Evolution (Martina McBride album)

Evolution is the fourth album released by Martina McBride, released in 1997 by RCA Nashville. It included the hit singles "Happy Girl", "A Broken Wing" and "Valentine", the latter of which became her first single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as her first major crossover hit. The song "I'm Little But I'm Loud" is a recording of McBride when she was seven years old, while "Valentine" is a re-recording of a song which Brickman and McBride previously released from his 1997 album Picture This. The original Picture This version charted at #3 on the AC charts and #68 on the country charts, while the re-recording featured here was a Top Ten country hit. In the U.S. the album was certified Gold on December 23, 1997, Platinum on May 15, 1998, 2xPlatinum on June 24, 1999 and 3xPlatinum on February 26, 2001 by the RIAA.

Evolution
Studio album by Martina McBride
Released	August 26, 1997
Genre	Country, country pop[1]
Length	47:38
Label	RCA Nashville
Producer	Paul Worley, Martina McBride "Still Holding On" produced by Clint Black and James Stroud "Valentine" produced by Dan Shea
Martina McBride chronology
Wild Angels (1995) Evolution (1997) White Christmas (1998)
Singles from Evolution
"Still Holding On" Released: June 2, 1997 "A Broken Wing" Released: September 8, 1997 "Valentine" Released: September 8, 1997 "Happy Girl" Released: April 20, 1998 "Wrong Again" Released: September 14, 1998 "Whatever You Say" Released: February 22, 1999

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Chicago Tribune	[2]

Also released from this album was "Still Holding On", a duet with Clint Black which was originally released on Black's 1997 album Nothin' but the Taillights. This was Martina's first album to have a crossover-friendly country-pop sound, which was a departure from her earlier neotraditional country albums.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"I'm Little But I'm Loud"	Little Jimmy Dickens, Boudleaux Bryant	0:56
2.	"Happy Girl"	Beth Nielsen Chapman, Annie Roboff	3:26
3.	"Be That Way"	Bob DiPiero, Stephony Smith	3:34
4.	"A Broken Wing"	James House, Sam Hogin, Phil Barnhart	3:35
5.	"Wrong Again"	Cynthia Weil, Tommy Lee James	3:15
6.	"Keeping My Distance"	Jimmy Davis, Don Smith, Tommy Burroughs	3:51
7.	"Still Holding On" (with Clint Black (single version))	Marty Stuart, Matraca Berg, Clint Black	3:57
8.	"Whatever You Say"	Ed Hill, Tony Martin	4:30
9.	"I Won't Close My Eyes"	Kevin Montgomery, Larry Gottlieb	3:38
10.	"I Don't Want to See You Again"	Jackson Leap	3:00
11.	"Some Say I'm Running"	Michael W. Smith, Brent Bourgeois	4:05
12.	"Here in My Heart"	Susan Ashton, Gayla Borders	3:51
13.	"One Day You Will"	Richard Leigh, Shane Teeters	2:36
14.	"Valentine" (featuring Jim Brickman)	Jim Brickman, Jack Kugell	3:22
Total length:			48:16

Personnel

• Martina McBride: Lead Vocals, Background Vocals, Tambourine
• Clint Black: Electric Guitar and Duet Vocals on "Still Holding On"
• Susan Ashton, Bob Bailey, Sara Evans, Kim Fleming, Vicki Hampton, Gene Miller, Steve Real, Kim Richey, John Wesley Ryles, Jason Sellers, Neil Thrasher, Danny Wilde: Background Vocals
• Dean Parks, Darryl Schiff, Marty Schiff, Biff Watson: Acoustic Guitar
• Patrick Bergeson, Greg Foresman, Brent Mason: Electric Guitar
• Billy Joe Walker Jr.: Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar
• Dan Dugmore: 12-String Guitar, Steel Guitar
• Dann Huff: Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, 12-String Guitar, Gut String Guitar, Six-String Bass Guitar
• Paul Worley: Acoustic Guitar, 12-String Guitars, Sound Effects
• Paul Franklin: Steel Guitar
• Jim Brickman, Amy Buchanan: Piano
• John Hobbs: Organ, Piano
• Matt Rollings: Organ
• Dan Shea: Synthesizer, Drum Programming
• Jim Medlin: Keyboards
• Tim Lauer: Harmonium, Accordion
• Chris Carmichael: Fiddle
• Mike Brignardello, Joe Chemay: Bass Guitar
• Jim Skelding, Larry Franklin,
• Stuart Duncan: Fiddle, Mandolin
• Jim Hoke: Pennywhistle
• Greg Herrington, John Robinson, Lonnie Wilson: Drums
• Tom Roady: Congas, Percussion, Tambourine, Shaker
• Strings Arranged By Carl Gorodetzky & Ronn Huff; conducted by Ronn Huff

Production

• Produced By Paul Worley, Martina McBride, James Stroud, Dan Shea & Clint Black
• Engineered By Derek Bason, Al Grassmick, Tony Green, Eric Hellerman, Brent King, Julian King, Dean Jamison, John Nelson, Eric Legg, Jeanne Schiff, Clarke Schleicher & Ed Seay
• Mixed By Chuck Ainlay, Derek Bason & Mick Guzauski
• Mastered By Denny Purcell

Chart performance

Weekly charts Chart (1997–98) Peak position Canadian Albums (RPM) 80 Canadian Country Albums (RPM) 7 US Billboard 200[3] 24 US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[4] 4

Year-end charts Chart (1997) Position US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[5] 63 Chart (1998) Position US Billboard 200[6] 108 US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[7] 13 Chart (1999) Position US Billboard 200[8] 163 US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[9] 15

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions
		US Country	US	US AC	CAN Country	CAN AC
1997	"A Broken Wing"	1[10]	61	—	17	—
	"Valentine"	68	50[10]	3[10]	—	16
1998	"Valentine" (re-release)	9[10]	—	—	14	—
	"Happy Girl"	2[10]	—	—	4	—
1999	"Wrong Again"	1[10]	36[10]	—	5	—
	"Whatever You Say"	2[10]	37[10]	—	6	—

References

1. "Evolution - Martina McBride | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
2. "Clint Black Nothin' But the Taillights (RCA) (star..." chicagotribune.com. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
3. "Martina McBride Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
4. "Martina McBride Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
5. "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
6. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
7. "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
8. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1999". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
9. "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1999". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
10. "Martina McBride Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2020.