Pride: A Tribute to Charley Pride

by David Davidson, Mary Kathryn Van Osdale, Kris Wilkinson, Neal McCoy, David Angell

Overview

A moment of reflection will reveal that Charley Pride is a natural idol for Neal McCoy. A trailblazing traditionalist of the '60s and '70s, Pride broke the color barrier for popular country music -- there had been African-American country singers long before him; Ray Charles blurred the boundaries between country and soul a few years before him, and Pride had peers like Stoney Edwards, but Charley was the first black country superstar -- due in part to his easy, friendly way with a song. McCoy has a similar amiable way with a tune and, as a singer of Filipino descent, he bucked country tradition even as he adhered to it. Pride: A Tribute to Charley Pride puts all this into relief while also being quite a good listen in its own right. As a traditionalist paying respect to a traditionalist, McCoy doesn't play around with the arrangements in the slightest -- he even seems indebted to the sound of Pride's recordings, not the early ones of the '60s but the gleaming overproductions of the late '70s and early '80s -- but these are terrific songs performed well, by both McCoy and his guests Raul Malo (who is on "I'm Just Me"), Darius Rucker ("Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'"), and Trace Adkins ("Roll On Mississippi"). There's almost a funhouse mirror quality here, with McCoy looking back on Pride who was looking back on Hank Williams (the presence of "Kaw-Liga" underscores this), but that's part of the appeal of Pride: each bygone era it salutes is worth celebrating. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	09/24/2013
Label:	Slate Creek Records
UPC:	0662582717426
Rank:	103783

Tracks

1. Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone
2. I'm Just Me
3. Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'
4. Kaw-Liga
5. You're So Good When You're Bad
6. It's Gonna Take a Little Bit Longer
7. Roll On Mississippi
8. Just Between You and Me
9. Mountain of Love
10. Someone Loves You Honey
11. You're My Jamaica

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Neal McCoy   Primary Artist
Kris Wilkinson   Primary Artist
David Davidson   Primary Artist
Anthony LaMarchina   Primary Artist
Mary Kathryn Van Osdale   Primary Artist
David Angell   Primary Artist
Pam Sixfon   Primary Artist
J.T. Corenflos   Guitar (Electric)
Vicki Hampton   Vocals (Background)
Wes Hightower   Vocals (Background)
Russ Pahl   Mandolin,Guitar (Steel),Guitar (Electric)
Mark Douthit   Sax (Tenor),Sax (Baritone)
Raul Malo   Featured Artist
Jimmie Lee Sloas   Bass (Electric)
Mike Rojas   Keyboards
Jenee Fleenor   Fiddle
B. James Lowry   Guitar (Acoustic)
Steve Patrick   Trumpet
Eric Darken   Percussion
Darius Rucker   Featured Artist
Jeff Taylor   Accordion
Robert Bailey, Jr.   Vocals (Background)
Becky Priest   Vocals (Background)
Trace Adkins   Featured Artist
Paul Franklin   Dobro,Guitar (Steel)
Dennis Crouch   Bass (Upright)
Mickey Raphael   Harmonica
Barry Green   Trombone
Greg Morrow   Percussion,Drums
Garth Fundis   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Eric Conn   Mastering
Dennis Morgan   Composer
Kris Wilkinson   String Arrangements
Hank Williams   Composer
Matt Allen   Engineer
Harold Kenneth Dorman   Composer
Dave Kirby   Composer
Chad Carlson   Engineer
Glenn Martin   Composer
Jim Burnett   Photography,Executive Producer
Gordon Hammond   Mixing,Engineer
Stephen Lamb   Copyist
Juanita Copeland   Production Coordination
Mike Stankiewicz   Engineer
Derek Parnell   Engineer
Kent Robbins   Composer
Robert K. Oermann   Liner Notes
Kye Fleming   Composer
Jack Clement   Composer
Don Devaney   Composer
Garth Fundis   Horn Arrangements,Producer,Mixing
Ben Peters   Composer
Fred Rose   Composer