The Key is the ninth studio album from 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...

 artist Vince Gill

Vince Gill

Vincent 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...

. It was released in 1998 on MCA Nashville Records. It features the singles "If You Ever Have Forever in Mind," "Kindly Keep It Country," "Don't Come Cryin' to Me" (an uncredited duet with Dawn Sears

Dawn Sears

Dawn Sears is an American country music artist. In addition to her work as a backing vocalist in Vince Gill's band, Dawn has recorded three solo studio albums, of which two were released on major labels...

) and "My Kind of Woman/My Kind of Man." This final track was also the first release from Patty Loveless

Patty Loveless

Patty Loveless , is an American country music singer.Since her emergence on the country music scene in late 1986 with her first album, Loveless has been one of the most popular female singers of the Neotraditional country movement, although she has also recorded albums in the Country pop and...

's 1999 Classics.

Track listing

All songs written by Vince Gill except where noted.

1. "Don't Come Cryin' to Me" (Gill, Reed Nielsen) - 3:06
   • feat. Dawn Sears
     Dawn Sears
     Dawn Sears is an American country music artist. In addition to her work as a backing vocalist in Vince Gill's band, Dawn has recorded three solo studio albums, of which two were released on major labels...
     
     
2. "If You Ever Have Forever in Mind
   If You Ever Have Forever in Mind
   "If You Ever Have Forever in Mind" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Vince Gill. Released in May 1998, it was the first single from the album The Key. The song reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and number 1 in Canada...
   
   " (Gill, Troy Seals
   Troy Seals
   Troy Seals is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.He is a member of the prominent Seals family of musicians that includes, Jim Seals and Dan Seals and Brady Seals...
   
   ) - 4:38
3. "I Never Really Knew You" - 2:14
4. "Kindly Keep It Country" - 3:09
5. "All Those Years" - 3:57
6. "I'll Take Texas" - 2:05
7. "My Kind of Woman/My Kind of Man
   My Kind of Woman/My Kind of Man
   "My Kind of Woman/My Kind of Man" is the title of a song written by Vince Gill and recorded on his 1998 album The Key. It is a duet with then-labelmate Patty Loveless....
   
   " - 3:53
   • duet with Patty Loveless
     Patty Loveless
     Patty Loveless , is an American country music singer.Since her emergence on the country music scene in late 1986 with her first album, Loveless has been one of the most popular female singers of the Neotraditional country movement, although she has also recorded albums in the Country pop and...
     
     
8. "There's Not Much Love Here Anymore" - 3:28
9. "Let Her In" - 3:03
10. "The Hills of Caroline" - 4:44
11. "Live to Tell It All" (Gill, Sonya Isaacs
    Sonya Isaacs
    Sonya Melissa Isaacs is an American country and Christian music singer. Isaacs grew up near Morrow, Ohio, and graduated from Little Miami High School in 1992....
    
    ) - 3:36
12. "What They All Call Love" - 3:20
13. "The Key to Life" - 4:02

Production

• Produced By Tony Brown
• Engineering: Chuck Ainlay, Matt Andrews, Tim Coyle, Steve Crowder, Chris Davie, Todd Gunnerson, Russ Martin, Steve Marcantonio, Mark Ralston, Glenn Spinner, Aaron Swihart
• Mixing: Chuck Ainlay, Tim Coyle, Chris Davie, Todd Gunnerson, Mark Ralston
• Mastering: Denny Purcell

Chart performance

Chart (1998)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums	1
U.S. Billboard 200	11
Canadian RPM Country Albums	2
Canadian RPM Top Albums	25