Mountain Music (album)

Mountain Music
Studio album by
Alabama
ReleasedFebruary 25, 1982
October 25, 1990 (re-release)
Recorded1981
StudioThe Music Mill, Nashville, TN
GenreCountry rock[1]
Length39:21
LabelRCA Nashville
ProducerAlabama
Harold Shedd
Alabama chronology
Feels So Right
(1981) 		Mountain Music
(1982) 		The Closer You Get...
(1983)
Singles from Mountain Music
  1. "Mountain Music"
    Released: January 22, 1982
  2. "Take Me Down"
    Released: May 6, 1982
  3. "Close Enough to Perfect"
    Released: August 20, 1982
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Rolling Stone[1]

Mountain Music is the sixth studio album by American country music group Alabama, released in 1982. A crossover success, it ranked well as an album on both country and pop charts and launched singles that were successful in several markets. This is Alabama's most successful studio album. In 1998, the album was certified 5× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[3] It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and No.14 on the Billboard 200.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Lead singerLength
1."Mountain Music"Randy OwenRandy Owen, Jeff Cook, Teddy Gentry4:12
2."Close Enough to Perfect"Carl ChambersRandy Owen3:34
3."Words at Twenty Paces"Hugh MoffattRandy Owen3:54
4."Changes Comin' On"Buddy Cannon, Jimmy Darrell, Dean DillonRandy Owen6:51
5."Green River"John FogertyJeff Cook2:51
6."Take Me Down"Mark Gray, J.P. PenningtonRandy Owen4:53
7."You Turn Me On"Teddy Gentry, Randy OwenRandy Owen3:11
8."Never Be One"Teddy GentryTeddy Gentry2:46
9."Lovin' You Is Killin' Me"Jeff CookJeff Cook3:00
10."Gonna Have a Party"Bruce Channel, Cliff Cochran, Kieran KaneRandy Owen, Jeff Cook, Teddy Gentry4:09

Note: The BMGSP reissue of this album replaces the full versions of "Mountain Music" and "Take Me Down" with their single edits.

Personnel

Alabama

Owen, Cook and Gentry share lead vocals on "Gonna Have a Party" and one verse of "Mountain Music"

Additional musicians

  • Hayward Bishop - drums
  • Mark Casstevens - background vocals, guitar
  • Michael Douchette - harmonica
  • Jack Eubanks - guitar
  • David Hanner - guitar
  • David Humphreys - drums
  • George Leo Jackson - guitar
  • Jerry Kroon - drums
  • Rodger Morris - keyboards, Synclavier II, Emulator, Prophet 5
  • Fred Newell - guitar
  • Larry Paxton - bass guitar
  • William Rainsford - keyboards
  • Dale Sellers - guitar
  • W. David Smith - bass guitar
  • Bruce Watkins - banjo

String arrangements by Kristin Wilkinson

Production

Chart performance

Album

Mountain Music charted No. 1 on Billboard's Country Albums chart in 1982 and reached No. 14 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart the same year. It won 1982's Grammy Award for "Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals".

Singles

The album produced three hit singles, with the title song "Mountain Music" reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. The other two singles were successful in several markets: "Take Me Down", a No. 1 country hit, reached No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Singles chart. "Close Enough to Perfect" charted No. 1 on the Hot Country Singles and No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Year Single Peak chart positions
US Country US US AC CAN Country CAN AC
1982 "Mountain Music" 1 101 — 1 1
"Take Me Down" 1 18 5 1 1
"Close Enough to Perfect" 1 65 — 1 —

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[4] 5× Platinum 5,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  1. ^ a b Rollingstone
  2. ^ Mountain Music at AllMusic
  3. ^ "RIAA – Searchable Database: Mountain Music". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  4. ^ "American album certifications – Alabama – Mountain Music". Recording Industry Association of America.