Wish You Were Here (Mark Wills album)
Encyclopedia
Wish You Were Here is the second studio album of American country music
artist Mark Wills
. Released on May 5, 1998, on Mercury Nashville Records, the album produced four singles on the Billboard
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
) charts, all of which made top 10: "I Do (Cherish You)", "Don't Laugh at Me", "Wish You Were Here", and "She's in Love". The album itself peaked at #8 on the Billboard Top Country Albums charts and #74 on The Billboard 200. It also received RIAA platinum certificatiion for U.S. sales of one million copies.
The title track, which was the third release, became Wills's first Number One hit on the country charts in mid-1999. "I Do (Cherish You)" was later covered by 98 Degrees
on their album 98 Degrees and Rising
, from which it was also released as a single.
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 Mark Wills
Mark Wills
Daryl Mark Williams is an American country music artist, best known professionally as Mark Wills. Signed to Mercury Records between 1996 and 2003, he released five studio albums for the label — Mark Wills, Wish You Were Here, Permanently, Loving Every Minute and And the Crowd Goes Wild — as well...
. Released on May 5, 1998, on Mercury Nashville Records, the album produced four singles on the Billboard
Billboard (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, all of which made top 10: "I Do (Cherish You)", "Don't Laugh at Me", "Wish You Were Here", and "She's in Love". The album itself peaked at #8 on the Billboard Top Country Albums charts and #74 on The Billboard 200. It also received RIAA platinum certificatiion for U.S. sales of one million copies.
The title track, which was the third release, became Wills's first Number One hit on the country charts in mid-1999. "I Do (Cherish You)" was later covered by 98 Degrees
98 Degrees
98 Degrees is an American adult contemporary boy band consisting of four vocalists: brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, Justin Jeffre, and Jeff Timmons. The group was formed by Timmons in Los Angeles, California....
on their album 98 Degrees and Rising
98 Degrees and Rising
-Holland Edition:-Singles:*True to Your Heart – July 21, 1998*Because of You – September 15, 1998*Hardest Thing – June 8, 1999*I Do – July 24, 1999-Chart positions:...
, from which it was also released as a single.
Track listing
- "Don't Think I Won't" (Ted Hewitt, Rodney AtkinsRodney AtkinsRodney Allan Atkins is an American country music artist. Signed to Curb Records in 1996, he charted his first single on the Billboard country chart that year, but did not release an album until 2003's Honesty, which included the number 4 hit "Honesty ".If You're Going Through Hell, his second...
, Max T. BarnesMax T. BarnesMax T. Barnes is a country music singer, songwriter, studio musician, and producer. He is the son of songwriter Max D. Barnes. He has written songs on albums that have sold over 20 million records. He currently writes for Ray Stevens Music publishing and lives in Hendersonville,...
) – 2:31 - "Emily Harper" (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...
, Michael WhiteMichael White (singer)Larry Michael White is an American country music artist. The son of songwriter L.E. White, who has written for Conway Twitty, Michael was signed to Reprise Records in 1992, releasing his debut album Familiar Ground that year...
) – 3:23 - "Wish You Were HereWish You Were Here (Mark Wills song)"Wish You Were Here" is the title of a song recorded by American country musician Mark Wills. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart...
" (Skip EwingSkip EwingDonald Ralph "Skip" Ewing is an American country music singer and songwriter. Active since 1988, Ewing has recorded nine studio albums, and has charted fifteen singles on the Billboard country charts.-Career:...
, Bill Anderson, Debbie Moore) – 4:00 - "She's in LoveShe's in Love"She's In Love" is the title of a song written by Keith Stegall and Dan Hill, and recorded by American country artist Mark Wills. It was the fourth and final single from his album Wish You Were Here and it was his seventh single overall. It later appears on Wills' Greatest Hits package. It peaked...
" (Keith StegallKeith StegallRobert Keith Stegall is an American country music recording artist and record producer. Active since 1980, Stegall has recorded two-major label studio albums: 1985's Keith Stegall and 1996's Passages...
, Dan HillDan HillDaniel 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:...
) – 4:42 - "Love Is Alive" (Charlie Craig, Shane Teeters, Bruce Bouton) – 2:50
- "Don't Laugh at MeDon't Laugh at Me"Don't Laugh at Me" is the title of a song written by Allen Shamblin and Steve Seskin. It was recorded by American country music artist Mark Wills and released in July 1998 as the second single from his 1998 album Wish You Were Here. Like "I Do " before it, "Don't Laugh at Me" was a number 2 hit on...
" (Allen ShamblinAllen ShamblinAllen Shamblin is a country music songwriter who was born in Tennessee, and was brought up in Texas.After graduating from Sam Houston State University he worked in Austin as a real estate appraiser. In 1987, he quit his job and moved to Nashville to pursue a career as a song writer. He supported...
, Steve SeskinSteve SeskinSteve Seskin is an American songwriter whose compositions have been recorded by Alabama, Kenny Chesney, Peter Frampton, Waylon Jennings, Brian McComas, Neal McCoy, Tim McGraw, John Michael Montgomery, Colin Raye, Tebey and Mark Wills...
) – 3:36 - "The Last Memory" (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....
, Sunny Russ) – 3:26 - "Help Me Fall" (Ewing, Donny Kees) – 3:17
- "It's Working" (Bob Regan, Barnes) – 3:16
- "Anywhere but Memphis" (Monty Criswell, Martin, Mark Wills) – 3:34
- "I Do (Cherish You)I Do (Cherish You)"I Do " is a song written by Keith Stegall and Dan Hill. It was first released in 1998 by country music artist Mark Wills. The first single from his second album Wish You Were Here, it became his third top ten hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts that year.-98 Degrees...
" (Stegall, Hill) – 3:17
Personnel
- 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'...
– drums - Dan Dugmore – lap steel guitarLap steel guitarThe lap steel guitar is a type of steel guitar, an instrument derived from and similar to the guitar. The player changes pitch by pressing a metal or glass bar against the strings instead of by pressing strings against the fingerboard....
- 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,...
– pedal steel guitarPedal steel guitarThe pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal"... - Aubrey HaynieAubrey HaynieAubrey Haynie is an American bluegrass musician who plays the fiddle and mandolin. In his career, he has recorded three studio albums for the Sugar Hill Records label, all three of which contained mostly songs that he wrote himself...
– 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... - 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... - Gary Prim – percussion
- John Wesley RylesJohn Wesley RylesJohn Wesley Ryles is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1968 with the single "Kay", a Top Ten hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts, and the title track to his debut album for Columbia Records.Ryles later recorded one album, Reconsider Me, for the Plantation label,...
– background vocals - John D. Willis – 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...
, gut string guitar - Mark Wills – lead vocals, additional background vocals on "She's in Love" and "Don't Think I Won't"
- Glenn Worf – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Chart performance
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 8 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 74 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Heatseekers | 1 |