Gideon (album)
Gideon is the platinum-selling ninth studio album by Kenny Rogers. Issued by United Artists Records in 1980, it hit #1 on the Country albums chart and #12 on the main Billboard album chart. It includes the worldwide hit "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer" (a duet with Kim Carnes, who co-wrote the entire album with her husband Dave Ellingson).
Gideon | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1980 | |||
Recorded | 1980 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 34:05 | |||
Label | United Artists Group | |||
Producer | Larry Butler and Kenny Rogers | |||
Kenny Rogers chronology | ||||
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Gideon is a concept album about a Texas cowboy, and all the songs stick to this theme. The album is a look back at his life in retrospect. In the first song "Gideon Tanner", it is known that Gideon is dead. This and most of the other songs are sung from the point of view of the character himself.
Although the album's only single release was "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer", the song "Saying Goodbye" was issued on the B-side to Rogers' top five hit single "Love the World Away".
Gideon reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country charts in 1980.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | link |
Track listing
All tracks are written by Kim Carnes and David M. Ellingson.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Goin' Home to the Rock" (intro) | 0:40 |
2. | "Gideon Tanner" | 2:34 |
3. | "No Good Texas Rounder" | 4:11 |
4. | "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer" (with Kim Carnes) | 3:39 |
5. | "The Buckeroos" | 3:16 |
6. | "You Were a Good Friend" | 3:53 |
7. | "Call Me Up (The Phone Is in the Cradle)" | 3:17 |
8. | "These Chains" | 3:22 |
9. | "Somebody Help Me" | 2:51 |
10. | "One Place in the Night" | 2:59 |
11. | "Sayin' Goodbye" | 3:25 |
12. | "Goin' Home to the Rock" (reprise) | 0:58 |
Personnel
- Kenny Rogers – lead vocals
- Larry Butler – acoustic piano
- Bill Cuomo – acoustic piano
- Steve Glassmeyer – acoustic piano, backing vocals
- Eugene Golden – acoustic piano, backing vocals
- Edgar Struble – clavinet, synthesizers, backing vocals, horn arrangements (7)
- Randy Dorman – guitar
- Patrick Harper – guitar
- Billy Sanford – guitar, dobro
- Chuck Jacobs – bass guitar
- Bobby Daniels – drums, backing vocals
- Jerry Carrigan – percussion
- Bill Justis – string arrangements
- The Sheldon Kurland Strings – strings
- Lea Jane Berinati – backing vocals
- Kim Carnes – backing vocals, lead vocals (4)
- James Cason – backing vocals
- David Ellingson – backing vocals
- Wendy Suits – backing vocals
- Dennis Wilson – backing vocals
Production
- Producers – Larry Butler and Kenny Rogers
- Engineer – Billy Sherrill
- Mixing – Bill Schnee
- Recorded at Jack Clement Recording Studios (Nashville, TN)
- Mastered by Doug Sax at the Mastering Lab (Los Angeles, CA)
- Art direction – Bill Burks
- Cover and poster photos – Ken Kragen
- Back cover photo – Reid Miles
- Management – Kragen & Company
Chart performance
Chart (1980) | Peak position |
---|---|
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 1 |
U.S. Billboard 200 | 12 |
Australian (Kent Music Report) Albums | 31[1] |
Canadian RPM Country Albums | 1 |
Canadian RPM Top Albums | 5 |
Certifications and sales
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Canada (Music Canada)[2] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
Japan | — | 40,000[3] |
United States (RIAA)[4] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 256. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- "Canadian album certifications – Kenny Rogers – Gideon". Music Canada. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- Fujita, Shig (November 7, 1981). "International - Japan Suffers From 'Country Allergy,' Yet Rogers Still No. 1" (PDF). Billboard. p. 76. Retrieved May 30, 2020 – via American Radio History.
- "American album certifications – Kenny Rogers – Gideon". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 30, 2020. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.