Unguarded
| Unguarded | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Amy Grant | ||||
| Released | May 15, 1985 | |||
| Recorded | 1984-1985 Caribou Ranch, Nederland, Colorado | |||
| Genre | Contemporary Christian music | |||
| Length | 43:33 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Producer | Brown Bannister | |||
| Amy Grant chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Cross Rhythms | [2] |
Unguarded is the ninth album by Christian music singer Amy Grant, released in 1985 on A&M Records. It is Grant's first album released by A&M.
When Unguarded was released in 1985, Amy Grant was probably the most popular star in contemporary Christian music, recording songs with religious lyrics in the pop/rock style of the day. With this album, however, the religious content of the lyrics was scaled back as compared with her two previous regular studio albums, Age to Age and Straight Ahead. The album track "I Love You" was Grant's first secular love song from her own pen. Despite this, the album's lead-off single, "Find a Way", was a number one hit on the Christian radio charts. Four other singles from the album were also Top Ten Christian radio hits.
The aggressive mainstream style of the songs on Unguarded, combined with a heavy promotional campaign on the part of the album's distributor in secular outlets, A&M Records, helped three of its singles reach the mainstream charts. "Find a Way" was a Top Ten hit on the Adult Contemporary chart and peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100, while "Everywhere I Go" was a Top Thirty AC single and "Wise Up" was a minor charting single on the Hot 100. Unguarded would be certified gold in September 1985, and platinum in June 1986.
In 2007, Unguarded was reissued and digitally remastered by Grant's new record label, EMI/Sparrow Records. The remastered edition is labeled with a "Digitally Remastered" logo in the 'gutter' on the CD front.[3]
This was the final album to be recorded at Caribou Ranch, which was owned by former Chicago producer/manager James William Guercio before the infamous March 1985 fire that destroyed the studio's control room.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love of Another Kind" | Amy Grant, Gary Chapman, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Rich Mullins | 3:22 | |
| 2. | "Find a Way" | Grant, Michael W. Smith | 3:28 | |
| 3. | "Everywhere I Go" | Mary Lee Kortes | 4:12 | |
| 4. | "I Love You" | Grant, Dann Huff, Smith | 4:25 | |
| 5. | "Stepping In Your Shoes" | Grant, Chris Eaton | 4:37 | |
| 6. | "Fight" | Grant, Chapman, Huff | 4:42 | |
| 7. | "Wise Up" | Kirkpatrick, Billy Simon | 3:51 | |
| 8. | "Who to Listen to" | Chapman, Tim Marsh, Mark Wright | 4:22 | |
| 9. | "Sharayah" | Grant, Eaton | 4:53 | |
| 10. | "The Prodigal (I'll Be Waiting)" | Grant, Chapman, Robbie Buchanan | 5:10 |
Personnel
- Amy Grant: Vocals.
- Michael W. Smith: Synthesizer, Moog Synthesizer, Memory Moog.
- Robbie Buchanan: Synthesizer, Piano, Arranger, Sound Effects, Drum Programming, Synthesizer Bass, DX-7, Jupiter 8.
- Shane Keister: Synthesizer, Piano, Moog Synthesizer, Fairlight, Fender Rhodes, Explosions, Synthesizer Programming.
- Dann Huff: Guitars.
- Jon Goin: Guitars.
- Michael Landau: Guitars.
- Paul Jackson Jr.: Guitars.
- Mike Brignardello: Bass.
- Paul Leim: Drums, Drum Programming, Drum Overdubs, Linn.
- Lenny Castro: Percussion.
- Larry Williams: Synthesizer, Saxophone.
- Kathy Burdick: Screams.
- Bill Champlin: Background Vocals.
- Gary Chapman: Background Vocals.
- Chris Eaton: Background Vocals.
- Kim Fleming: Background Vocals.
- Tommy Funderburk: Background Vocals.
- Steve George: Background Vocals.
- Chris Harris: Background Vocals, screams.
- Tom Kelly: Background Vocals.
- Donna McElroy: Background Vocals.
- Richard Page: Background Vocals.
- Gary Pigg: Background Vocals, screams.
Production
- Producer: Brown Bannister.
- Executive Producer: Michael Blanton, Dan Harrell, Gary Chapman.
- Engineer: Jack Joseph Puig.
- Assistant Engineers: Kevin Burns, Steven Ford, Dan Garcia, Alan Henry, J.T., Richard Markowitz, Mike Ross, Clarke Schleicher.
- Mixed by: Jack Joseph Puig.
- Mastered by: Doug Sax.
- Arranger: Robbie Buchanan.
- Design: Kent Hunter.
- Photography: Mark Tucker
- Stylist: Julie Miller.
Cover
To further heighten Grant's visual appeal, A&M released Unguarded with four different covers, respectively labeled W, O, R, and D.[citation needed]
Charts
Singles - CCM Magazine (North America)
|
End of year charts
|
Commercial performance
| Country | Sales | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (CRIA) | 50,000 | Gold |
| United States (RIAA) | 1,000,000 | Platinum |
Awards
GMA Dove Awards
| Year | Winner | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Unguarded | Recorded Music Packaging of the Year |
Grammy Awards
| Year | Winner | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Unguarded | Best Gospel Performance, Female |
Chart procession
| Preceded by Beat the System by Petra |
Billboard Top Contemporary Christian number-one album August 24, 1985 – April 26, 1986 |
Succeeded by Morning Like This by Sandi Patti |
References
- ↑ William Ruhlmann. "Unguarded". Retrieved July 8, 2013.
- ↑ "Amy Grant - Unguarded (re-issue) | CROSS RHYTHMS REVIEW". Crossrhythms.co.uk. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
- ↑ Sparrow Records News
