been awarded since 1970, as recognition each year for the best country music artist in Canada...
. The album was produced by Steve Mandile of the band Sixwire
Sixwire
Sixwire is an American country music group from Nashville, Tennessee. The group is composed of Andy Childs , Robb Houston , John Howard , Steve Mandile , and Chuck Tilley . The band's name references the six strings on a guitar. Sixwire recorded one album for Warner Bros...
, who also wrote three of the songs on it, including a co-write with Andy Childs
Andy Childs
Andy Childs is an American country music singer-songwriter. In 1993, Childs released one studio album for RCA, which produced three singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart...
, another member of the band.
Fellow Canadian country musician Paul Brandt
Paul Brandt
Paul Rennée Belobersycky is a Canadian country music artist, known professionally as Paul Brandt. Growing up in Calgary, he was a pediatric RN at the time of his big break...
sings back-up for the track "Letting Go".
Content
The album's title comes from the track on the song that was pitched to George the day before he began recording. "I immediately thought of my wife Jennifer and had to have it on the album. She is my one good friend."The album's most well known track, "My Name" co-written by Canyon, was written from the perspective of an unborn baby. "A close friend and his wife had a miscarriage and I witnessed the pain they went through losing a baby. I wanted to write a song to help people cope with that trauma and somehow bring a positive light to the subject." The music video for that song continues the theme.
Track listing
- "Who Would You Be" (Wade Kirby, Bryant Simpson) - 3:05
- "Unfinished" (Kelley Lovelace, Lee Thomas MillerLee Thomas MillerLee Thomas Miller is an American country music songwriter and occasional record producer. His credits include the Number One country hits "The World" and "I'm Still a Guy" for Brad Paisley and "You're Gonna Miss This" for Trace Adkins, as well as Top Ten hits for Terri Clark, Joe Nichols, and...
) - 3:52 - "Workin' on Ten" (Randall Keith Brown, Willie MackWillie MackWillie Mack is a country music singer-songwriter born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and raised in Chico, Texas. He has had his songs recorded by Sara Evans, Collin Raye, The Oak Ridge Boys and Mark Wills, among others...
, Steve Mandile) - 3:18 - "My Name" (George Canyon, Gordie SampsonGordie SampsonGordie Sampson is a singer-songwriter and producer from Big Pond, Nova Scotia, Canada.He has written songs for Carrie Underwood , Martina McBride , LeAnn Rimes , and George Canyon and produced and sound engineered...
) - 4:01 - "I'll Never Do Better Than You" (Clint DanielsClint DanielsClint Allen Daniels is an American country music artist. Signed to Arista Nashville in 1998, Daniels released his self-titled debut album that year and charted two singles for Daniels on the Hot Country Songs charts. In 2003, Daniels signed to Epic Records, releasing a third single but no album...
, Tony MartinTony Martin (songwriter)Tony Martin is a country music songwriter who has had twelve Number One hits as a songwriter. Among his compositions are "Third Rock from the Sun" by Joe Diffie and "Just to See You Smile" by Tim McGraw....
) - 3:18 - "Hell or High Water" (Mandile, Andy ChildsAndy ChildsAndy Childs is an American country music singer-songwriter. In 1993, Childs released one studio album for RCA, which produced three singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart...
, Scott Parker) - 2:47 - "Letting Go" (Canyon, Thom Shepherd) - 4:37
- featuring Paul BrandtPaul BrandtPaul Rennée Belobersycky is a Canadian country music artist, known professionally as Paul Brandt. Growing up in Calgary, he was a pediatric RN at the time of his big break...
- featuring Paul Brandt
- "You're in the Right Place" (Kerry Kurt Phillips, Shane Teeters) - 3:51
- "Bird in December" (Brown, Mack, Mandile) - 3:31
- "One Good Friend" (Jim CollinsJim Collins (singer)Jim Collins is an American country music singer-songwriter. Between 1985 and 1998, Collins released three studio albums. He also charted seven singles on Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart...
, Rivers RutherfordRivers RutherfordRivers Rutherford is an American country music songwriter. Active since the mid-1990s as a songwriter, he has penned several Number One country hits, including "Ain't Nothing 'bout You" by Brooks & Dunn, which was the Number One country song of 2001 according to Billboard...
) - 2:36
Production
Tony BrownTony Brown (record producer)
Tony Brown is an American country music record producer.He was born in Greensboro, North Carolina.Brown played piano for Elvis Presley. He toured with the TCB Band for much of Presley's final two years and was a part of the 1976 "Jungle Room" recording sessions at Graceland...
was the executive producer with George Canyon acting as associate producer. All tracks are produced by Tim DuBois and Steve Mandile except for "Workin' on Ten" and "Bird in December", produced by Steve Mandile and Keith Brown and "Hell or High Water", produced solely by Steve Mandile.
Personnel
As listed in liner notes.- Eddie BayersEddie BayersEddie Bayers is an American session drummer who has played on 150 gold and platinum albums. He received the Academy of Country Music 'Drummer of the Year Award' for eight straight years, and has three times won the Nashville Music Awards 'Drummer of the Year'...
- 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 .... - Paul BrandtPaul BrandtPaul Rennée Belobersycky is a Canadian country music artist, known professionally as Paul Brandt. Growing up in Calgary, he was a pediatric RN at the time of his big break...
- background vocals on "Letting Go" - Mike Brignardello - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- George Canyon - lead and background vocals
- Stuart DuncanStuart DuncanStuart Duncan is a bluegrass musician who plays the fiddle, mandolin, guitar and banjo. Born in Quantico, Virginia and raised in Santa Paula, California, where he played in the school band, he has been a member of the Nashville Bluegrass Band since 1985, and is a much-in-demand session musician...
- 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... - 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,...
- steel guitarSteel 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...
, dobroDobroDobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
, 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... - Steve Gibson - 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...
- John Howard - bass guitar
- Steve Mandile - electric and acoustic guitars, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, percussion, background vocals - Brent MasonBrent MasonBrent Mason is an American session guitarist and occasional songwriter. He is known primarily for his work in the field of country music. In addition to releasing two instrumental studio albums, he holds several credits as a songwriter...
- 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... - Steve Nathan - 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...
, keyboards, B3 organ, WurlitzerWurlitzerThe Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes.... - Russ Pahl - steel guitar
- Michael Rhodes - bass guitar
- Chuck Tilley - drums
- Dennis Wage - keyboards
- Jonathan Yudkin - violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, 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...
Chart performance
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 35 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Heatseekers | 23 |