''Classics'' is a duet album by
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted mo ...
and
Dottie West
Dorothy Marie Marsh West (October 11, 1932 – September 4, 1991) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Along with her friends and fellow recording artists Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, she is considered one of the genre's most in ...
, released in 1979.
This album was Kenny Rogers' and Dottie West's second album together. Their previous album, ''
Every Time Two Fools Collide'', was a major seller, and made them one of the biggest duet acts country music has ever seen. This album was no different. The album sold very well, and peaked at number three on the Top Country Albums chart in 1979, and No.82 on the
''Billboard'' 200. This album featured cover versions of classic hits by other artists, including two country hit singles, one went to number one, called "
All I Ever Need Is You" (a big hit for
Sonny and Cher
Sonny & Cher were an American pop and entertainment duo in the 1960s and 1970s, made up of husband and wife Sonny Bono and Cher. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector.
The pair f ...
), and another went to number three, called "'Til I Can Make It on My Own" (a hit for
Tammy Wynette
Tammy Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh; May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998) was an American country music artist, as well as an actress and author. She is considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta Ly ...
).
The album was certified by the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
as
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver".
Platinu ...
. It has sold over 2 million copies worldwide.
Track listing
Personnel
*Kenny Rogers - vocals
*Dottie West - guitar, vocals
*
Tommy Allsup
Thomas Douglas Allsup (November 24, 1931 – January 11, 2017) was an American rockabilly and swing musician.
Personal life
Allsup was born near Owasso, Oklahoma in 1931, and was an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation. Allsup had a son, ...
– bass
*Byron Bach – strings
*George Binkley III – strings
*
Larry Butler – harpsichord, keyboards, producer
*
Jimmy Capps – guitar
*
Jerry Carrigan
Jerry Kirby Carrigan (September 13, 1943 – June 22, 2019) was an American drummer and record producer. Early in his career he was a member of the original Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and later worked as a session musician in Nashville for over ...
– percussion, drums
*John Catchings – strings
*Marvin Chantry – strings
*
Gene Chrisman
The American Sound Studio was a recording studio located in Memphis, Tennessee which operated from 1964 to 1972. Founded by Chips Moman, the studio at 827 Thomas Street came to be known as American North, and the studio at 2272 Deadrick Street ...
– percussion, drums
*Roy Christensen – strings
*Bobby Daniels – backing vocals
*Randy Dorman – guitar
*
Pete Drake
Roddis Franklin "Pete" Drake (October 8, 1932 – July 29, 1988), was a Nashville-based American record producer and pedal steel guitar player. One of the most sought-after backup musicians of the 1960s, Drake played on such hits as Lynn Anderson' ...
– steel guitar
*
Ray Edenton
Ray Quarles Edenton (November 3, 1926 – September 21, 2022) was an American guitar player and country music session musician.
Early life
Ray Edenton was born into a musical family on November 3, 1926, and grew up near Mineral, Virginia. His f ...
– guitar
*Steve Glassmeyer – soprano saxophone, backing vocals
*Gene Golden – backing vocals
*Carl Gorodetzky – strings
*Lennie Haight – strings
*
The Jordanaires
The Jordanaires were an American vocal quartet that formed as a gospel group in 1948. Over the years, they recorded both sacred and secular music for recording companies such as Capitol Records, RCA Victor, Columbia Records, Decca Records, Vocal ...
– backing vocals
*
Bill Justis
William Everett Justis Jr. (October 14, 1926 – July 16, 1982) was an American pioneer rock and roll musician, composer, and musical arranger, best known for his 1957 Grammy Hall of Fame song, " Raunchy". As a songwriter, he was also often credi ...
– strings, string arrangements
*
Sheldon Kurland – strings
*Byron Metcalf – percussion, drums
*
Bob Moore
Bob Loyce Moore (November 30, 1932 – September 22, 2021) was an American session musician, orchestra leader, and double bassist who was a member of the Nashville A-Team during the 1950s and 1960s. He performed on over 17,000 documented record ...
– bass
*
Hargus "Pig" Robbins
Hargus Melvin Robbins (January 18, 1938 – January 30, 2022), known by his nickname "Pig," was an American session keyboard player. Having played on records for many artists, including John Stewart, Dolly Parton, Connie Smith, Patti Page, Lore ...
– keyboards
*Billy Sanford – guitar
*
Billy Sherrill
Billy Norris Sherrill (November 5, 1936 – August 4, 2015) was an American record producer, songwriter, and arranger best known for his association with country artists, notably Tammy Wynette and George Jones. Sherrill and business partner Gle ...
– engineer
*Steven Maxwell Smith – strings
*Gary VanOsdale – strings
*Pamela VanOsdale – strings
*
Chip Young – guitar
*
Reggie Young
Reggie Grimes Young Jr. (December 12, 1936 – January 17, 2019) was an American musician who was lead guitarist in the American Sound Studio house band, The Memphis Boys, and was a leading session musician. He played on various recordings with ...
– guitar
Charts
Album – ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' (United States)
Singles – ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' (United States)
{{Authority control
1979 collaborative albums
Dottie West albums
Kenny Rogers albums
Vocal duet albums
United Artists Records albums
Covers albums
Albums arranged by Bill Justis
Albums produced by Larry Butler (producer)