Walking Away a Winner

Last updated
Walking Away a Winner
Matteawwaw.jpg
Studio album by
Kathy Mattea
ReleasedMay 17, 1994
StudioEmerald (Nashville)
Genre
Length34:35
Label
Producer Josh Leo
Kathy Mattea chronology
Good News
(1993)		Walking Away a Winner
(1994)		 Love Travels
(1997)
Singles from Walking Away a Winner
  1. "Walking Away a Winner"
    Released: March 26, 1994
  2. "Nobody's Gonna Rain on Our Parade"
    Released: July 18, 1994
  3. "Maybe She's Human"
    Released: November 12, 1994
  4. "Clown in Your Rodeo"
    Released: April 1, 1995

Walking Away a Winner is the ninth studio album by American country music artist, Kathy Mattea. It was released on May 17, 1994, via the Mercury/PolyGram labels and contained ten tracks of original material. The album's production featured a pop rock sound that was considered unique from Mattea's previous country-folk albums. Its title track was issued as the lead single and became her first top ten hit in several years on the American country chart. Three more singles were also commercially-successful and the album sold more than 500,000 copies in the United States. Walking Away a Winner received mostly positive reception from critics. It also charted on the American country albums and Billboard 200 charts.

Contents

Background

Kathy Mattea was among country music's most commercially-successful artists during the late eighties and nineties. She had an uninterrupted string of top ten and top 20 singles on the North American country charts that exemplified a country folk musical style. This helped Mattea win several major industry accolades, including a Grammy Award and four number one singles. [2] In 1992, Mattea released the album Lonesome Standard Time , which failed to yield the level of commercial success she previously achieved. In addition, she had vocal chord surgery. The surgery and recovery period caused Mattea to slow down more than she had been used to. She changed musical directions and began working alongside a new producer for her next album, Walking Away a Winner. [3]

Recording and content

Walking Away a Winner was recorded at Emerald Sound Studios, located in Nashville, Tennessee. The project was produced entirely by Josh Leo. [4] A total of ten new songs comprised the album project. [1] The album was a departure stylistically from Mattea's previous country-folk offerings. According to the Daily Press's Sam McDonald, the project "broke new ground" in its musical style. [3] In similar vein to Mary Chapin Carpenter and Bonnie Raitt, the album offered a pop rock musical style with various story-lines in the ten tracks. In the title track, the main character walks away from a bad relationship. In the third selection, "Maybe She's Human", Mattea's character describes the challenges of being a wife and mother. [1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg
Entertainment Weekly B+

Walking Away a Winner received mostly positive responses from music critics and journalists. Thom Jurek of AllMusic rated the project four out of five stars. Jurek found the album's sound to be a departure from her previous work by showing "a side her country audience hadn't yet seen, and one that the adult contemporary and emerging AAA formats could embrace." Jurek also praised Mattea's vocal delivery and the way she can connect with lyrics in each song. He concluded by saying, "This is a winner indeed". [1] In describing the album, Sam McDonald of the Daily Press positively noted that, "It offered quality without pandering to current country music tastes." [3] Jack Hurst of the Chicago Tribune commented that it was "a meaty new album". [5] Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B+ rating in its 1994 review. [6]

Release, chart performance and singles

Walking Away a Winner was released on May 17, 1994, on Mercury Records in conjunction with the PolyGram label. It was originally offered as both a compact disc and as a cassette. [4] It was later re-issued digitally in the 2000s decade. [7] The album was considered a "comeback" or "resurgence" for Mattea after her previous album was less successful. [3] [8] It became her sixth disc to sell over 500,000 copies in the United States, which prompted a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. [9] The album debuted on the American Billboard Top Country Albums chart on June 4, 1994. One week later, the disc peaked at number 12 on the country albums chart and spent a total of 37 weeks there. [10] It also became Mattea's fourth disc to reach the Billboard 200, spending eight weeks in total and climbing to the number 87 position. [11]

A total of four singles were spawned from Walking Away a Winner. The title track was the first single released, issued by PolyGram/Mercury on March 26, 1994. [12] It became Mattea's first top ten single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart since 1991, climbing to the number three position in June 1994. It is also her final top ten single to date on the chart. [13] On the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart, the single climbed to number 16 around the same period. [14] It was followed by the release of "Nobody's Gonna Rain on Our Parade" on July 18, 1994. [15] On the Billboard country chart, it reached the top 20, peaking at number 13 in October 1994. [13] On the RPM country chart, it reached the top ten, peaking at number eight. [14] The third single was "Maybe She's Human", was released on November 12, 1994. [16] The song reached the top 40 of the Billboard and RPM country charts, reaching number 34 and 36 respectively. [13] [14] The fourth and final single spawned was "Clown in Your Rodeo" on April 1, 1995. [17] The song also reached the Billboard country top 20, climbing to the number 20 position in June 1995. [13] On the RPM country chart, it only went to number 37. [14]

