STUCK IN THE VINYL AGAIN - KENNY ROGERS - KENNY

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Good morning, morning people and welcome back to Stuck In The Vinyl Again. Today we remember singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and entrepreneur Kenny Rogers, on what would have been his 82nd Birthday. He passed away earlier this year, in March while under hospice care. He is severely missed. To mark the occasion, we spotlight is 8th studio album, Kenny. Kenny was released September 1979 on the United Artists Group label and produced by Larry Butler. It peaked at #15 in Australia, #7 in the UK, #5 on the Billboard 200, and #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, the Canadian RPM Country Albums chart, and the Canadian RPM Top Albums. The disc has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. Two singles were released; "You Decorated My Life" (#7 Hot 100, #2 Adult Contemporary, #1 on both the US and Canada country charts and the Canada pop charts) and "Coward Of The County" (#5 Adult Contemporary, #3 Hot 100, #1 on all three Canadian charts : Adult Contemporary Tracks, Country Tracks, Top Singles, as well as #1 in Ireland, the UK, and the US on the Hot Country Songs and the Cash Box Charts. Wikipedia calls the album Country, although I'd argue that "Coward.." is the only country song on it. The others are a mix of pop, adult contemporary, easy listening, and a little bit of disco. It was 1979, after all ...

1. "You Turn the Light On" Louis Anderson, Stephen Geyer 3:03

2. "You Decorated My Life" Deborah Kay Hupp, Robert E. Morrison 3:38

3. "She's a Mystery" Larry Keith, Steve Pippin 2:54

4. "Goodbye Marie" Dennis Linde, Mel McDaniel 2:47

5. "Tulsa Turnaround" Larry Collins, Paul Cotton, Alex Harvey 2:52

6. "I Want to Make You Smile" Bill Medley 3:20

7. "Santiago Midnight Moonlight" John Porter McMeans 3:14

8. "One Man's Woman" Steve Glassmeyer 3:45

9. "In and Out of Your Heart" Thomas Cain, Randy Cullers, Dennis Linde, Alan Rush 3:23

10. "Old Folks" Willard Robison 2:44

11. "Coward of the County" Roger D. Bowling, Billy Ed Wheeler 4:20



Kenny Rogers – lead vocals

Bobby Wood, Chuck Cochran, David Briggs, Edgar Struble, Gene Golden, Hargus "Pig" Robbins, Larry Keith, Shane Keister – pianos

Edgar Struble – clavinet, synthesizers

Billy Sanford, Dave Kirby, Jerry Shook, Jimmy Capps, Johnny Christopher, Larry Keith, Randy Dorman, Ray Edenton, Reggie Young, Tommy Allsup Rick Harper, Steve Glassmeyer – guitars

Bobby Thompson – banjo

Charles "Chuck" Jacob, Joe Osborn – bass guitar

Bob Moore – upright bass

Bobby Daniels – drums

Farrell Morris – percussion

Steve Glassmeyer – saxophone

Sheldon Kurland Strings – strings

Bill Justis, Edgar Struble (track 10) – string arrangements

Bergen White, Bobby Daniels, Buzz Cason, Don Gant, Donna McElroy, Edgar Struble, Lea Jane Berinati, Steve Glassmeyer, Todd Cerney, Tom Brannon, Yvonne Hodges – background vocals

Production

Producer, Mixing – Larry Butler

Engineers – Billy Sherrill (Tracks 1, 2, 4–8, 10 & 11); Harold Lee (Tracks 3 & 9).

Recorded at American Studios and Jack Clements Recording Studios (Nashville, TN).

Mastered by Bob Sowell at Master Control (Nashville, TN).

Artwork – Bill Burks

Photography – Reid Miles