Unchained Melody: The Early Years

Last updated
Unchained Melody: The Early Years
Theearlyyears.jpg
Studio album (reissue)by
LeAnn Rimes
ReleasedFebruary 11, 1997
Recorded1994–1995
StudioNorman Petty (Clovis, N.M.), Rosewood (Tyler, Tex.), Masterfonics (Nashville)
Genre Country
Length32:36
Label Curb Records
Producer Greg Walker, Johnny Mulhair, Wilbur C. Rimes
LeAnn Rimes chronology
Blue
(1996)		Unchained Melody: The Early Years
(1997)		 You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs
(1997)
Singles from Unchained Melody: The Early Years
  1. "Unchained Melody"
    Released: December 17, 1996

Unchained Melody: The Early Years or simply The Early Years [1] [2] is the major label reissue of American country singer LeAnn Rimes's second studio album, All That (1994). The album was released in the United States on February 11, 1997 by Curb Records. The album contains seven tracks from All That alongside three new tracks. All That was originally released independently, and Unchained Melody: The Early Years was issued due to the sales success of her debut major label album, Blue (1996). "Unchained Melody" (originally by The Righteous Brothers) was released as the sole single from the album.

Contents

Unchained Melody: The Early Years contains several cover versions alongside original material. The album was certified 2× Platinum for shipments of two million copies in the United States. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making her the fourth solo artist under the age of 18 to achieve this feat. [3]

Background

All That was originally released independently on July 22, 1994 on the Nor Va Jak label. [4] The album sold 15,000 copies upon its release locally in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. [5] All That led to Rimes being signed to Curb Records when the album was obtained by label head Mike Curb, who was impressed her vocal ability. [5] Its reissue under Curb Records was quickly conceived following the surprise success of the single "Unchained Melody", which was released as the sole single from the album on December 17, 1996. [6] [7] [8] "Unchained Melody" was first included as the b-side to the single "One Way Ticket (Because I Can)" and on the promotional single "Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart". [9] The song was not originally intended to be a single, but unsolicited airplay of the song led to Curb officially releasing it to radio; Curb then began promoting it as a single from Unchained Melody: The Early Years. [8] [10] Hoping to capitalize on the release of the single and the sales performance of her debut major label album, Blue (1996), Curb announced the release of Unchained Melody: The Early Years on December 28, 1996. [2] [11] [5] The album was released on February 11, 1997. [12]

Following the release of the album, "Unchained Melody" peaked at number three on the Country Songs chart in March 1997. [13] Other tracks new to the release were Rimes's cover of Bill Monroe's "Blue Moon of Kentucky" and the song "River of Love". All of the songs first included on All That were recorded when Rimes was eleven years old between April and June 1994, while the three new tracks were recorded when she was twelve. [4] [14] "Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart" was initially reported to be included on the album, but did not make the final track listing. [2] Cover songs on the album include "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart" by Patsy Montana, "Blue Moon of Kentucky" by Bill Monroe, "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton, and "Yesterday" by The Beatles.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [15]

The album received generally negative reviews from music critics. Jose F. Promis of AllMusic stated that the album's title was "a tad bizarre" due to Rimes only being 13 when Blue (1996) became a hit record. He wrote that it was "a record without any sort of real emotion or depth" but also wrote that "the vocal chops, considering the source, are nothing less than astounding." [12] Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly felt that the album was premature and that the material with emotional "grown-up lyrics" was inappropriate for Rimes. [16] Richard Harringon from the The Washington Post described the album as unimpressive, writing: "The vocal mannerisms aren't developed yet and the production is dreadful." [5] The Rolling Stone Album Guide criticized the album and Wilbur Rimes's production skills, describing it as a cash-grab. [15]