Track listing

CD and digital versions [4] [7]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Walking Away a Winner"
3:28
2."The Streets of Your Town"
3:51
3."Maybe She's Human"
3:07
4."Clown in Your Rodeo" Wayne Kirkpatrick 3:31
5."Who Turned Out the Light"
3:34
6."Nobody's Gonna Rain on Our Parade"
  • Will Rambeaux
  • Brad Parker
3:37
7."Another Man"
3:12
8."The Cape"
2:36
9."Grand Canyon"Kirkpatrick4:19
10."Who's Gonna Know" Jon Vezner 3:21
Total length:34:35

Personnel

All credits are adapted from the liner notes of Walking Away a Winner and AllMusic. [4] [18]

Charts

Chart (1994)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [19] 87
US Top Country Albums (Billboard) [20] 12

Certifications

Certifications for Walking Away a Winner
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [21] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history and formats for Walking Away a Winner
RegionDateFormatLabelRef.
AustraliaMay 17, 1994CD
  • PolyGram
  • Mercury Records
 [22]
North America
  • CD
  • cassette
 [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathy Mattea</span> American musician, activist (born 1959)

Kathleen Alice Mattea is an American country music and bluegrass singer. Active since 1984 as a recording artist, she has charted more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including four that reached No. 1: "Goin' Gone", "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses", "Come from the Heart", and "Burnin' Old Memories", plus 12 more that charted within the top ten. She has released 14 studio albums, two Christmas albums, and one greatest hits album. Most of her material was recorded for Universal Music Group Nashville's Mercury Records Nashville 8division between 1984 and 2000, with later albums being issued on Narada Productions, her own Captain Potato label, and Sugar Hill Records. Among her albums, she has received five gold certifications and one platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). She has collaborated with Dolly Parton, Michael McDonald, Tim O'Brien, and her husband, Jon Vezner. Mattea is also a two-time Grammy Award winner: in 1990 for "Where've You Been", and in 1993 for her Christmas album Good News. Her style is defined by traditional country, bluegrass, folk, and Celtic music influences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathy Mattea discography</span>

The discography of American country music artist, Kathy Mattea, contains 17 studio albums, four compilation albums, five video albums, one extended play (EP), 51 singles, 27 music videos and has made 19 additional album appearances. Under PolyGram and Mercury Records, Mattea's first two albums were releases: her eponymous debut album (1984) and From My Heart (1985). In 1986, Walk the Way the Wind Blows reached number 13 on America's Billboard Top Country Albums chart and spawned four top ten Billboard Hot Country Songs singles: "Love at the Five and Dime", the title track, "You're the Power" and "Train of Memories". It was followed by Untasted Honey (1987), which was Mattea's first album to certify gold in the United States. Of its four singles, "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" and "Goin' Gone" both topped the Billboard country chart. In 1989, PolyGram/Mercury released Willow in the Wind, which also certified gold and reached number six on the Billboard country albums chart. Its first single, "Come from the Heart", topped both the American and Canadian country charts. Its remaining three singles were also top ten North American country chart songs: "Burnin' Old Memories", "Where've You Been" and "She Came from Fort Worth".

<i>Untasted Honey</i> 1987 studio album by Kathy Mattea

Untasted Honey is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Kathy Mattea. It was released in 1987 on Mercury Records. The album produced Mattea's first Number One hit on the Billboard country charts in its lead-off single "Goin' Gone". Following this song was another Number One hit, "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses", then "Untold Stories" and "Life as We Knew It", both of which reached #4. "The Battle Hymn of Love" was later released as a single from Mattea's 1990 album A Collection of Hits. Like Walk the Way the Wind Blows before it, this album includes a cut originally found on Nanci Griffith's 1986 album The Last of the True Believers, this time in the track "Goin' Gone". Untasted Honey was certified gold by the RIAA.

