The Essential Alabama (RCA Essential Series)
Encyclopedia
The Essential Alabama was a compilation album that chronicled the music of the country music
band Alabama
. Issued as part of BMG International's "The Essential" series, the album was released in June 1998.
As with other albums issued in "The Essential" series, the Alabama volume chronicled the music offered from the peak of the band's phenomenal 1980s success. The liner notes include a biography and detailed information about each of the 16 songs featured on the album.
Unlike their previous "greatest hits
" compilations, Alabama's The Essential Alabama was not strictly a greatest-hits package, a point on which some reviewers picked up []. As with other volumes in "The Essential" series, the Alabama contained album tracks and songs that had not previously been issued. Four such tracks are present here: "Very Special Love", "As Right Now", "The Fans" and "I Showed Her".
Of the 12 songs that had been released as singles, 10 of those reached No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles & Tracks
charts during the 1980s. The two other singles were 1980's "My Home's in Alabama" (peaked at No. 17, featured here in its radio-edit version) and 1987's "Tar Top" (the song that broke Alabama's string of 21-straight No. 1 singles when it peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard country charts).
. The latter The Essential was from 2005 and is the reissued 1998 album For the Record.
Ironically, For the Record was released just two months after the original "The Essential Alabama" album was issued.
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 Alabama
Alabama (band)
Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...
. Issued as part of BMG International's "The Essential" series, the album was released in June 1998.
As with other albums issued in "The Essential" series, the Alabama volume chronicled the music offered from the peak of the band's phenomenal 1980s success. The liner notes include a biography and detailed information about each of the 16 songs featured on the album.
Unlike their previous "greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
" compilations, Alabama's The Essential Alabama was not strictly a greatest-hits package, a point on which some reviewers picked up []. As with other volumes in "The Essential" series, the Alabama contained album tracks and songs that had not previously been issued. Four such tracks are present here: "Very Special Love", "As Right Now", "The Fans" and "I Showed Her".
Of the 12 songs that had been released as singles, 10 of those reached No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles & Tracks
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 during the 1980s. The two other singles were 1980's "My Home's in Alabama" (peaked at No. 17, featured here in its radio-edit version) and 1987's "Tar Top" (the song that broke Alabama's string of 21-straight No. 1 singles when it peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard country charts).
2005 "The Essential" album
"The Essential" title for this Alabama album should not be confused with the band's retitled two-disc, 44-song package originally issued as For the RecordFor the Record
For the Record is a two-disc, 44-track greatest hits package released by the American country music band Alabama.The album chronicles the biggest hits from Alabama released between 1980 and 1998. The lineup includes all 33 of their Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles & Tracks No...
. The latter The Essential was from 2005 and is the reissued 1998 album For the Record.
Ironically, For the Record was released just two months after the original "The Essential Alabama" album was issued.
Track listing
- "Old FlameOld Flame (song)"Old Flame" is a song by the country music band Alabama. Written by Donny Lowery and Mac McAnally, the song was released in 1981, and eventually became the group's third number-one song on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart....
" (Donna Lowery, Mac McAnally) – 3:10 - "My Home's in AlabamaMy Home's in Alabama (song)"My Home's in Alabama" is a song made famous by the country music band Alabama. Written by Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry, the song was released in 1980 and served as the title track to Alabama's first album for RCA Records....
" (Teddy Gentry, Randy Owen) – 4:02 - "Close Enough to PerfectClose Enough to Perfect"Close Enough to Perfect" is a song made famous by the country music band Alabama. Originally released in 1982, the song was the third single from Alabama's third album, Mountain Music....
" (Chambers) – 3:33 - "Mountain MusicMountain Music (song)"Mountain Music" is the title of a song written by Randy Owen and recorded by his band, Alabama. It was released in January 1982 as the lead-off single and title track to Alabama's third album, Mountain Music.-About the song:...
" (Randy Owen) – 4:08 - "Lady Down on LoveLady Down on Love"Lady Down on Love" is a song made famous by the country music band Alabama. Originally released in 1983, the song was the third single to Alabama's fourth album, The Closer You Get....-About the song:...
" (Randy Owen) – 3:57 - "(There's A) Fire in the Night(There's A) Fire in the Night" Fire in the Night" is a song made famous by the country music band Alabama. The song was released in 1984 as the fourth track from the band's fifth album, Roll On, and became the group's 15th straight No. 1 single on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart in January 1985.A video of the...
" (Corbin) – 4:14 - "Very Special Love – (Gentry, Owen) – 4:40
- "Can't Keep a Good Man DownCan't Keep a Good Man Down (Alabama song)"Can't Keep a Good Man Down" is a song made famous by the country music band Alabama. The song was released in 1985 as the third track from the band's sixth album, 40-Hour Week.That November, it became the band's 18th straight No...
" (Corbin) – 3:39 - "She and IShe and I"She and I" is a song written by Dave Loggins and recorded by American country music band Alabama. Originally released in December 1985, the song — an uptempo, rock-tinged song professing marital lust — was one of two new tracks on Alabama's first greatest hits album.The song became their 19th...
" (Dave LogginsDave LogginsDavid Allen "Dave" Loggins is a singer, songwriter and musician. He is widely remembered for his 1974 composition "Please Come to Boston", which was a top-10 hit in the U.S. for him, and was subsequently covered by numerous other artists. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame...
) – 3:34 - "As Right Now" (Fowler, Gentry) – 3:02
- "'You've Got' the Touch" (Jarrard, Palas, Robinson) – 4:15
- "The Fans" (Fowler, Gentry, Owen) – 4:52
- "Tar TopTar Top"Tar Top" is a single by American country music group Alabama. Released in August 1987, it was the first single from their album, Just Us. The song reached #7 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in October 1987, making it their first commercial single not to reach #1 since 1980's "My Home's...
" (Randy Owen) – 3:56 - "I Showed Her" (Aldridge, Fowler, Gentry) – 4:25
- "High CottonHigh Cotton (song)"High Cotton" is a country song by Alabama from their 1989 album Southern Star. The song was one of four singles on the album to reach number one on the Hot Country Singles chart.- Lyrics :...
" (Anders, Murrah) – 3:00 - "If I Had YouIf I Had You"If I Had You" is a 1928 song by "Irving King" with Ted Shapiro. The romantic love song has become a mainstream jazz standard, and continues to be performed and used in movie soundtracks into the 21st century...
" (Chater, Mayo) – 3:33
Chart performance
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 63 |