Duets: Friends and Legends

by Anne Murray

Overview

For her 34th studio album, Anne Murray recorded a set of duets with many of her favorite female singers, from Nelly Furtado to Sarah Brightman. There are a number of country duet partners here, such as Shania Twain, Emmylou Harris, and Martina McBride, but there are even more pop-oriented women singing with Murray, encompassing the likes of Celtic Woman and Celine Dion. This makes perfect sense, as Murray's always straddled the pop-country fence effortlessly. Her singing on Duets: Friends and Legends is just as effortless. Now in her fifth decade as an active recording artist, her voice hasn't lost a beat, sounding just as pure and clear as it did on 1970s "Snowbird" (done here with a surprisingly relaxed, easy vocal from Brightman, sounding for all the world like a young Olivia Newton-John). The majority of these songs are ones which have been sizeable hits for Murray in the past, most of which work nicely recast as duets, or at least showcases for harmony singing. There are exceptions, of course: sadly, the late Dusty Springfield's voice doesn't fit "I Just Fall in Love Again" at all, and Nelly Furtado sounds mightily out of place on "Daydream Believer." But for each of those there's an Emmylou Harris on "Another Pot o' Tea," k.d. lang matching Murray perfectly on "A Love Song," and most of all, Shania Twain showing up with what might be the best vocal of her career on the classic "You Needed Me." Murray clearly inspired most of her duet partners to bring their "A" games, and since she's pretty much always on hers (and Phil Ramone, of all people, provides sterling production which knows when to stay out of the way), what results is often magical. ~ Thomas Inskeep

Product Details

Release Date:	01/15/2008
Label:	Manhattan Records
UPC:	0094638627821

Tracks

1. Danny's Song
2. I Just Fall in Love Again
3. Another Pot O' Tea
4. Daydream Believer
5. Somebody's Always Saying Goodbye
6. Song for the Mira
7. Time Don't Run out on Me
8. Cotton Jenny
9. A Love Song
10. You Needed Me
11. Nobody Loves Me Like You Do
12. You Won't See Me
13. Could I Have This Dance
14. A Little Good News
15. Snowbird
16. When I Fall in Love
17. Si Jamais Je Te Revois (If I Ever See You Again)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Anne Murray   Primary Artist,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Dawn Langstreth   Primary Artist
Isabelle Boulay   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Shelby Lynne   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Martina McBride   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Jann Arden   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Celtic Woman   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Olivia Newton-John   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Sarah Brightman   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Nelly Furtado   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
k.d. lang   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Celine Dion   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Carole King   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Shania Twain   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Emmylou Harris   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Dusty Springfield   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Indigo Girls   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Amy Grant   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Dawn Langstroth   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Gil Goldstein   Strings,Accordion,Conductor
Jeff Kievit   Trumpet
Gregg Field   Drums
Steve Nathan   Keyboards
Peter Bleakney   Bass
Dean Parks   Guitar
Peter Cardinali   Bass,Vocals (Background)
Katherine Fong   Violin
Birch Johnson   Trombone (Tenor)
Craig Mumm   Viola
Rob Mathes   Strings,Conductor
Richard Locker   Cello
Jeanne LeBlanc   Cello
Andy Snitzer   Sax (Alto),Trumpet
Biff Watson   Guitar (Acoustic)
Bob Carlisle   French Horn
David Finck   Bass (Electric)
Tony Kadleck   Trumpet
Steve Sexton   Keyboards
Kevin Axt   Bass
Chris Caswell   Keyboards
Doug Riley   Keyboards
Lou Pomanti   Organ,Piano,Piano (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Jim Cox   Keyboards
Ann Leathers   Violin
Michael Rhodes   Bass
Eva Burmeister   Violin
Abe Appleman   Violin
Shawn Pelton   Drums
Elena Barere   Violin
Gary Craig   Drums
Desiree Elsevier   Viola
Barry Keane   Drums,Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Virgil Blackwell   Clarinet (Bass)
Michael Francis   Vocals (Background)
Carol Webb   Violin
Billy Masters   Guitar (Electric)
Pamela Sklar   Flute (Bass)
Chris Hall   Tuba
Phil Myers   French Horn
David Chan   Violin
Catherine Ro   Violin
Georges Hebert   Guitar
Brian Gatto   Keyboards
Katherine Fink   Flute (Alto)
Diane Lesser   Horn (English)
Vincent Lionti   Viola
Nathan Moore   Vocals (Background)
Irene Breslaw   Viola
Hae Young Ham   Violin
Jonathan Dinklage   Violin
Brent Mason   Guitar (Electric)
Diane Barere   Cello
Enrico DiCecco   Violin
Aidan Mason   Guitar

Technical Credits

Greg Kolchinsky   Audio Engineer,Assistant Engineer
George Seara   Audio Engineer,Engineer
Missy Webb   Audio Engineer,Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Steve Genewick   Audio Engineer,Digital Editing,Assistant Engineer
Allen Ditto   Audio Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Olle Bengt   Audio Engineer
Don "Da Goods" Goodrick   Audio Engineer
Phil Ramone   Audio Production,Producer
Chris "Wandering Bear" Jennings   Audio Engineer
Luiz 'Eddie' Breves   Audio Engineer
Anne Murray   Audio Production,Producer
Gil Goldstein   Horn Arrangements,Woodwind Arrangement
Doug McClement   Engineer
Gene MacLellan   Composer
Dona Lyn George   Composer
Charlie Black   Composer
John Lennon   Composer
Jeff Balding   Engineer
Robert John "Mutt" Lange   Producer
Wayland Holyfield   Composer
Jeff Wolpert   Engineer
Rory Bourke   Composer
Rory Michael Bourke   Composer
Sharon Rice   Composer
Paul Grady   Composer
Bob Ludwig   Mastering
Bob McDill   Composer
Bill Rice   Composer
Gordon Lightfoot   Composer
Steve Sexton   Pre-Production
Edward Heyman   Composer
Randy Goodrum   Composer
John Stewart   Composer
Jim Cox   Rhythm Arrangements
Steve Dorff   Composer
Paul McCartney   Composer
Al Schmitt   Engineer
Kenny Loggins   Composer
Larry Herbstritt   Composer
Frank Filipetti   Mixing,Engineer
Carole King   Composer
Glenn Matullo   Engineer
Victor Young   Composer
Harry Lloyd   Composer
Peter Hamilton   Engineer
Allister MacGillivray   Composer
Porsha Gauthier   Production Assistant
Patrick Duffy   Design
Jill Dell'Abate   Orchestra Contractor,Production Coordination
Larry LeBlanc   Liner Notes
Pamela Phillips   Composer
Bob House   Composer
Monic Richard   Photography
James P. Dunne   Composer
Kevin Doyle   Mixing
Rob Mathes   Horn Arrangements,Woodwind Arrangement
Gloria Sklerov   Composer
Tommy Rocco   Composer
Gerry Goffin   Composer