<i>Willow in the Wind</i> 1989 studio album by Kathy Mattea

Willow in the Wind is the fifth studio album by American country music artist Kathy Mattea. It was released in 1989 on Mercury Records. The album is her highest-peaking entry on the Top Country Albums charts, where it reached number 6. It was also certified gold by the RIAA. Four singles were released from it, and all four reached Top Ten on the Billboard country singles charts. First were the back-to-back number 1 hits "Come from the Heart" and "Burnin' Old Memories", followed by the number 10 "Where've You Been" and number 2 "She Came from Fort Worth". "Where've You Been" also charted on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts, peaking at number 25 there. This song also earned her the 1990 Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.

<i>Lonesome Standard Time</i> 1992 studio album by Kathy Mattea

Lonesome Standard Time is the seventh studio album by American country artist Kathy Mattea. It was released on September 22, 1992, via PolyGram and Mercury Records. It was recorded during a period when she was experiencing vocal challenges. The project featured songs about heartbreak and loss written by various Nashville writers. It received a mixed critical response, but certified gold in the United States. The album spawned four singles. Both the title track and "Standing Knee Deep in a River " reached the American country chart top 20 in 1993.

<i>Good News</i> (Kathy Mattea album) 1993 studio album by Kathy Mattea

Good News is a studio album by American country artist, Kathy Mattea. It was released on September 21, 1993, via Mercury Records and the PolyGram label. It was the eighth studio album of Mattea's career and her first collection of Christmas music. The project featured mostly new recordings that embedded gospel music sounds. Good News made the American country albums chart in 1993 and received an accolade from the Grammy Awards in 1994. Critics and writers remarked positively of the album and highlighted its uniqueness as compared to other Christmas album projects.

<i>Love Travels</i> 1997 studio album by Kathy Mattea

Love Travels is the tenth studio album by American country music artist, Kathy Mattea. It was released on February 4, 1997, via Mercury Records Nashville. The disc contained a total of 11 tracks that blended a mixture of different musical styles. Love Travels spawned four singles, two of which made the North American country songs charts: "455 Rocket" and the title track. The album itself reached the top 20 of the American country albums chart and was reviewed positively by critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walking Away a Winner (song)</span> 1994 single by Kathy Mattea

"Walking Away a Winner" is a song written by Tom Shapiro and Bob DiPiero, and recorded by American country music artist Kathy Mattea. It was released in March 1994 as the first single and title track from the album Walking Away a Winner. The song reached #3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

<i>Joy for Christmas Day</i> 2003 studio album by Kathy Mattea

Joy for Christmas Day is a studio album by American country artist, Kathy Mattea. It was released on September 30, 2003 via Narada Productions and contained 11 tracks. It was the thirteenth studio album in Mattea's career and her second album containing Christmas music. The album mixed both covers of Christmas tunes along with new material that featured writing credits from various songwriters. The disc made the American country albums chart and was received positively by critics following its release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nobody's Gonna Rain on Our Parade</span> 1994 single by Kathy Mattea

"Nobody's Gonna Rain on Our Parade" is a song written by Will Rambeaux and Brad Parker, and recorded by American country music artist Kathy Mattea. It was released in July 1994 as the second single from the album Walking Away a Winner. The song reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and peaked at number 8 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.

"455 Rocket" is a song written by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, and recorded by American country music artist Kathy Mattea. It was released in January 1997 as the first single from the album Love Travels. The song reached number 21 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Travels (song)</span> 1997 single by Kathy Mattea

"Love Travels" is a song recorded by American country music artist, Kathy Mattea. It was released as in August 1997 as the second single and title track from the Love Travels. It reached a top 40 position on the American country songs chart and was the title track to her 1997 studio album of the same name. The single received a positive review from Billboard in 1997.

<i>The Innocent Years</i> 2000 studio album by Kathy Mattea

The Innocent Years is a studio album by American country artist, Kathy Mattea. It was released on May 16, 2000, via Mercury Nashville and included 12 tracks of original material. It was the eleventh studio project of Mattea's career and her last with the Mercury Nashville label. The Innocent Years was a collection of songs that discussed Mattea's feelings associated with her father's failing health. Among its songs were the singles "The Trouble with Angels" and "BFD". The album received positive reviews from critics and made the American country albums chart.

"It's Your Reputation Talkin'" is a song written by Mitch Johnson and Harry Shannon, and recorded by American country music artist, Kathy Mattea. It was released in January 1985 as the lead single from her album From My Heart. The song became Mattea's third single to reach the top 40 of the American country chart.

"He Won't Give In" is a song written by Johnny Pierce, and recorded by American country music artist, Kathy Mattea. It was released in May 1985 as the second single from her album From My Heart. The song was Mattea's fourth single to reach the top 40 of the American country chart.

