Blue (LeAnn Rimes album)

Last updated

Blue
Leannblue.jpg
Studio album by
LeAnn Rimes
ReleasedJuly 9, 1996 (1996-07-09)
Genre Country
Length34:52
Label Curb
Producer
  • Wilbur C. Rimes
  • Chuck Howard
  • Johnny Mulhair
LeAnn Rimes chronology
All That
(1994)		Blue
(1996)		 Unchained Melody: The Early Years
(1997)
Singles from Blue
  1. "Blue"
    Released: June 4, 1996
  2. "Hurt Me"
    Released: August 3, 1996
  3. "One Way Ticket (Because I Can)"
    Released: September 28, 1996
  4. "The Light in Your Eyes"
    Released: March 7, 1997

Blue is the debut major-label album and third studio album by American country music singer LeAnn Rimes, released in the United States on July 9, 1996, by Curb Records. It peaked at number three on the US Billboard 200, and number one on the Top Country Albums chart.

Contents

The album includes the singles "Blue", "Hurt Me", "One Way Ticket (Because I Can)", and "The Light in Your Eyes". Blue has been certified 6× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and is Rimes's best-selling album.

Background

Singles released from Blue include, in order of release: "Blue", "Hurt Me", "One Way Ticket (Because I Can)", and "The Light in Your Eyes". These songs all charted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart between 1996 and 1997; "Blue" and "The Light in Your Eyes" both reached top 10, while "Hurt Me" peaked at 43. "One Way Ticket" became a number one hit on the country music chart. [1]

During the 1996 Christmas season, copies of the album sold at Target stores included the promotional single "Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart" as a free gift with purchase. [1] [2] The song peaked at number 51 on the Country Songs chart in January of the following year. [3] "Unchained Melody", included as the single's b-side, peaked at number three on the Country Songs chart in March 1997 when released as a single from Unchained Melody: The Early Years (1997). [4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Billboard (favorable) [6]
Cash Box (favorable) [7]
Robert Christgau Rating-Christgau-neither.png [8]
Entertainment Weekly B+ [9]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [10]

The album was met with generally positive reviews. Shawn M. Haney of AllMusic rated Blue four out of five stars, calling it "a glorious free-for-all of sassy pick-me-up country", and stated that "perhaps people of any age or style of interest will feel youthful again after a good listen and a half." [5] Similarly, Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B+ and stated that "such raw, old-fashioned country music, with such a big, twangy, sexy voice at the center, wouldn't be making such a stir in bland '90s Nashville if LeAnn Rimes weren't 13. In other words, the hype machine has inadvertently coughed up a gem." [9]

The Los Angeles Times gave the album two-and-a-half stars out of four and said that "Rimes displays the unbridled power and freshness you'd expect from a teenager. In an ideal world, she'd bring all that to bear on songs that tap her youthful zeal. Instead, too many on this major-label debut require a level of experience that's clearly beyond her years. There's no question Rimes has been blessed with a magnificent voice. Let's hope she'll be given a few years--say, at least until she's out of high school--to let her natural talent mature." [10] In his "Consumer Guide" column, Robert Christgau gave the album a "neither" score, defined as an album which "may impress once or twice with consistent craft or an arresting track or two. Then it won't." [8] [11]

Commercial performance

Blue debuted at number four on Billboard 200 with 123,000 copies sold in the week ending of July 27, 1996. [12] It peaked at number three in its second week with 129,500 copies sold. [13] Blue has been certified 6× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and is Rimes's best-selling album. [14]

Track listing

Blue track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Blue" Bill Mack Wilbur C. Rimes2:49
2."Hurt Me" Deborah Allen, Bobby Braddock, Rafe Van HoyW. Rimes2:54
3."One Way Ticket (Because I Can)"Keith Hinton, Judy Rodman Chuck Howard, W. Rimes, Bob Campbell-Smith [a] 3:44
4."My Baby"AllenW. Rimes2:50
5."Honestly"Christi Dannemiller, Joe JohnstonHoward, W. Rimes, Campbell-Smith [a] 3:22
6."The Light in Your Eyes" Dan Tyler Howard, W. Rimes, Johnny Mulhair, [b] Greg Walker, [a] Campbell-Smith [a] 3:21
7."Talk to Me"Ron Grimes, L. Rimes, Jon RutherfordHoward, W. Rimes, Campbell-Smith [a] 3:12
8."I'll Get Even With You"Coweta HouseW. Rimes, Mulhair, [b] Walker [a] 3:18
9."Cattle Call" (duet with Eddy Arnold)Tex OwensHoward, W. Rimes, Mulhair, [b] Walker, [a] Campbell-Smith [a] 3:09
10."Good Lookin' Man"Joyce HarrisonW. Rimes3:11
11."Fade to Blue"Jim Allison, Anne Reeves, Lang ScottW. Rimes, Mulhair, [b] Walker [a] 3:02
"Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart" promotional single
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart"Greg Wojohn, Roger Wojohn, Scott WojohnW. Rimes, Roger Wojohn3:29
2."Unchained Melody" Alex North, Hy Zaret W. Rimes3:51

Notes

Personnel

Musicians

Production

Studios

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Blue
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [28] 2× Platinum140,000^
Canada (Music Canada) [29] 3× Platinum300,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [30] Gold7,500^
United States (RIAA) [14] 6× Platinum5,993,000 [31]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

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References

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  2. ↑ Flippo, Chet (November 23, 1996). "Movie Roles Abound For Country Artists; Mark Miller To Shoot Hoops". Billboard . Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart – LeAnn Rimes". Billboard.com . Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Unchained Melody – LeAnn Rimes". Billboard.com . Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  5. 1 2 Haney, Shawn M.. Blue at AllMusic
  6. ↑ Flippo, Chet (September 3, 1996). "Reviews & Previews: Albums" (PDF). Billboard . p. 89. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  7. ↑ Newcomer, Wendy (August 17, 1996). "Country Music" (PDF). Cash Box . p. 22. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  8. 1 2 Christgau, Robert. "CG: LeAnn Rimes". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  9. 1 2 Nash, Alanna (August 2, 1996). "Blue Review". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on April 27, 2009. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  10. 1 2 Lewis, Randy (July 27, 1996). "Rimes Needs Time to Grow". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  11. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "CG 90s: Key to Icons". Robert Christgau. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Billboard". July 27, 1996. Retrieved December 2, 2011.
  13. ↑ "Billboard". August 3, 1996. Retrieved December 2, 2011.
  14. 1 2 "American album certifications – LeAnn Rimes – Blue". Recording Industry Association of America.
  15. 1 2 "australian-charts.com – LeAnn Rimes – Blue". australian-charts.com. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
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  21. ↑ "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Albums 1996". Aria.com.au. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
  22. ↑ "RPM Year End Country Albums ~Top 50". RPM . December 16, 1996. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
  23. 1 2 . google.com. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
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  25. ↑ "RPM '97 Year End...Top 50 Country Albums". RPM . December 15, 1997. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
  26. 1 2 "Billboard". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 52. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 28, 1996. p. YE-36. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved August 4, 2011.
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  30. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – LeAnn Rimes – Blue". Recorded Music NZ.
  31. ↑ Paul Grein (November 7, 2008). "Chart Watch Extra: Ropin' The Biggest Country Hits – Chart Watch". new.music.yahoo.com. Retrieved May 13, 2011.
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