American Spirit (album)
Encyclopedia
American Spirit is an album released on American Gramaphone
in 2003 (see 2003 in music
) as a collaboration between Mannheim Steamroller
and country
musician C. W. McCall
. The album focuses on American
patriotic songs, hence the title. McCall contributed to a number of spoken word
songs on the album and rerecorded his 1976 hit song "Convoy
" for it; this was also the case with another song of his, "Wolf Creek Pass," which can be found on the album.
American Gramaphone
American Gramaphone is an American record company, and was formed in 1974 by Chip Davis. It is best-known for releasing Davis' solo and Mannheim Steamroller albums...
in 2003 (see 2003 in music
2003 in music
-January:* January – following an investigation by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and London detectives, police raids in England and the Netherlands recover nearly 500 original Beatles studio tapes, recorded during the Let It Be sessions. Five people are arrested...
) as a collaboration between Mannheim Steamroller
Mannheim Steamroller
Mannheim Steamroller is an American music group founded by Chip Davis and Jackson Berkey, known primarily for its modern recordings of Christmas music. The group has sold 28 million albums in the U.S. alone.-Beginnings:...
and country
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...
musician C. W. McCall
C. W. McCall
C. W. McCall is the pseudonym of William Dale Fries, Jr. , an American singer, activist and politician known for his truck-themed outlaw country songs.-Biography:...
. The album focuses on American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
patriotic songs, hence the title. McCall contributed to a number of spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
songs on the album and rerecorded his 1976 hit song "Convoy
Convoy (song)
"Convoy" is a 1975 novelty song performed by C. W. McCall that became a number-one song on both the country and pop charts in the US. Written by McCall and Chip Davis, the song spent six weeks at number one on the country charts and one week at number one on the pop charts...
" for it; this was also the case with another song of his, "Wolf Creek Pass," which can be found on the album.
Track listing
- "Star Spangled Banner" (Francis Scott KeyFrancis Scott KeyFrancis Scott Key was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, who wrote the lyrics to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".-Life:...
, John Stafford SmithJohn Stafford SmithJohn Stafford Smith was a British composer, church organist, and early musicologist. He was one of the first serious collectors of manuscripts of works by Johann Sebastian Bach....
) – 2:41 - "American Spirit" (Bill Fries, Chip DavisChip DavisLouis F. "Chip" Davis, Jr. is the founder and leader of the music group Mannheim Steamroller.He also wrote the music for C.W. McCall, including the 1975 hit "Convoy".-Biography:...
) – 2:38 - "America the BeautifulAmerica the Beautiful"America the Beautiful" is an American patriotic song. The lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and the music composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward....
" (Katherine Lee Bates, Samuel A. WardSamuel A. WardSamuel Augustus Ward was an American organist and composer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, Ward studied music in New York and became an organist at Grace Episcopal Church in Newark in 1880. He is remembered for his hymn "Materna" which was used for the anthem "America the Beautiful", with words by...
) – 3:44 - "ConvoyConvoy (song)"Convoy" is a 1975 novelty song performed by C. W. McCall that became a number-one song on both the country and pop charts in the US. Written by McCall and Chip Davis, the song spent six weeks at number one on the country charts and one week at number one on the pop charts...
" (Fries, Davis) – 3:53 - "Fanfare for the Common ManFanfare for the Common ManFanfare for the Common Man is a 20th-century American classical music work by American composer Aaron Copland. The piece was written in 1942 for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under conductor Eugene Goossens. It was inspired in part by a famous speech made earlier in the same year where vice...
" (Aaron CoplandAaron CoplandAaron Copland was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later in his career a conductor of his own and other American music. He was instrumental in forging a distinctly American style of composition, and is often referred to as "the Dean of American Composers"...
) – 3:48 - "Yellowstone Morning" (Davis) – 2:53
- "Heritage" (Davis) – 4:40
- "Wolf Creek Pass" (Fries, Davis) – 4:02
- "Home on the RangeHome on the Range (song)"Home on the Range" is the state song of the American state of Kansas. Dr. Brewster M. Higley originally wrote the words in a poem called "My Western Home" in the early 1870s in Smith County, Kansas. The poem was first published in a December 1873 issue of the Smith County Pioneer under the title...
" (Brewster Higley, Daniel Kelly) – 4:18 - "Mt. McKinley" (Davis) – 2:54
- "Cloudburst" (Ferde GrofeFerde GroféFerde Grofé was a prominent American composer, arranger and pianist. During the 1920s and 1930s, he went by the name Ferdie Grofé.-Early life:...
) – 9:31 - "Tin Type" (Fries, Davis) – 4:49
- "Battle Hymn of the Republic" (Julia Ward HoweJulia Ward HoweJulia Ward Howe was a prominent American abolitionist, social activist, and poet, most famous as the author of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic".-Biography:...
) – 4:45
Personnel
- C. W. McCall - Vocals
- Chip Davis - Percussion, Drums and Toys, Conductor, Producer
- Jackson Berkey - Keyboards
- Ron Cooley - Bass and All Fretted Instruments
- Arnie RothArnie RothArnold "Arnie" Roth is an American, Chicago-based Grammy Award-winning conductor, composer, and record producer, best known for conducting numerous video game concerts. He is also a classically-trained violinist and a member of the Grammy Award-winning music group Mannheim Steamroller...
- Violin Solos, Concertmaster - Bobby Jenkins - Oboe Solos
- Duain Wolfe - Conductor, Music Director
- Dale Clevenger, Oto Carrillo, Greg Flint, Melanie Cottle - Horn
- John Hagstrom, Mark Ridenour, Tage Larson - Trumpet
- Ward Stare, Adam Moen - Tenor Trombone
- Charlie Vernon - Bass Trombone
- Charlie Suchat - Tuba
- Doug Waddell - Timpani
- Ted AtkatzTed AtkatzTed Atkatz is the founder of and frontman for the Chicago-based alternative rock group NYCO. He is a former principal percussionist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra....
, Mike Folker - Percussion
Additional personnel
- Chris Sabold, Mike Konopka, Dick Lewsey - Engineers
- Mat Lejeune, Brian Pinke, Mike Scasiwicz, Darren Styles - Assistant Engineers
- Metro Mobile - Recording