The Tattooed Heart
1995 studio album by Aaron Neville
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The Tattooed Heart is an album by the American musician Aaron Neville, released in 1995.[2][3] The first single was "Can't Stop My Heart from Loving You (The Rain Song)", which Neville sang on an episode of All My Children.[4] The album peaked at No. 64 on the Billboard 200.[5] It sold more than 500,000 copies.[6] Neville promoted the album by touring with his brothers.[7]
- Ocean Way (Hollywood, California)
- World Famous Flamingo (Los Angeles, California)
- Dinosaur (New Orleans, California)
- Sound Stage (Nashville, Tennessee)
| The Tattooed Heart | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 18, 1995[1] | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Pop, soul, country | |||
| Length | 54:33 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Aaron Neville chronology | ||||
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Production
The album was produced by Steve Lindsey,[8] with additional production by Keith Stegall on tracks 9 and 12. "Use Me" is a cover of the Bill Withers song.[9] Aaron's brothers Charles and Cyril sang on the song.[10] "For the Good Times" is a cover of the Kris Kristofferson song; it contains backing vocals by Kelly Willis.[11] "Crying in the Chapel" is a cover of the pop-gospel standard.[12] Steve Cropper played guitar on the album.[13]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |   [14] |
| The Indianapolis Star |  [15] |
| Los Angeles Times | [16] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [17] |
| (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide | [18] |
The Guardian wrote that the songs "are nothing special but Neville transcends their flaws."[19] Newsday opined that "Neville's new release purports to be classic pop soul with country and gospel elements, but what it really calls to mind is the kind of mid-'70s soft rock exemplified by Art Garfunkel's Breakaway and Boz Scaggs' Silk Degrees."[20] The Kingston Whig-Standard labeled The Tattooed Heart "a classic easy-listening soul album."[9] The Indianapolis Star concluded that "Neville conveys more commercial savvy than passion."[15]
The Hartford Courant called Neville's voice "a glider of an instrument, amazingly pure and angelically lilting."[21] The Hamilton Spectator deemed the album "a pleasant mixture of adult contemporary and country."[22] The Vancouver Sun determined that "Neville's airy wail sails free and clear of all snags and almost mesmerizes the listener into a restful half-sleep."[23] The Los Angeles Times considered the album to be a "seamless collection of stylishly rendered lite soul, pop and country."[16]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Can't Stop My Heart from Loving You (The Rain Song)" | Diane Warren | 4:17 |
| 2. | "Show Some Emotion" | Andrew Gold, Brock Walsh, Greg Prestopino | 4:35 |
| 3. | "Everyday of My Life" | Sharon Robinson | 5:04 |
| 4. | "Down into Muddy Water" | Dennis Linde | 3:39 |
| 5. | "Some Days Are Made for Rain" | Jon Lind, Phil Galdston | 5:06 |
| 6. | "Try (A Little Harder)" | Holly Knight, Mike Chapman | 4:10 |
| 7. | "Beautiful Night" | Greg Prestopino, Matthew Wilder | 4:21 |
| 8. | "My Precious Star" | Bruce Roberts, Franne Golde | 3:33 |
| 9. | "Why Should I Fall In Love" | Brock Walsh, Phil Galdston | 4:05 |
| 10. | "Use Me" | Bill Withers | 4:58 |
| 11. | "For the Good Times" | Kris Kristofferson | 4:34 |
| 12. | "In Your Eyes" | Aaron Neville, Pamela Hayes | 3:09 |
| 13. | "Crying in the Chapel" | Artie Glenn | 3:02 |
Personnel
- Aaron Neville – vocals
- Jim Cox – Wurlitzer electric piano (1, 4, 5), organ (1–3, 6, 8, 14), accordion (1), acoustic piano (2, 7, 8, 14), RMI piano (3), clavinet (10)
- Claude Gaudette – synth strings (1, 5, 7, 12)
- Barry Beckett – organ (9, 11, 12)
- Hargus "Pig" Robbins – acoustic piano (9, 11, 12)
- Steve Lindsey – organ (10)
- Art Neville – synthesizers (10)
- Dean Parks – guitars (1–6, 8, 13, 14), acoustic guitar (7, 10), electric guitar (9), guitar solo (9)
- Steve Cropper – guitars (2, 6), guitar solo (2), electric guitar (7)
- Waddy Wachtel – guitars (6)
- John Willis – acoustic guitar (9, 11, 12)
- Reggie Young – electric guitar (9, 11, 12)
- Brent Mason – electric guitar (11, 12)
- Paul Franklin – pedal steel guitar (9, 11, 12)
- Freddie Washington – bass (1–8, 10, 14)
- Glenn Worf – bass (9, 11, 12)
- John Robinson – drums (1)
- Ed Greene – drums (2–6, 8, 10, 14)
- Matt Chamberlain – drums (7)
- Eddie Bayers – drums (9, 11, 12)
- Luis Conte – percussion (1–8, 10, 14)
- Alan Estes – vibraphone (2, 3, 8, 14)
- Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone (1)
- Lon Price – horns (2, 4, 6)
- Bill Churchville – horns (2, 4, 6)
- Nick Lane – horns (2, 4, 6)
- Greg Smith – horns (2, 4, 6)
- Lee Thornburg – horns (2, 4, 6)
- Charles Neville – saxophone (10)
- Mickey Raphael – harmonica (4)
- Sid Page – violin (1, 5, 7, 12)
- Stuart Duncan – fiddle (9, 11), mandolin (12)
- David Campbell – string arrangements (1–3, 5–9, 12), string conductor (2, 3, 6, 8, 9), synth strings (10)
- Mort Lindsey – string arrangements and conductor (11)
- Steve Dorff – string arrangements and conductor (13)
- Alex Brown – backing vocals (1–7), vocal ad-libs (1, 4)
- Jim Gilstrap – backing vocals (1, 8, 14)
- Jackie Gouche – backing vocals (1–7)
- Khris Kellow – backing vocals (1, 3)
- Darryl Phinnessee – backing vocals (1, 8, 14)
- Sharon Robinson – backing vocals (1, 3)
- Gary Stockdale – backing vocals (1)
- Billy Valentine – backing vocals (1, 6)
- Mona Lisa Young – backing vocals (1–7)
- Dorian Holley – backing vocals (8)
- Cyril Neville – backing vocals (10)
- Kelly Willis – harmony vocal (11)
- Kevin Dorsey – backing vocals (14)
- Phillip Ingram – backing vocals (14)
Production
- David Anderle – executive producer
- Steve Lindsey – producer
- Keith Stegall – producer (11, 12)
- Gabe Veltri – recording (1–10, 13, 14)
- John Kelton – recording (11, 12)
- Koji Egawa – assistant engineer (1–10, 13, 14)
- John Hendrickson – assistant engineer (1–10, 13, 14)
- Richard Huredia – assistant engineer (1–10, 13, 14)
- Mark Ralston – assistant engineer (11, 12)
- Bill Schnee – mixing at Schnee Studios (North Hollywood, California)
- Doug Sax – mastering at The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California)
- Julie Larson – project coordinator
- Roxane Stueve – production coordinator (11, 12)
- Chuck Beeson – art direction, design
- Rebecca Chamlee – design
- Victoria Pearson – photography