Key's in the Mailbox
Encyclopedia
Key's in the Mailbox is the twenty fourth studio album released by American country
artist Barbara Mandrell
. The album was released September 24, 1991 on Capitol Records
and was produced by Jerry Crutchfield. It was Mandrell's fourth and final album for the Capitol label.
, United States
. Unlike her past release, Mandrell used Jerry Crutchfield as the lead producer instead of Jimmy Bowen
. The album consisted of ten tracks of songs recorded in a traditional country arrangement, similar to that of her previous Capitol releases. The title track (the opening cut of the album) was written by Harlan Howard
, whom Mandrell had previously recorded from on her 1988 release I'll Be Your Jukebox Tonight
. The second track entitled "Tall Drink of Water" included a Country and Western arrangement. "Try Gettin' Over You" was co-written by American pop
artist Michael Bolton
and "I Love You Because" had previously been recorded by Leon Payne
and Elvis Presley
. The album also includes a cover of Percy Sledge
's "When a Man Loves a Woman
". The album was originally released on a compact disc
upon its release in 1991 and was also available on audio cassette
. Bill Carpenter of Allmusic gave Key's in the Mailbox three out five stars, calling the album "Heartful soul and contemporary country."
Country Tracks chart. The title track was released as the first single, followed by "When a Man Loves a Woman" in 1991. "I Love You Because" and "Try Gettin' Over You" were both released in 1992. Key's in the Mailbox was Mandrell's final studio release for Capitol Records
, after recording four albums for the label between 1988 and 1991.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Barbara Mandrell
Barbara Mandrell
Barbara Ann Mandrell is an American country music singer best known for a 1970s–1980s series of Top 10 hits and TV shows that helped her become one of country's most successful female vocalists of the 1970s and 1980s...
. The album was released September 24, 1991 on Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
and was produced by Jerry Crutchfield. It was Mandrell's fourth and final album for the Capitol label.
Background and content
Key's in the Mailbox was recorded in Spring 1991 at the Music Mill and the Digital Recorders in Nashville, TennesseeNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Unlike her past release, Mandrell used Jerry Crutchfield as the lead producer instead of Jimmy Bowen
Jimmy Bowen
Jimmy Bowen is an American record producer and former pop music performer.Bowen was born in Santa Rita, New Mexico. He began as a teenage recording star in 1957 with "I'm Stickin' With You," originally the flip side of the hit record "Party Doll" by Buddy Knox, but ultimately a Top 20 recording...
. The album consisted of ten tracks of songs recorded in a traditional country arrangement, similar to that of her previous Capitol releases. The title track (the opening cut of the album) was written by Harlan Howard
Harlan Howard
Harlan Perry Howard was a prolific American songwriter, principally in country music. In a career spanning six decades, Howard wrote a large number of popular and enduring songs, recorded by a variety of different artists...
, whom Mandrell had previously recorded from on her 1988 release I'll Be Your Jukebox Tonight
I'll Be Your Jukebox Tonight
I'll Be Your Jukebox Tonight is the twenty first studio album by American country artist Barbara Mandrell. The album was released in September 1988 on Capitol Records and was produced by Tom Collins...
. The second track entitled "Tall Drink of Water" included a Country and Western arrangement. "Try Gettin' Over You" was co-written by American pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
artist Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton originally performed in the hard rock and heavy metal genres from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s, both on his early solo albums and those recorded as the frontman of the band Blackjack...
and "I Love You Because" had previously been recorded by Leon Payne
Leon Payne
Leon Payne , "the Blind Balladeer", was a country music singer and songwriter.-Life:Leon Roger Payne was born in Alba, Texas on June 15, 1917. He was blind in one eye at birth, and lost the sight of the other eye in early childhood. He attended the Texas School for the Blind from 1924 to 1935,...
and Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. The album also includes a cover of Percy Sledge
Percy Sledge
Percy Sledge is an American R&B and soul performer who recorded the hit "When a Man Loves a Woman" in 1966.-Early career:...
's "When a Man Loves a Woman
When a Man Loves a Woman (song)
"When a Man Loves a Woman" is a song recorded by Percy Sledge in 1966 at Norala Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama. It made number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B singles charts. It was listed 54th in the List of Rolling Stone magazine's 500 greatest songs of all time...