Commercial performance

Unchained Melody: The Early Years debuted at number 1 on Billboard 200 with 166,000 copies sold in the week ending of March 1, 1997. [17] It dropped to number 2 its second week with 133,500 copies sold. [18]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Cowboy's Sweetheart" Patsy Montana 2:32
2."I Will Always Love You" Dolly Parton 4:38
3."Blue Moon of Kentucky" Bill Monroe 3:17
4."River of Love"Buddy Blackmon, Vip Vipperman3:19
5."The Rest Is History" Clay Blaker, Karen Staley3:09
6."Broken Wing"David Nowlen3:20
7."Yesterday" John Lennon, Paul McCartney 3:09
8."Sure Thing"Joyce Harrison2:41
9."Share My Love"Rimes, Blake Vickers2:40
10."Unchained Melody" Alex North, Hy Zaret 3:51

Personnel

Credits for Unchained Melody: The Early Years were adapted from liner notes of All That. [19] Additional credits adapted from liner notes of the album. [1]

Charts

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LeAnn Rimes</span> American singer (born 1982)

Margaret LeAnn Rimes Cibrian is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She originally rose to success as a country music artist at the age of 13 and has since crossed over into pop, contemporary Christian, and other musical genres. Rimes has placed more than 40 singles on international charts since 1996. She has sold more than 48 million records worldwide, with 20.8 million album sales in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan. Billboard ranked her at number 17 in terms of sales success in the 1990–1999 decade.

"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. North wrote the music as a theme for the prison film Unchained (1955), hence the song title. Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack. It has since become a standard and one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, most notably by the Righteous Brothers in 1965. According to the song's publishing administrator, over 1,500 recordings of "Unchained Melody" have been made by more than 670 artists, in multiple languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How Do I Live</span> 1997 single by LeAnn Rimes and Trisha Yearwood

"How Do I Live" is a song written by Diane Warren. It was originally performed by American singer and actress LeAnn Rimes and was the first single from her second studio album, You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs (1997). It also appeared on international editions of her follow-up album Sittin' on Top of the World (1998). A second version was performed by American singer Trisha Yearwood, which was featured in the film Con Air. Both versions were released to radio on May 23, 1997.

<i>Blue</i> (LeAnn Rimes album) 1996 studio album by LeeAnn Rimes

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

<i>You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs</i> 1997 studio album by LeAnn Rimes

You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs, or simply You Light Up My Life, is the fourth studio album by the American country singer LeAnn Rimes. Released in the United States by Curb Records on September 9, 1997, when Rimes was 15 years old, it followed her third album and major label debut Blue (1996). The album comprises several covers of pop standards alongside original material.

<i>I Need You</i> (album) 2001 compilation album by LeAnn Rimes

I Need You is a compilation album by American recording artist LeAnn Rimes. The album was first released on January 30, 2001, through Curb Records to help satisfy Rimes's recording contract obligations following her issuance of a lawsuit against the label. The original release of the album consists of four previously released soundtrack appearances alongside six new tracks. Rimes publicly disowned the album just days after its release, but despite her comments, Curb continued to promote the record and released three singles in support of the album. The album was re-released on March 26, 2002, with four additional remixes and the new recording "Light the Fire Within".

<i>God Bless America</i> (LeAnn Rimes album) 2001 compilation album by LeAnn Rimes

God Bless America is the second compilation album from American recording artist LeAnn Rimes. The album was released on October 16, 2001. The album was released as a patriotic tribute to the events of September 11, 2001, with the liner stating "These classic recordings were made while America was first discovering LeAnn Rimes."

<i>Twisted Angel</i> 2002 studio album by LeAnn Rimes

Twisted Angel is the seventh studio album by American country pop artist LeAnn Rimes, released in the United States on October 1, 2002 by Curb Records. After a legal battle with the label and her father, she re-signed with the label. Rimes began recording of the album in 1999. It is her first album that her father, Wilbur C. Rimes, has no production or writing credits on. Unlike the country albums that made her famous, Twisted Angel is a pop album with influences of hip hop, techno, and rock; it was Rimes' attempt at a pop crossover album in the vain of Faith Hill's Cry (2002). Rimes co-produced the record with Desmond Child, Peter Amato, and Gregg Pagani. She described the album as an exploration of more adult sounds and themes. Rimes co-wrote four of the album's 13 tracks.

