''The Key'' is the eighth studio album from American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

artist

Vince Gill Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter and musician. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman of the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s and as a solo artist ...

. It was released in 1998 on

MCA Nashville Universal Music Group Nashville is Universal Music Group's country music subsidiary. Some of the labels in this group include MCA Nashville Records, Mercury Nashville Records, Lost Highway Records, Capitol Records Nashville and EMI Records Nash ...

. It features the singles "If You Ever Have Forever in Mind," "Kindly Keep It Country," "Don't Come Cryin' to Me" (an uncredited duet with

Dawn Sears Dawn Sears (December 7, 1961 – December 11, 2014) was an American country music artist. In addition to her work as a backing vocalist in Vince Gill's band, she recorded four solo studio albums, of which two were released on major labels. She ...

) and "My Kind of Woman/My Kind of Man." This final track was also included on

Patty Loveless Patty Loveless (born Patricia Lee Ramey, January 4, 1957) is an American country music singer. She began performing in her teenaged years before signing her first recording contract with MCA Records' Nashville division in 1985. While her first ...

's 1999 compilation album, '' Classics''. This was Gill's first No. 1 Country Album.

Track listing

All songs written by

except where noted.

Personnel

Compiled from liner notes. The band *

– lead vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin *

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, Lor ...

– keyboards, pianos * Steve Gibson – acoustic guitar, electric guitar *

Randy Scruggs Randy Lynn Scruggs (August 3, 1953 – April 17, 2018) was an American music producer, songwriter and guitarist. He had his first recording at the age of 13. He won four Grammy Awards and was named Musician of the Year at the Country Music ...

– acoustic guitar *

John Hughey John Hughey (December 27, 1933 – November 18, 2007) was an American musician. He was known for his work as a session pedal steel guitar player for various country music acts, most notably Vince Gill and Conway Twitty. A member of the Steel Gu ...

– steel guitar *

Glenn Worf Glenn Worf is an American bassist known mainly for his work as a session musician. He has recorded with many major country music acts and also tours with Mark Knopfler. Early life and education Worf was born in Dayton, Ohio, and grew up in Mad ...

– bass *

Eddie Bayers Eddie Bayers (born January 28, 1949) is an American session drummer who has played on 300 gold and platinum albums. He received the Academy of Country Music 'Drummer of the Year Award' for fourteen years, has three times won the Nashville Music ...

– drums * Stuart Duncan – fiddle *

Larry Franklin The Lawrence Franklin espionage scandal involved Lawrence Franklin passing classified documents regarding United States policy towards Iran to Israel. Franklin, a former United States Department of Defense employee, pleaded guilty to several espi ...

– fiddle * Bergen White – string arrangements and conductor *

– lead vocals on "My Kind of Woman/My Kind of Man" Background vocalists * Bergen White – BGV arrangements *

(Track 1) * Lisa Cochran, Michael Eldred, Jon Mark Ivey, Marabeth Jordan, Lisa Silver and Dennis Wilson (Track 2) *

Sara Evans Sara Lynn Evans (; born February 5, 1971) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She is also credited as a record producer, actress, and author. She had five songs reach the number one spot on the ''Billboard'' country songs cha ...

(Track 3) *

Lee Ann Womack Lee Ann Womack Liddell (; born August 19, 1966) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Her 2000 single, " I Hope You Dance" was a major crossover music hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Country Chart and the Top 15 ...

(Track 4) * Liana Manis and Curtis Young (Track 5) *

Shelby Lynne Shelby Lynne (born Shelby Lynn Moorer, October 22, 1968) is an American singer and songwriter and the older sister of singer-songwriter Allison Moorer. The success of her pop rock album '' I Am Shelby Lynne'' (1999) led to her winning the Grammy ...

(Tracks 6 & 8) *

Sonya Isaacs Sonya Melissa Isaacs (born July 22, 1974) is an American country, bluegrass gospel and Christian music singer. Isaacs grew up near Morrow, Ohio, and graduated from Little Miami High School in 1992. Her maternal grandparents are Polish Jewish ...

, Billy Thomas and Jeff White (Track 9) *

Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of 8 and recording for the first time at 14. She signed with ...

, Billy Thomas and Jeff White (10) * Sonya Isaacs (Track 11) *

Faith Hill Audrey Faith McGraw (; born September 21, 1967), known professionally as Faith Hill, is an American singer and actress. She is one of the most successful country music artists of all time, having sold more than 40 million albums worldwide. Hill' ...

(Track 12)

Production

* Tony Brown – producer *

Chuck Ainlay Chuck Ainlay is an American record producer and audio engineer. He has worked with Mark Knopfler on much of Knopfler's solo work, in addition to some Dire Straits material. He has 4 Grammy Awards and 5 nominations. Along with Knopfler and Bob ...

– recording, mixing * Steve Marcantonio – recording * Tim Coyle – second engineer * Steve Crowder – second engineer * Chris Davie – second engineer * Todd Gunnerson – second engineer * Mark Ralston – second engineer * Glenn Spinner – second engineer * Aaron Swihart – second engineer * Denny Purcell – mastering * Benny Garcia – guitar technician * Jessie Noble – project coordinator * Virginia Team – art direction * Chuck Ferrara – design * Jim McGuire – photography

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Key, The 1998 albums Vince Gill albums MCA Records albums Albums produced by Tony Brown (record producer)