". The album was originally released on a compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
upon its release in 1991 and was also available on audio cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
. Bill Carpenter of Allmusic gave Key's in the Mailbox three out five stars, calling the album "Heartful soul and contemporary country."
Release
Key's in the Mailbox was released on September 24, 1991 and peaked at #62 on the Billboard Magazine Top Country Albums chart shortly afterward. It would be Mandrell's final release to chart on any Billboard album list. Key's in the Mailbox spawned four singles between 1991 and 1992, none of which charted on the Billboard Magazine Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart or the Canadian RPMRPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
Country Tracks chart. The title track was released as the first single, followed by "When a Man Loves a Woman" in 1991. "I Love You Because" and "Try Gettin' Over You" were both released in 1992. Key's in the Mailbox was Mandrell's final studio release for Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, after recording four albums for the label between 1988 and 1991.
Track listing
- "The Key's in the Mailbox" – (Harlan HowardHarlan HowardHarlan Perry Howard was a prolific American songwriter, principally in country music. In a career spanning six decades, Howard wrote a large number of popular and enduring songs, recorded by a variety of different artists...
) 2:10 - "Tall Drink of Water" – 2:26
- "You're All I've Got to Lose" – 3:19
- "Before I'm Ever Over You" – 2:27
- "When a Man Loves a WomanWhen a Man Loves a Woman (song)"When a Man Loves a Woman" is a song recorded by Percy Sledge in 1966 at Norala Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama. It made number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B singles charts. It was listed 54th in the List of Rolling Stone magazine's 500 greatest songs of all time...
" – (Percy SledgePercy SledgePercy Sledge is an American R&B and soul performer who recorded the hit "When a Man Loves a Woman" in 1966.-Early career:...
) 3:18 - "This Rock" – 3:18
- "Try Gettin' Over You" – (Michael BoltonMichael BoltonMichael Bolton is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton originally performed in the hard rock and heavy metal genres from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s, both on his early solo albums and those recorded as the frontman of the band Blackjack...
, Doug James) 4:03 - "The Way I Feel Right Now" – 3:01
- "I Love You Because" – (Leon PayneLeon PayneLeon Payne , "the Blind Balladeer", was a country music singer and songwriter.-Life:Leon Roger Payne was born in Alba, Texas on June 15, 1917. He was blind in one eye at birth, and lost the sight of the other eye in early childhood. He attended the Texas School for the Blind from 1924 to 1935,...
) 3:11 - "Road to Your Heart" – 3:12
Personnel
- Eddie BayersEddie BayersEddie Bayers is an American session drummer who has played on 150 gold and platinum albums. He received the Academy of Country Music 'Drummer of the Year Award' for eight straight years, and has three times won the Nashville Music Awards 'Drummer of the Year'...
– drums - Paul FranklinPaul Franklin (musician)Paul Franklin is an American multi-instrumentalist, known mainly for his work as a steel guitarist. He began his career in the 1970s as a member of Barbara Mandrell's road band; in addition he toured with Mel Tillis and Jerry Reed. He has since become a prolific session musician in Nashville,...
– steel guitarSteel guitarSteel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use... - Steve Gibson – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Rob Hajacos – fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
- Vicki Hampton – background vocals
- David Innis – synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
- Mike Lawler – synthesizer
- Paul Leim – drums
- Barbara Mandrell – lead vocals
- Michael Rhodes – bassBass (instrument)Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
- Chris RodriguezChris Rodriguez-Biography:Rodriguez was born on March 7, 1960, in Bronx New York, and moved to Nashville, becoming a veteran of the scene in the early 1990s. His debut album, Beggar's Paradise, was released by Sony in 1999, by which time he had collaborated on projects with country and CCM acts such as Amy Grant,...
– background vocals - Matt RollingsMatt RollingsMatt Rollings is an American composer, musician and record producer. He plays piano, organ, and keyboards.Known mainly for playing in Lyle Lovett's Large Band, he has worked with many artists, not all country...
– pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, synthesizer - Gary Smith – piano
- Bob Wray – bass
- Curtis Young – background vocals
Sales chart positions
Album| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Top Country Albums | 62 |