Straight Ahead (Amy Grant album)

Straight Ahead is the sixth studio album by Christian music artist Amy Grant, released in 1984.

Straight Ahead
Studio album by
Amy Grant
Released1984
Recorded1983–1984
Studio
GenreContemporary Christian music
Length38:36
LabelMyrrh
ProducerBrown Bannister
Amy Grant chronology
A Christmas Album
(1983)		 Straight Ahead
(1984)		 Unguarded
(1985)
Singles from Straight Ahead
  1. "Angels"
    Released: 1984
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Cross Rhythms [2]

Straight Ahead was the follow-up to Grant's ground-breaking 1982 album Age to Age. Containing songs that were more aggressive than the ones found on Age to Age, Straight Ahead was not as commercially successful as its predecessor. Nonetheless, it still topped Billboard's Christian album chart for 61 weeks, knocking Age to Age from the number-one position. The song "Angels" was also a No. 1 Christian radio hit for 13 weeks, and won a Grammy Award for "Best Gospel Performance, Female." Straight Ahead would be certified gold in 1985. The song "Thy Word" is based on Psalm 119:105.[3]

In 2007, Straight Ahead 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.[4]

Straight Ahead was the first Christian album to chart on the Billboard 200 chart. A&M reissued it in 1985, just as Grant was appearing on the Grammy Awards performing "Angels".

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Where Do You Hide Your Heart"Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith3:57
2."Jehovah"Geoffrey P. Thurman5:57
3."Angels"Grant, Brown Bannister, Gary Chapman, Smith4:10
4."Straight Ahead"Grant, Chapman, Smith3:47
5."Thy Word"Grant, Smith3:19
6."It's Not a Song"Robbie Buchanan, Chapman3:27
7."Open Arms"Grant, Chapman, Bruce Hibbard3:22
8."Doubly Good to You"Rich Mullins3:12
9."Tomorrow"Grant, Chapman, Hibbard3:24
10."The Now and the Not Yet"Pam Mark Hall3:36

Personnel
  • Amy Grant – lead vocals, backing vocals (1, 5, 9, 10)
  • Robbie Buchanan – Roland Jupiter 8 (1, 2, 5), acoustic piano (2, 3, 8), synthesizers (4), keyboards (6, 7), arrangements (6), Fender Rhodes (7, 9)
  • Michael W. Smith – keyboards (1-5, 8, 9, 10), Yamaha GS2 (1, 2, 3, 8), acoustic piano (4, 5, 9, 10)
  • Alan Steinberger – additional synthesizers (1, 5, 6, 9), synthesizers (10)
  • Shane Keister – additional synthesizers (2, 5, 8), synthesizers (3), organ (4)
  • Gary Chapman – backing vocals (1, 4, 5, 9), guitar (4), guitar solo (4)
  • Jon Goin – electric guitar (1), "fly" guitar (1), guitar (2, 3, 4, 6-10)
  • Dann Huff – guitar solo (1), guitar (9)
  • Dean Parks – guitar (7)
  • Mike Brignardello – bass (1-4, 6-10)
  • Andy Widders-Ellis – stick bass (3)
  • Duncan Mullins – bass (4)
  • Paul Leim – drums (1-4, 6-9)
  • Kenny Malone – drums (10)
  • Lenny Castro – percussion (1, 7, 9)
  • Farrell Morris – percussion (8, 10)
  • Alan Moore – string arrangements (2, 8)
  • Donna McElroy – backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 5, 9)
  • Kim Fleming – backing vocals (1, 4, 5, 9)
  • Gary Pigg – backing vocals (2, 3)
  • Debrorah Black – backing vocals (3)
  • Bill Champlin – backing vocals (3)
  • Tamara Champlin – backing vocals (3)
  • Carmen Twillie – backing vocals (3)
  • Marty McCall – backing vocals (3)
  • Leann Jones – backing vocals (5)
  • Curt Lyles – backing vocals (5)
  • Mark Mason – backing vocals (5)
  • Steve George – backing vocals (6)
  • Richard Page – backing vocals (6)
  • Thomas Cain – backing vocals (6)
  • Chris Harris – backing vocals (7)
  • Billy Sprague – backing vocals (7)
  • David Thornton – backing vocals (7)
  • Ron Downey – backing vocals (10)

Production

  • Brown Bannister – producer
  • Michael Blanton – executive producer
  • Dan Harrell – executive producer
  • Gary Chapman – executive producer
  • Jack Joseph Puig – engineer
  • Jim Baird – additional engineer
  • Kevin Burns – additional engineer
  • Gene Eichelberger – additional engineer
  • Steven Ford – additional engineer
  • Jerry Mahler – additional engineer
  • Daniel Garcia – additional engineer
  • Dennis Hill – design
  • Mike Borum – photography
  • Aaron Rapoport – photography

Music videos

Music videos were released for "Angels" in 1984 and "It's Not a Song" in 1985.

Charts

Weekly charts
Year Chart Position
1984 Top Contemporary Christian 1
1985 The Billboard 200 133

Year-end charts
Year Chart Position
1984 U.S. Billboard Inspirational Albums 3
1985 1
1986 8

End-of-decade charts
Chart (1980-1989) Rank
US Billboard Top Contemporary Christian[5] 11

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[6] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[7] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Accolades

GMA Dove Awards

Year Winner Category
1985 Straight Ahead Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year

Grammy Awards

Year Winner Category
1985 "Angels" Best Gospel Performance, Female

References
  1. Straight Ahead at AllMusic
  2. "Amy Grant - Straight Ahead (re-issue) | CROSS RHYTHMS REVIEW". Crossrhythms.co.uk. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
  3. "Thy Word Songfacts". Songfacts.com. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
  4. Sparrow Records News
  5. "Top Christian Albums - 1980's". Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  6. "Canadian album certifications – Amy Grant – Straight Ahead". Music Canada. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
  7. "American album certifications – