The Best of Collin Raye: Direct Hits

The Best of Collin Raye: Direct Hits is the title of country singer Collin Raye's first greatest hits album. Released by Epic Records, the album contains the greatest hits from his first studio albums plus several new tracks.

The Best of Collin Raye: Direct Hits
Greatest hits album by Collin Raye
Released	August 26, 1997
Genre	Country
Length	49:49
Label	Epic
Producer	Jerry Fuller Garth Fundis John Hobbs Collin Raye Ed Seay Billy Joe Walker Jr. Paul Worley
Collin Raye chronology
Christmas: The Gift (1996) The Best of Collin Raye: Direct Hits (1997) The Walls Came Down (1998)
Singles from The Best of Collin Raye: Direct Hits
"What the Heart Wants" Released: June 2, 1997 "Little Red Rodeo" Released: December 19, 1997

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic -	[1]

Among the new recordings were three singles. "What the Heart Wants" and "Little Red Rodeo" were both Top 5 hits on the country charts. "The Gift", a collaboration with Jim Brickman and Susan Ashton, was released only to the adult contemporary format. Also included on the album is a cover of Journey's "Open Arms".

In October 1998 the album was certified Platinum by the RIAA.[2]

Track listing

1. "Little Rock" (Tom Douglas) – 3:58
2. "I Think About You" (Don Schlitz, Steve Seskin) – 3:27
3. "Not That Different" (Karen Taylor-Good, Joie Scott) – 3:56
4. "That's My Story" (Lee Roy Parnell, Tony Haselden) – 3:03
5. "If I Were You" (John Hobbs, Chris Farren) – 4:06
6. "One Boy, One Girl" (Mark Alan Springer, Shaye Smith) – 4:05
7. "In This Life" (Mike Reid, Allen Shamblin) – 3:12
8. "My Kind of Girl" (Debi Cochran, John Jarrard, Monty Powell) – 2:55
9. "That Was a River" (Susan Longacre, Rick Giles) – 3:12
10. "What the Heart Wants" (Michael Dulaney) – 3:46¹
11. "The Gift" (Douglas, Jim Brickman) – 3:44¹
    • feat. Jim Brickman and Susan Ashton
12. "Open Arms" (Jonathan Cain, Steve Perry) – 3:22¹
13. "Little Red Rodeo" (Charlie Black, Phil Vassar, Rory Michael Bourke) – 3:23¹
14. "Love, Me" (Skip Ewing, Max T. Barnes) – 3:54

• ¹Previously unreleased track.

Production

• "Love, Me" produced by Jerry Fuller and John Hobbs
• "In This Life" and "That Was a River" produced by Garth Fundis and John Hobbs
• "The Gift," "Open Arms," "Little Red Rodeo" produced by Billy Joe Walker Jr., Paul Worley and Collin Raye
• All other tracks produced by Paul Worley, John Hobbs and Ed Seay

Personnel

The following musicians perform on tracks 10 through 13:

• Susan Ashton – background vocals on "The Gift"
• Jim Brickman – piano on "The Gift"
• Larry Byrom – electric guitar on "The Gift," "Open Arms" and "Little Red Rodeo"
• Joe Chemay – bass guitar on all tracks, background vocals on "What the Heart Wants," "Open Arms" and "Little Red Rodeo"
• Larry Franklin – fiddle on "Open Arms" and "Little Red Rodeo"
• Paul Franklin – steel guitar and Dobro on "What the Heart Wants"
• Sonny Garrish – steel guitar on "The Gift," "Open Arms" and "Little Red Rodeo"
• Steve Gibson – mandolin on "What the Heart Wants"
• John Hobbs – keyboards on "What the Heart Wants" and "The Gift"
• Dann Huff – electric guitar on "What the Heart Wants" and "The Gift"
• Paul Leim – drums on all tracks
• Anthony Martin – background vocals on "What the Heart Wants"
• Gene Miller – background vocals on "What the Heart Wants," "Open Arms" and "Little Red Rodeo"
• Steve Nathan – piano on "Open Arms" and "Little Red Rodeo"
• Collin Raye – lead vocals on all tracks
• John Wesley Ryles – background vocals on "What the Heart Wants"
• Will Smith – autoharp on "What the Heart Wants"
• Billy Joe Walker Jr. – acoustic guitar on all tracks, electric guitar on "Open Arms" and "Little Red Rodeo"
• Biff Watson – acoustic guitar on "What the Heart Wants," "Open Arms" and "Little Red Rodeo"
• Dennis Wilson – background vocals on "What the Heart Wants," "Open Arms" and "Little Red Rodeo"
• Paul Worley – acoustic guitar on "What the Heart Wants"

Chart performance

Chart (1997)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums	4
U.S. Billboard 200	33
Canadian RPM Country Albums	3
Canadian RPM Top Albums	70

References

1. Owens, Thom. "The Best of Collin Raye: Direct Hits review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
2. "RIAA – Searchable Database: Collin Raye". Retrieved March 26, 2019.