''I Can Do Nothing Alone'' is a studio album by American country singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released in June 1967 on

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...

and was produced by

Owen Bradley William Owen Bradley (October 21, 1915 – January 7, 1998) was an American musician and record producer who, along with Chet Atkins, Bob Ferguson, Bill Porter, and Don Law, was one of the chief architects of the 1950s and 1960s Nashville sou ...

. It was Anderson's seventh studio record and his first album to consist entirely of

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is com ...

. Although the album did not produce any singles, it made peak positions on the ''

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 ...

'' country albums chart.

Background and content

Anderson was inspired to record the album after the passing of his grandfather in 1965. Anderson recalled sitting beside him at the hospital when his grandfather said to him, "You don't have to be a preacher to do good in this world. You can live the right kind of life and let other people know that you stand for the right kind of things and they will get the message." This inspired Anderson to compose the album's title track "I Can Do Nothing Alone". The album consisted of ten tracks, all of which were gospel songs. All of the tracks were cut at the Columbia Recording Studio in February 1967 under the guidance of Owen Bradley. Among the songs recorded with Bradley included covers of traditional gospel songs. Songs featured included "Standing on the Promises", "Where He Leads Me" and "Blessed Assurance".

Release and reception

''I Can Do Nothing Alone'' was released in June 1967 on Decca Records. Five tracks were included on each side of the original record. Following its release, the album peaked at number 23 on the ''

'' Top Country Albums chart in September 1967. The album spent 12 weeks on the country chart. The album did not produce any singles that were released. The album did however receive a rating from Allmusic, which gave it 2.5 out of 5 possible stars. Meanwhile, ''Billboard'' gave it a positive response in their June 1967 issue of the magazine. "Hit country artist Bill Anderson has a tremendous gospel hit here," writers commented.

Track listing

Personnel

All credits are adapted from the liner notes of ''I Can Do Nothing Alone''. Musical personnel * Bill Anderson – lead vocals * Harold Bradley – guitar,

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

* Ray Edenton – guitar * Sonny Garrish – steel guitar * Roy Huskey –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

* The Jordanaires – background vocals * Jimmy Lance – guitar * Len Miller – drums * Hal Rugg –

steel guitar A steel guitar ( haw, kīkākila) is any guitar played while moving a steel bar or similar hard object against plucked strings. The bar itself is called a "steel" and is the source of the name "steel guitar". The instrument differs from a conve ...

* Jerry Smith – piano Technical personnel * Owen Bradley – record producer * Hal Buksbaum – photography

Chart performance

Release history

References

{{Authority control 1967 albums Albums produced by Owen Bradley Bill Anderson (singer) albums Decca Records albums