<i>All That</i> (album) 1994 studio album by LeAnn Rimes

All That is the second studio album by LeAnn Rimes, released independently under the label Nor Va Jak. It was released on July 22, 1994. The album sold 15,000 copies locally, and a copy was given to Curb Records owner, Mike Curb, who later signed Rimes to his label and released her debut major label album, Blue (1996). The album was later reissued as Unchained Melody: The Early Years (1997).

<i>This Woman</i> (LeAnn Rimes album) 2005 studio album by LeAnn Rimes

This Woman is the ninth studio album by American singer LeAnn Rimes, released on January 25, 2005. While promoting This Woman, she stated that it was her return to her "roots", country music. The album has a theme of falling in love and marriage. It was a success on the country charts. Rimes co-wrote three tracks on the album: "You Take Me Home", "I Got It Bad" and "When This Woman Loves a Man".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Light Up My Life (song)</span> 1977 single by Debby Boone

"You Light Up My Life" is a ballad written by Joseph Brooks, and originally recorded by Kasey Cisyk for the soundtrack album to the 1977 film of the same title. The song was lip synced in the film by its lead actress, Didi Conn. The best-known cover version of the song is a cover by Debby Boone, the daughter of singer Pat Boone. It held the No. 1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for ten consecutive weeks in 1977 and topped Record World magazine's Top 100 Singles Chart for a record 13 weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Way Ticket (Because I Can)</span> 1996 single by LeAnn Rimes

"One Way Ticket (Because I Can)" or simply "One Way Ticket" is a song written by Judy Rodman and Keith Hinton, and recorded by American country music artist LeAnn Rimes. It was released in September 1996 as the third single from the album Blue. The single made her the fourth teen-aged country music act to score a number one single on the U.S. Billboard country music charts. It is also her only number one country hit to date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Need You (LeAnn Rimes song)</span> 2000 single by LeAnn Rimes

"I Need You" is a song written by Dennis Matkosky and Ty Lacy and recorded by American country pop artist LeAnn Rimes. It was released on March 20, 2000, as a single from Jesus: Music from and Inspired by the Epic Mini-Series. The following year, it was released internationally on March 19, 2001 as a single from the compilation of the same name. The song spent 25 weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 11, and it was also successful outside the US, reaching the top 20 in Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. A music video was released in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Looking Through Your Eyes</span> 1998 single by LeAnn Rimes

"Looking Through Your Eyes" is a single by American country pop recording artist LeAnn Rimes. The song was released as a single from the Quest for Camelot soundtrack and Rimes's album Sittin' on Top of the World on March 24, 1998. In most parts of the world, "Looking Through Your Eyes" was released as a double A-side with "Commitment".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">But I Do Love You</span> 2001 single by LeAnn Rimes

"But I Do Love You" is a song recorded by American country music artist LeAnn Rimes. It was released as a single from the Coyote Ugly soundtrack and from Rimes' 2002 compilation album, I Need You. It was released in the US on February 9, 2001 and in the UK on February 11, 2002. The song was written by Diane Warren.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LeAnn Rimes discography</span> Cataloging of published recordings by LeAnn Rimes

American recording artist LeAnn Rimes has released 17 studio albums, eight compilation albums, one live album, one soundtrack album, three extended plays, 60 singles, nine Christmas singles, and 16 promotional singles. Rimes has sold over 37 million records worldwide to date, with 16.5 million albums and 5.5 million singles certified by RIAA. Rimes was ranked the number 17 Best Selling Artist of the 1990-99 decade by Billboard. She was also ranked at number 184 on Billboard 200 Artists and number 31 on Country Artists of the 2000–09 decade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Can (song)</span> 2003 single by LeAnn Rimes

"We Can" is the twenty-fourth single recorded by American country pop singer LeAnn Rimes, released on June 16, 2003, by Asylum-Curb Records from the Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde – Motion Picture Soundtrack (2003). It was penned by Diane Warren and produced by Dann Huff. It would also be included on both 2003's Greatest Hits and 2004's The Best of LeAnn Rimes. It is an empowerment song about how people can do the impossible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue (Bill Mack song)</span> 1958 single by Bill Mack

"Blue" is a song released in 1958 by Bill Mack, an American songwriter-country artist and country radio disc jockey. It has since been covered by several artists, in particular by country singer LeAnn Rimes, whose 1996 version became a hit. The song won Mack the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Country Song, a 1996 Academy of Country Music Award for Song of the Year, a 1997 Country Music Association Awards nomination for Song of the Year, a 1997 Country Radio Music Awards nomination for Song of the Year, and is included on the CMT list of the top 100 country songs of all time. Rimes' rendition won the 1996 Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.