<i>Roses</i> (Kathy Mattea album) 2002 studio album by Kathy Mattea

Roses is a studio album by American country artist, Kathy Mattea. It was released on July 30, 2002 via Narada Productions and was the twelfth studio project of her career. The album contained 12 tracks of original material that featured a Celtic-folk sound that was considered a departure from Mattea's previous works. It was also Mattea's first album following her exit from her longtime country label, Mercury/PolyGram. The album received mixed reviews from critics upon its release. One single was issued from the project and the album reached the top 40 of the American country albums chart.

<i>Right Out of Nowhere</i> 2005 studio album by Kathy Mattea

Right Out of Nowhere is a studio album by American country artist, Kathy Mattea. It was released on September 27, 2005 via Narada Productions and was the fourteenth studio album in her career. The disc featured 11 tracks of original material, all of which were self-produced by Mattea herself. The album was developed from her own personal struggles that helped create a variety of musical styles onto the project. The disc received positive reception at the time of its release and charted on the American country albums chart.

"Street Talk" is a song written by Lee Domann and Ralph Whiteway, and recorded by American country music artist Kathy Mattea. It was released in September 1983 as debut single and the first from her self-titled debut album. The song reached the top 30 of the American country chart and appeared on her self-titled debut album.

"Someone Is Falling in Love" is a song written by Lee Domann and Pebe Sebert, and recorded by American country music artist, Kathy Mattea. It was released in January 1984 as the second single from her self-titled debut album. The song became Mattea's second single to reach the top 30 of the American country chart..

<i>Calling Me Home</i> (Kathy Mattea album) 2012 studio album by Kathy Mattea

Calling Me Home is a studio album by American country artist, Kathy Mattea. It was released on September 11, 2012 via Sugar Hill Records and contained 12 tracks. It was Mattea's second collection of Appalachian and bluegrass music. Its themes focused on coal mining and ways people experienced living in the Appalachian Mountains. Calling Me Home appeared on both the American country albums and bluegrass albums charts following its release. It was received favorably by music critics.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Jurek, Thom. "Walking Away a Winner: Kathy Mattea: Songs, reviews, credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  2. ↑ Huey, Steve. "Kathy Mattea: Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 McDonald, Sam (October 13, 1995). "COMEBACK KID". Daily Press . Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Mattea, Kathy (May 17, 1994). "Walking Away a Winner (Liner Notes and Album Information)". PolyGram/Mercury Records. 314-518 852-4 (Cassette), 314-518 852-2 (CD).
  5. ↑ Hurst, Jack (January 24, 1994). "REVIVING A CAREER". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  6. ↑ "Walking Away a Winner review". Entertainment Weekly . 1994. Archived from the original on April 21, 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Walking Away a Winner by Kathy Mattea". Apple Music . Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  8. ↑ Hurst, Jack (July 22, 1994). "KATHY MATTEA IS SILENT FORCE BEHIND AIDS ALBUM PROJECT". Orlando Sentinel . Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  9. ↑ "Gold & Platinum: Kathy Mattea". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  10. ↑ "Kathy Mattea chart history (Country Albums)". Billboard . Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  11. ↑ "Kathy Mattea chart history (Billboard 200)". Billboard . Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  12. ↑ Mattea, Kathy (March 26, 1994). ""Walking Away a Winner"/"The Cape" (CD single)". Mercury Records/PolyGram. 858 464-7.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Kathy Mattea chart history (Country Songs)". Billboard . Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada - Country Singles". RPM . Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
  15. ↑ Mattea, Kathy (July 18, 1994). ""Nobody's Gonna Rain on Our Parade"/"Grand Canyon" (CD single)". Mercury Records/PolyGram. 858 800-7.
  16. ↑ Mattea, Kathy (November 12, 1994). ""Maybe She's Human"/"Who Turned Out the Light" (CD single)". Mercury Records/PolyGram. 856 262-7.
  17. ↑ Mattea, Kathy (April 1, 1995). ""Clown in Your Rodeo"/"Who's Gonna Know" (CD single)". Mercury Records/PolyGram. 856 484-7.
  18. ↑ "Walking Away a Winner: Kathy Mattea: Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  19. ↑ "Kathy Mattea Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Kathy Mattea Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  21. ↑ "American album certifications – Kathy Mattea – Walking Away a Winner". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  22. ↑ Mattea, Kathy (May 17, 1994). "Walking Away a Winner (CD Information)". Mercury Records/PolyGram. 518 852-2 (Australia).
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.