I'll Lead You Home
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Caribou Ranch (Nederland, Colorado)
- Johnny Yuma (Burbank, California)
- A&M Studios (Hollywood, California)
- The Sound Kitchen, Deer Valley, The Castle and Studio at Mole End (Franklin, Tennessee)
- Masterfonics and Sixteenth Avenue Sound (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Gambit Studio (Gallatin, Tennessee)
| I'll Lead You Home | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 22, 1995 | |||
| Recorded | March–June 1995 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Contemporary Christian music | |||
| Length | 63:24 | |||
| Label | Reunion | |||
| Producer | Patrick Leonard | |||
| Michael W. Smith chronology | ||||
| ||||
I'll Lead You Home is a 1995 album by Michael W. Smith released by Reunion Records.
The album entered the Billboard 200 at number 16, making it the highest-debuting Christian album in the history of the chart.[1][2] It also topped the 'Top Contemporary Christian' chart.[3] Released in August 1995, by December of that year it had sold over 51,500 copies in the Christian Bookstore market alone.[4]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
The album received a four and a half out of five star review from Allmusic, with Stephen Thomas Erlewine commenting on the "gospel songs with glistening, immaculate pop production".[1] James Lloyd, reviewing the album for the Dayton Daily News considered it "his best work to date".[5]
The album won the 1996 Grammy Award in the 'Best Pop-Contemporary Gospel Album' category, giving Smith his second Grammy win.[6][7]
Tour
Smith toured in support of the album in 1996.[8] Support came from Lori and Micah Wilshire (who he subsequently signed to his Rocketown Records label), Three Crosses, and Jars of Clay.[8][9][10][11] Micah Wilshire had contributed backing vocals to the album.[9]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cry for Love" | Smith, Brent Bourgeois | 5:10 |
| 2. | "Breakdown" | Smith, Wayne Kirkpatrick | 5:27 |
| 3. | "As It Is in Heaven" | traditional | 5:09 |
| 4. | "Straight to the Heart" | Smith, Bourgeois | 2:48 |
| 5. | "Someday" | Smith, Kirkpatrick | 3:52 |
| 6. | "I'll Be Around" | Smith, Bob Farrell | 4:44 |
| 7. | "I'll Lead You Home" | Smith, Kirkpatrick | 5:23 |
| 8. | "The Other Side of Me (Trilogy 1)" | Smith, Kirkpatrick | 4:23 |
| 9. | "Breathe in Me (Trilogy 2)" | Smith, Kirkpatrick | 3:55 |
| 10. | "Angels Unaware (Trilogy 3)" | Smith, Kirkpatrick | 4:56 |
| 11. | "Calling Heaven" | Smith, Kirkpatrick | 4:54 |
| 12. | "A Little Stronger Everyday" | Smith, Kirkpatrick | 4:43 |
| 13. | "Crown Him with Many Crowns" | traditional | 4:34 |
| 14. | "I'm Waiting for You" | Smith, David Mullen, Sam Mullins | 3:16 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4. | "Cry for Love (Rocketown Club Remix)" | Smith, Bourgeois | 4:09 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 8. | "Breakdown (RrrrB Remix)" | 5:26 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Michael W. Smith – vocals, keyboards (1–7, 11–14), programming (4, 11), acoustic piano (8–10, 13)
- Patrick Leonard – keyboards (1, 2), drum programming (2), organ (5, 10, 12, 13), synthesizer programming (14)
- Dennis Patton – programming (2, 4, 7)
- Dann Huff – guitars (1–3, 5–7, 11–13)
- Bruce Gaitsch – acoustic guitar (5)
- Paul Franklin – steel guitar (5, 11, 14)
- Tommy Sims – bass (1, 3, 5–7, 11–13)
- Leland Sklar – bass (10, 14)
- Steve Brewster – drums (1, 3, 5, 6, 12, 13)
- Chris McHugh – drums (2)
- Marc Moreau – drum programming (6)
- Vinnie Colaiuta – drums (7)
- Brian MacLeod – drums (10, 11), additional programming (11)
- Luis Conte – percussion (1, 3, 5–7, 10–13)
- Jeremy Lubbock – orchestra arrangements and conductor (8–10)
- Brent Bourgeois – backing vocals (1, 4, 6)
- Tim Erwin – backing vocals (1)
- Molly Felder – backing vocals (1)
- Chris Rodriguez – backing vocals (1, 12)
- Susan Ashton – harmony vocals (5)
- Lisa Cochran – backing vocals (5, 11, 12)
- Reneé Garcia-Bliss – backing vocals (5)
- Micah Wilshire – backing vocals (5)
- Natalie Jackson – backing vocals (6, 10)
- Louis Johnson – backing vocals (6, 7, 10)
- Richard Page – backing vocals (6, 7, 10)
- Whitney Smith – guest vocal (10)
- Gardner Cole – backing vocals (11)
- Chris Harris – backing vocals (12)
- Anointed (Nee-C Walls, Steve Crawford, Da'dra Crawford and Mary Tiller) – featured vocals (13)
- Bob Bailey – choir (3, 7, 12, 13)
- Kim Fleming – choir (3, 7, 12, 13)
- Vicki Hampton – choir (3, 7, 12, 13)
- Chris Harris – choir (3, 7, 12, 13)
- Donna McElroy – vocal coordinator, choir (3, 7, 12, 13)
- Michael Mellett – choir (3, 7, 12, 13)
- Nicole C. Mullen – choir (3, 7, 12, 13)
- Angelo and Veronica Petrucci – choir (3, 7, 12, 13)
- Chris Rodriguez – choir (3, 7, 12, 13)
- Micah Wilshire – choir (3, 7, 12, 13)
