Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart
Encyclopedia
"Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart" is the title of a song written by Bill LaBounty
and Rick Chudacoff, and recorded by the American country music
band Shenandoah
with a guest vocal from bluegrass
singer Alison Krauss
. The song was the first single
release from Shenandoah's late-1994 album In the Vicinity of the Heart
, its only release for Liberty Records
. The song was a Top Ten country hit in 1995, winning a Grammy Award
and a Country Music Association
award for both acts.
for Liberty Records
, which at the time was the Nashville division of Capitol Records
. RCA gave Liberty the master recording
s of an album that the band was in the process of recording at the time, and the label added "Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart" to make the album meet its preferred album format. That album was released in November 1994 as In the Vicinity of the Heart, with the title track as the first single release from it. The track's B-side, "Darned If I Don't (Danged If I Do)
," was later released in early 1995 as the second single from the album.
wrote that the song "catapaulted [Krauss] onto country radio," and Associated Press
writer Jim Patterson said that the song's success helped to boost sales of her independent album Now That I've Found You.
The song won Shenandoah and Krauss two awards in 1995: the Country Music Association
's Vocal Event of the Year and the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals
. B-side "Darned If I Don't" received a nomination for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
at the Grammy Awards that same year.
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
) charts, debuting on the chart week of December 3, 1994 and peaking at #7 in early 1995. It reached the same peak on the Canadian RPM
Country Tracks charts.
Bill LaBounty
Bill LaBounty is an American musician. He was initially a singer-songwriter in the soft rock genre, first as a member of the band Fat Chance, and later as a solo artist. As a solo artist, LaBounty recorded six studio albums, including four on Curb Records/Warner Bros. Records...
and Rick Chudacoff, and recorded by the American country music
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...
band Shenandoah
Shenandoah (band)
Shenandoah is an American country music group founded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama in 1984 by Marty Raybon , Ralph Ezell , Stan Thorn , Jim Seales , and Mike McGuire...
with a guest vocal from bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
singer Alison Krauss
Alison Krauss
Alison Maria Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in...
. The song was the first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
release from Shenandoah's late-1994 album In the Vicinity of the Heart
In the Vicinity of the Heart
In the Vicinity of the Heart is the sixth studio album by the American country music band Shenandoah. Their only studio album for Liberty Records, it was released in November 1994 . The first single from the album, "Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart", features duet vocals from Alison Krauss...
, its only release for Liberty Records
Liberty Records
Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
. The song was a Top Ten country hit in 1995, winning a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
and a Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
award for both acts.
History
In August 1994, Shenandoah left its previous label, RCA RecordsRCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
for Liberty Records
Liberty Records
Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
, which at the time was the Nashville division of Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. RCA gave Liberty the master recording
Master recording
A multitrack recording master tape, disk or computer files on which productions are developed for later mixing, is known as the multi-track master, while the tape, disk or computer files holding a mix is called a mixed master.It is standard practice to make a copy of a master recording, known as...
s of an album that the band was in the process of recording at the time, and the label added "Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart" to make the album meet its preferred album format. That album was released in November 1994 as In the Vicinity of the Heart, with the title track as the first single release from it. The track's B-side, "Darned If I Don't (Danged If I Do)
Darned If I Don't (Danged If I Do)
"Darned If I Don't " is the title of a song written by Dean Dillon and Ronnie Dunn, and recorded by country music group Shenandoah. It was released in April 1995 as the second single from their 1994 album In the Vicinity of the Heart. It peaked at #4 in the United States, and #7 in Canada...
," was later released in early 1995 as the second single from the album.
Critical reception
Jim Ridley of New Country magazine cited "Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart" as a standout on the album, describing Krauss' vocal as "cut[ting] through the slick arrangement like sunlight through fog." David Zimmerman of USA TodayUSA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
wrote that the song "catapaulted [Krauss] onto country radio," and Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
writer Jim Patterson said that the song's success helped to boost sales of her independent album Now That I've Found You.
The song won Shenandoah and Krauss two awards in 1995: the Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
's Vocal Event of the Year and the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals
Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals
The Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to quality country music collaborations for artists who do not normally perform together...
. B-side "Darned If I Don't" received a nomination for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
The Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded from 1970 to 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:*In 1970 the award was known as Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group...
at the Grammy Awards that same year.
Chart performance
"Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart" spent twenty weeks on the BillboardBillboard (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...
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
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...
) charts, debuting on the chart week of December 3, 1994 and peaking at #7 in early 1995. It reached the same peak on the Canadian RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
Country Tracks charts.
| Chart (1994-1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 7 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 7 |