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I'll Lead You Home

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I'll Lead You Home
Studio album by
Michael W. Smith
ReleasedAugust 22, 1995
RecordedMarch–June 1995
GenreContemporary Christian music
Length63:24
LabelReunion
ProducerPatrick Leonard
Michael W. Smith chronology
The First Decade (1983-1993)
(1993) 		I'll Lead You Home
(1995) 		Live the Life
(1998)

I'll Lead You Home is a 1995 album by Michael W. Smith released by Reunion Records.

Sales and charts

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The album entered the Billboard 200 at number 16, making it the highest-debuting Christian album in the history of the chart.[1][2] It also topped the 'Top Contemporary Christian' chart.[3] Released in August 1995, by December of that year it had sold over 51,500 copies in the Christian Bookstore market alone.[4]

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

The album received a four and a half out of five star review from Allmusic, with Stephen Thomas Erlewine commenting on the "gospel songs with glistening, immaculate pop production".[1] James Lloyd, reviewing the album for the Dayton Daily News considered it "his best work to date".[5]

The album won the 1996 Grammy Award in the 'Best Pop-Contemporary Gospel Album' category, giving Smith his second Grammy win.[6][7]

Tour

[edit]

Smith toured in support of the album in 1996.[8] Support came from Lori and Micah Wilshire (who he subsequently signed to his Rocketown Records label), Three Crosses, and Jars of Clay.[8][9][10][11] Micah Wilshire had contributed backing vocals to the album.[9]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Cry for Love"Smith, Brent Bourgeois5:10
2."Breakdown"Smith, Wayne Kirkpatrick5:27
3."As It Is in Heaven"traditional5:09
4."Straight to the Heart"Smith, Bourgeois2:48
5."Someday"Smith, Kirkpatrick3:52
6."I'll Be Around"Smith, Bob Farrell4:44
7."I'll Lead You Home"Smith, Kirkpatrick5:23
8."The Other Side of Me (Trilogy 1)"Smith, Kirkpatrick4:23
9."Breathe in Me (Trilogy 2)"Smith, Kirkpatrick3:55
10."Angels Unaware (Trilogy 3)"Smith, Kirkpatrick4:56
11."Calling Heaven"Smith, Kirkpatrick4:54
12."A Little Stronger Everyday"Smith, Kirkpatrick4:43
13."Crown Him with Many Crowns"traditional4:34
14."I'm Waiting for You"Smith, David Mullen, Sam Mullins3:16
Live The Life Single
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
4."Cry for Love (Rocketown Club Remix)"Smith, Bourgeois4:09
I'll Lead You Home (1995)
No.TitleLength
8."Breakdown (RrrrB Remix)"5:26

Personnel

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Musicians

  • Michael W. Smith – vocals, keyboards (1–7, 11–14), programming (4, 11), acoustic piano (8, 9, 10, 13)
  • Patrick Leonard – keyboards (1, 2), drum programming (2), organ (5, 10, 12, 13), synthesizer programming (14)
  • Dennis Patton – programming (2, 4, 7)
  • Dann Huff – guitars (1–3, 5–7, 11–13)
  • Bruce Gaitsch – acoustic guitar (5)
  • Paul Franklin – steel guitar (5, 11, 14)
  • Tommy Sims – bass (1, 3, 5–7, 11–13)
  • Leland Sklar – bass (10, 14)
  • Steve Brewster – drums (1, 3, 5, 6, 12, 13)
  • Chris McHugh – drums (2)
  • Marc Moreau – drum programming (6)
  • Vinnie Colaiuta – drums (7)
  • Brian MacLeod – drums (10, 11), additional programming (11)
  • Luis Conte – percussion (1, 3, 5–7, 10–13)
  • Jeremy Lubbock – orchestra arrangements and conductor (8, 9, 10)
  • Brent Bourgeois – backing vocals (1, 4, 6)
  • Tim Erwin – backing vocals (1)
  • Molly Felder – backing vocals (1)
  • Chris Rodriguez – backing vocals (1, 12)
  • Susan Ashton – harmony vocals (5)
  • Lisa Cochran – backing vocals (5, 11, 12)
  • Reneé Garcia-Bliss – backing vocals (5)
  • Micah Wilshire – backing vocals (5)
  • Natalie Jackson – backing vocals (6, 10)
  • Louis Johnson – backing vocals (6, 7, 10)
  • Richard Page – backing vocals (6, 7, 10)
  • Whitney Smith – guest vocal (10)
  • Gardner Cole – backing vocals (11)
  • Chris Harris – backing vocals (12)
  • Anointed (Nee-C Walls, Steve Crawford, Da'dra Crawford and Mary Tiller) – featured vocals (13)
  • Bob Bailey – choir (3, 7, 12, 13)
  • Kim Fleming – choir (3, 7, 12, 13)
  • Vicki Hampton – choir (3, 7, 12, 13)
  • Chris Harris – choir (3, 7, 12, 13)
  • Donna McElroy – vocal coordinator, choir (3, 7, 12, 13)
  • Michael Mellett – choir (3, 7, 12, 13)
  • Nicole C. Mullen – choir (3, 7, 12, 13)
  • Angelo and Veronica Petrucci – choir (3, 7, 12, 13)
  • Chris Rodriguez – choir (3, 7, 12, 13)
  • Micah Wilshire – choir (3, 7, 12, 13)

Production

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  • Patrick Leonard – producer
  • Michael W. Smith – executive producer
  • Michael Blanton – executive producer
  • Don Donahue – A&R
  • Keith Compton – engineer
  • Craig Hansen – engineer, mixing (1, 4)
  • Jerry Jordan – engineer, mixing (11, 14)
  • Bryan Lenox – engineer
  • Marc Moreau – engineer
  • David Thoener – mixing (2, 3, 5–10)
  • Bill Deaton – mixing (12, 13)
  • Rob Burrell – second engineer
  • Dave Dillbeck – second engineer
  • David Faulkner – second engineer
  • Mike Janas – second engineer
  • Patrick Kelly – second engineer
  • Scott Lenox – second engineer
  • Al Lay – second engineer
  • Paula Montondo – second engineer
  • Greg Parker – second engineer
  • Dennis Patton – second engineer
  • Krish Sharma – second engineer
  • Darren Smith – second engineer
  • J.T. Thomas – second engineer
  • Jason Wilder – second engineer
  • Jeff Wright – second engineer
  • Caribou Ranch (Nederland, Colorado) – recording studio
  • Johnny Yuma (Burbank, California) – recording studio
  • A&M Studios (Los Angeles, California) – recording studio
  • The Sound Kitchen (Franklin, Tennessee) – recording studio
  • Deer Valley (Franklin, Tennessee) – recording studio
  • The Castle (Franklin, Tennessee) – recording studio
  • Studio at Mole End (Franklin, Tennessee) – recording studio
  • Masterfonics (Nashville, Tennessee) – recording studio
  • Sixteenth Avenue Sound (Nashville, Tennessee) – recording studio
  • Gambit Studio (Gallatin, Tennessee) – recording studio
  • Doug Sax – mastering at The Mastering Lab (North Hollywood, California)
  • Pat Dorn – production coordinator
  • Derek Jones – production coordinator
  • Sandra Tomes – production coordinator
  • Rob Birkhead – art direction
  • Buddy Jackson – design, for Jackson Design
  • Karrine Caulkins – design, for Jackson Design
  • Diana Lussenden – creative assistant
  • Timothy White – cover photography
  • Ben Pearson – tray card photo, inside photos
  • Russ Harrington – inside photos

Chart performance

[edit]
Chart (1995) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[12] 16
US Christian Albums (Billboard)[13] 1

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas "I'll Lead You Home Review", AllMusic. Retrieved November 2, 2013
  2. ^ Hardy, Lawrence (1995) "Box Office", USA Today, September 5, 1995, p. 1D
  3. ^ "Billboard Albums", AllMusic. Retrieved November 2, 2013
  4. ^ Evans Price, Deborah (1995) "Higher Ground: From SoundScan to Christian Label Acquisitions, it was a Notable Year", Billboard, December 23, 1995, p. 55. Retrieved November 2, 2013
  5. ^ Lloyd, James (1995) "Recordings on Review: Michael W. Smith I'll Lead You Home", Dayton Daily News, September 1, 1995, p. 17
  6. ^ "God Gets Credit for Guiding Top Artist", Worcester Telegram and Gazette, April 18, 1996
  7. ^ "Michael W. Smith among Grammy winners in gospel categories", Dallas Morning News, March 2, 1996
  8. ^ a b "Opening Acts, Smith Perfectly Paired", The Pantagraph, February 24, 1996
  9. ^ a b Evans Price, Deborah (1998) "Christian Duo Wilshire Finds a Label Home in Smith's Rocketown", Billboard, January 31, 1998, p. 16
  10. ^ Powell, Mark Allen (2002) Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music, Hendrickson Publishers, ISBN 978-1565636798, p. 1044
  11. ^ Jensen, Katherine (1996) "Michael W. Smith gives a great concert in Ames", Cedar Rapids Gazette, March 7, 1996, p. 6
  12. ^ "Michael W. Smith Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  13. ^ "Michael W. Smith Chart History (Christian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
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