The Road Not Taken (Shenandoah album)
Encyclopedia
The Road Not Taken was the second album released by country music group Shenandoah
and their most successful album to date. Of the six singles released from 1988 to 1990, all charted within the top ten and three of those, "The Church on Cumberland Road", "Sunday in the South", and "Two Dozen Roses" were number 1 songs on both the U.S. and Canadian country charts.
Shenandoah (band)
Shenandoah is an American country music group founded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama in 1984 by Marty Raybon , Ralph Ezell , Stan Thorn , Jim Seales , and Mike McGuire...
and their most successful album to date. Of the six singles released from 1988 to 1990, all charted within the top ten and three of those, "The Church on Cumberland Road", "Sunday in the South", and "Two Dozen Roses" were number 1 songs on both the U.S. and Canadian country charts.
Track listing
- "Sunday in the SouthSunday in the South"Sunday in the South" is the title of a song written by Jay Booker and recorded by country music group Shenandoah. It was released in May 1989 as the fourth single to their 1989 album The Road Not Taken...
" (Jay Booker) - 4:11 - "Two Dozen RosesTwo Dozen Roses"Two Dozen Roses" is a song recorded by country music group Shenandoah. It was released in August 1989 as the fifth single from their 1989 album The Road Not Taken. It was their third number-one hit in both the United States and Canada...
" (Robert Byrne, Mac McAnallyMac McAnallyLyman Corbitt "Mac" McAnally, Jr. is an American country music singer-songwriter, session musician and record producer. In his career, he has recorded ten studio albums and eight singles. Two of his singles were hits on the Billboard Hot 100, and six more on the Hot Country Songs charts...
) - 3:42 - "See If I CareSee If I Care (song)"See If I Care" is the title of a song written by Walt Aldridge and Robert Byrne, and recorded by American country music group Shenandoah. It was released in January 1990 as the fifth single from their album The Road Not Taken. The song reached #6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart...
" (Walt AldridgeWalt AldridgeWalt Aldridge is an American musician, singer, songwriter, engineer and record producer.Aldridge is known primarily as a Nashville songwriter...
, Byrne) - 3:14 - "Mama KnowsMama Knows"Mama Knows" is the title of a song written by Tony Haselden and Tim Mensy, and recorded by American country music group Shenandoah. It was released in August 1988 as the first single from their album The Road Not Taken. The song reached #5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in...
" (Tony Haselden, Tim MensyTim MensyTimmie Menzies is an American country music artist known as Tim Mensy. Initially, he was a member of the band Bandana, in which he charted several singles on the Hot Country Songs charts in the 1980s...
) - 3:22 - "She Doesn't Cry AnymoreShe Doesn't Cry Anymore"She Doesn't Cry Anymore" is the title of a song written by Robert Byrne and Will Robinson, and recorded by American country music group Shenandoah. It was released in March 1988as the third and final single from their debut album Shenandoah. The song reached #9 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles...
" (Byrne, Will Robinson) - 3:38 - "The Road Not Taken" (Rick Bowles, Byrne) - 3:56
- "The Church on Cumberland RoadThe Church on Cumberland Road"The Church on Cumberland Road" is the title of a song recorded by country music group Shenandoah. It was released in January 1989 as the third single to their 1988 album The Road Not Taken. It was their first number-one hit in both the United States and Canada. In 2001, on a live CMT special,...
" (Bob DiPieroBob DiPieroBob DiPiero is an American country music songwriter. He has written 15. U.S. Number 1 hits and countless top 20 hits for the likes of Tim McGraw, The Oak Ridge Boys, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Shenandoah, Neal McCoy, Highway 101, Restless Heart, Ricochet, John Anderson, Montgomery...
, John Scott SherrillJohn Scott SherrillJohn Scott Sherrill is an American songwriter whose work is primarily in the field of country music. He has written songs for such artists as John Anderson, Brooks & Dunn, Jimmy Buffett , Johnny Lee, George Strait, Steve Wariner, Patty Loveless, Josh Turner, Waylon Jennings, Alison Krauss, Peter...
, Dennis RobbinsDennis RobbinsDennis Robbins is an American musician who first made himself known as a guitarist in the band The Rockets. After his departure from The Rockets, he began a career in country music, recording two major-label albums and several singles of his own, in addition to writing hit singles for Shenandoah...
) - 2:58 - "Changes" (Billy Henderson, Billy Maddox) - 3:41
- "She's All I've Got Going" (McAnally) - 3:40
- "Hard Country" (Bowles, Byrne) - 3:10
Release history
| Year | Type | Label | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Cassette | Columbia/CBS | FCT-44468 |
| 1989 | CD | Columbia/CBS | CK-44468 |
Shenandoah
- Marty RaybonMarty RaybonMarty Raybon Marty Raybon Marty Raybon (born December 8, 1959 is an Award Winning American country music artist. He is known primarily for his role as the lead singer of the band Shenandoah, a role which he held from 1985 to 1996. He recorded his first solo album, Marty Raybon, in 1995 on Sparrow...
- lead vocals - Jim Seales - 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...
- Stan Thorn - 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...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Ralph Ezell - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Mike McGuire - drums, background vocals
Other Musicians
- Owen Hale - drums
- Steve Nathan - piano
- Mac McAnallyMac McAnallyLyman Corbitt "Mac" McAnally, Jr. is an American country music singer-songwriter, session musician and record producer. In his career, he has recorded ten studio albums and eight singles. Two of his singles were hits on the Billboard Hot 100, and six more on the Hot Country Songs charts...
- acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, harmony vocals - Lenny LeBlancLenny LeBlancLenny LeBlanc is an American musician and songwriter, half of the music duo LeBlanc and Carr.-Early life:...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, background vocals - Hershey Reeves - vocals, gut string guitar
- Robert Byrne
- John Willis
- Bill Hinds
- Walt AldridgeWalt AldridgeWalt Aldridge is an American musician, singer, songwriter, engineer and record producer.Aldridge is known primarily as a Nashville songwriter...
- 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... - Vassar ClementsVassar ClementsVassar Clements was a Grammy Award- winning American jazz, swing, and bluegrass fiddler. Clements has been dubbed the Father of Hillbilly Jazz, an improvisational style that blends and borrows from swing, hot jazz, and bluegrass along with roots also in country and other musical...
- 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... - Wayne Bridges
- Bill Darnell
- Milton Sledge - 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...
Chart performance
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 6 |
| Canadian RPM Country Albums | 10 |