''Never Picture Perfect'' is the fourth solo album by songwriter

Rich Mullins Richard Wayne Mullins (October 21, 1955 – September 19, 1997) was an American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter best known for his worship songs " Awesome God" and "Sometimes by Step". Some of his albums were listed by ''CC ...

and was released in 1989 on

Reunion Records Reunion Records is a contemporary Christian record label based in Brentwood, Tennessee, that operates under the Provident Label Group. The label was founded in 1982, by Dan Harrell and Mike Blanton. History The label was formed by Amy Grant's m ...

. The album features a new recording of “Hope To Carry On.”

Track listing

All songs by Rich Mullins.

Side one

# "I Will Sing" – 1:27 #*Appeared on compilation '' Songs 2'' 1999 # "Hope To Carry On" – 2:33 #*Appeared on compilation '' Songs 2'' 1999 #*Earlier recording appeared on '' Behold the Man'' 1981 # "While The Nations Rage" – 4:50 #*Appeared on compilation ''

Songs A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition ...

'' 1996 # "First Family" – 3:06 # "Alrightokuhhuhamen" – 4:12 #*Appeared on compilation ''

'' 1996

Side two

# "Higher Education and The Book of Love" – 5:47 # "Bound to Come Some Trouble" – 3:41 #*Appeared on compilation '' Songs 2'' 1999 # "The Love of God" – 2:48 #*Appeared on compilation '' Songs 2'' 1999 # "My One Thing" – 3:42 #*Appeared on compilation ''

'' 1996 # "Somewhere" – 4:32 #*Appeared on compilation '' Songs 2'' 1999 # "The Love of God (reprise)" – 0:49

Charts

Radio singles

Personnel

– lead vocals, acoustic piano (4, 7, 8),

hammered dulcimer The hammered dulcimer (also called the hammer dulcimer) is a percussion-stringed instrument which consists of strings typically stretched over a trapezoidal resonant sound board. The hammered dulcimer is set before the musician, who in more trad ...

(9) *

Reed Arvin Reed Arvin is an American record producer, keyboardist, and writer, known for his work producing music for singer Rich Mullins. In the early 1980s, Arvin toured as Amy Grant's keyboard player, before teaming up with Mullins in 1986. Arvin produ ...

– keyboards (2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10),

Synclavier The Synclavier is an early digital synthesizer, polyphonic digital sampling system, and music workstation manufactured by New England Digital Corporation of Norwich, Vermont. It was produced in various forms from the late 1970s into the early 1 ...

(3, 5, 6, 9, 10), string arrangements * Jerry McPherson – guitars (2–6, 9, 10),

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

(10) *

Mark O'Connor Mark O'Connor (born August 5, 1961) is an American fiddle player and composer whose music combines bluegrass, country, jazz and classical. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he has won six Country Music Association Musician Of The Year awards ...

– mandolin (4),

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

(4) * Tom Hemby – guitar solo (9) *

Jimmie Lee Sloas Jimmie Lee Sloas is an American session musician, producer, and songwriter, who plays bass guitar. History Jimmie Lee Sloas, born in Ashland, Kentucky, grew up in Fairborn, Ohio and Isonville, Kentucky. His father, Dave, was a member of the p ...

– bass (2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10) * Danny O'Lannerghty – bass (4) *

Paul Leim Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity * Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

– drums (2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10) * Bill Sinclair –

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

(5, 9) * Ed Calle – saxophone (6) * Kristin Wilkinson – string contractor *

Ashley Cleveland Ashley Cleveland (born February 2, 1957) is an American singer/songwriter best known as a background vocalist and gospel singer. Ashley Cleveland was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. She has been married to Kenny Greenberg since April 27, 1991, and ...

– featured vocals (1) *

Pam Tillis Pamela Yvonne Tillis (born July 24, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She is the daughter of country music singer Mel Tillis and ex-wife of songwriter Bob DiPiero. Tillis recorded unsuccessful p ...

– featured vocals (1) * Richard Gibson – backing vocals (1) * Donny Monk – backing vocals (1) *

Guy Penrod Guy Penrod is a gospel music singer. He is known for his work as the lead singer of the Gaither Vocal Band, a position he held from 1994 to 2008. Career Penrod is a graduate of Liberty University. Starting in the 1980s, he worked as a studi ...

– backing vocals (1) * Jon Sherberg – backing vocals (1) * Gary Smith – backing vocals (1) * Chris Rodriguez – backing vocals (2, 6) * Bonnie Keen – backing vocals (5, 9) * Marabeth Jordan – backing vocals (5, 9) * Marty McCall – backing vocals (5, 9) *

Margaret Becker Margaret Becker (born July 17, 1959) is an American Christian rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She has had twenty-one No. 1 Christian radio hits, won four Dove Awards, and been nominated for four Grammy Awards. Biography Becker was born ...

– backing vocals (6)

Production

* Reed Arvin – producer * Michael Blanton – executive producer * Terry Hemmings – executive producer * Bill Deaton – engineer, mixing * Brent King – additional engineer * Digital Recorders (

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

) – mixing location * OmniSound Recording Studio (Nashville, Tennessee) – recording studio * Big Dog Studio (

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had ...

) – recording studio * The Pond (

Franklin, Tennessee Franklin is a city in and county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. About south of Nashville, it is one of the principal cities of the Nashville metropolitan area and Middle Tennessee. As of 2020, its population was 83,454 ...

) – recording studio * Hank Williams – mastering at MasterMix (Nashville, Tennessee) * D.L. Rhodes – cover coordinator * Jackson Design – art direction, design * Mark Tucker – photography

References

{{Authority control Rich Mullins albums 1989 albums Albums produced by Reed Arvin