Heartland (Michael Stanley Band Album)

''Heartland'' is an album by the Michael Stanley Band released in 1980. It reached #86 on the ''Billboard'' 200 album chart in 1981. The album stayed in the top 100 for over eight weeks and was in the top 200 for an additional ten weeks.

Recording and release

Arguably the biggest album of the Cleveland, Ohio–based rock group, ''Heartland'' was released in 1980, after the band was dropped from Arista Records following their mediocre-charting '' Greatest Hints'' album. The band was not convinced that they could come back from a fall down the charts, as ''Greatest Hints'' only reached number #148 on the Billboard magazine album chart. The band continued on without a label and recorded the album that would become their US breakthrough, ''Heartland''. The band planned to release the masterwork independently, however, EMI America Records picked up both the band and the ''Heartland'' album upon its completion. The album peaked at #86 in ''Billboard'' in 1981.

Chart successes and fallout

''Heartland'' proved to be the album the band had been waiting since the 1970s to see. However, speculation regarding lack of touring, limited radio play, weak support from EMI America, and the band being exhausted from trying year after year to crack the top of the charts have been blamed for the apparent fall that occurred after the ''Heartland'' bonanza the band enjoyed.

Singles

The album spawned the band's highest-charting single, " He Can't Love You", which reached #33 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in 1981. The song features a surging sax lick by Clarence Clemons that makes it instantly recognizable. The album featured another single, " Lover", rising to a respectable #68 on the charts and staying there for over two weeks. It featured the iconic lyric "thank God for the man who put the white lines on the highway", which is still sung back by the audiences to Stanley whenever he performs the song live.

Weekly charts

"He Can't Love You" was #92 in the Canadian Top 100 Singles of 1981.

Aftermath

Although MSB went on to more chart successes after ''Heartland'', which the band considered to be its definitive album, MSB never again fully felt the instantaneous relief following the release of ''Heartland''. The band's next album, ''North Coast'', released in 1981 would go on to top the chart position of ''Heartland'' surging up to the #79 spot. After the first two successful EMI America albums, the third, '' MSB'', released in 1982, stalled at #136 on the '' Billboard'' album chart, failing to crack the top 100.

Track listing

Personnel

;Michael Stanley Band
*Michael Stanley – lead and backing vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, percussion
*Kevin Raleigh – lead and backing vocals, organ, piano, percussion
*Michael Gismondi – bass, synthesizer
*Gary Markasky – lead electric guitars
*Bob Pelander – piano, organ, electric piano, synthesizer, orchestra bells, percussion, vocals
*Tommy Dobeck – drums, percussion
*Danny Powers – lead guitar and vocals on live bonus tracks

;Additional performers
*Clarence Clemons – saxophone
*Dan Montecalvo – choke

;Production
* Produced by the Michael Stanley Band
* Engineered by Arnie Rosenberg and Paul Schwartz, assisted by Lydia Terrion
* Mixed by Fred Mollin, Michael Verdick, and the Michael Stanley Band
*Mastered by Mike Reese
*Art direction by Bob Rath; Reissue art direction by Kristian Lawing
*Photography by Anastasia Pantsios and Dan Montecalvo

References

External links

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{{Authority control

1980 albums
Michael Stanley Band albums
EMI America Records albums