<i>All-Time Greatest Hits</i> (LeAnn Rimes album) 2015 greatest hits album by LeAnn Rimes

All-Time Greatest Hits is the fourth greatest hits album by American country singer LeAnn Rimes. The album was released on February 3, 2015, by Curb Records. It peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.

"Hurt Me" is a song written and recorded by American country singer and songwriter Deborah Allen, who wrote the song alongside Rafe Van Hoy and Bobby Braddock. The song was first released on her fifth studio album All That I Am on July 19, 1994, by Giant Records. It would later be covered by American country singer LeAnn Rimes and released as a single from Rimes' debut album, Blue, on August 3, 1996, through Rimes' record label, Curb Records.

References

  1. 1 2 Unchained Melody: The Early Years (CD). LeAnn Rimes. Curb Records. 1997. D2-77856.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. 1 2 3 Jessen, Wade (December 28, 1996). "Country Corner". Billboard . Vol. 108, no. 52. p. 38.
  3. ↑ Lynch, Joe. "Solo Artists Who Scored a No. 1 Album Before Turning 18". Billboard. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  4. 1 2 Rendleman, Marty (2010). Singing Your Way to Stardom. Tate Pub. & Enterprises. ISBN   9781617394249.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Harrington, Richard (March 29, 1997). "Young Country Voices". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  6. ↑ Verna, Paul (March 8, 1997). "Reviews & Previews". Billboard . Vol. 109, no. 10. p. 55.
  7. ↑ Jessen, Wade (February 8, 1997). "Country Corner". Billboard . Vol. 109, no. 6. p. 28.
  8. 1 2 Jessen, Wade (January 11, 1997). "Country Corner". Billboard . Vol. 109, no. 2. p. 28.
  9. ↑ "Billboard - Google 圖書". 23 November 1996. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
  10. ↑ Unchained Melody (Promotional single). Curb Records. 1997. D-1346. From the Curb Records release Unchained Melody: The Early Years
  11. ↑ Wolff, Kurt (2000). Duane, Orla (ed.). Country Music: The Rough Guide. Rough Guides. p. 541. ISBN   9781858285344. The album sold more than three million copies, leading Curb to reissue All That under the new title Unchained Melody: The Early Years.
  12. 1 2 3 Promis, Jose F. (1997-02-11). "Unchained Melody: The Early Years - LeAnn Rimes". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-10-28.
  13. ↑ "Unchained Melody – LeAnn Rimes". Billboard.com . Retrieved 2012-05-06.
  14. ↑ Catalano, Grace (1997). LeAnn Rimes: Teen Country Queen. Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. p. 103. ISBN   9780440227373.
  15. 1 2 Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. p. 692. ISBN   9780743201698.
  16. ↑ Tucker, Ken (March 21, 1997). "Unchained Melody/The Early Years". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  17. ↑ "Billboard - Google 도서". March 1997. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
  18. ↑ "Billboard - Google 圖書". 8 March 1997. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
  19. ↑ All That (CD). LeAnn Rimes. Nor Va Jak. 1994. 98081-1234-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ↑ Steffen Hung. "LeAnn Rimes - Unchained Melody - The Early Years". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
  21. 1 2 3 . billboard.com. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  22. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
  23. ↑ "LEANN RIMES songs and albums - full Official Chart history". Official Charts . Retrieved 2024-07-29.
  24. ↑ "ARIA Charts - End of Year Charts - Top 100 Albums 1997". Aria.com.au. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
  25. 1 2 . google.com. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  26. ↑ . google.com. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  27. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1997 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  28. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – LeAnn Rimes – Unchained Melody-The Early Years". Music Canada.
  29. ↑ "American album certifications – LeAnn Rimes – The Early Years". Recording Industry Association of America.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.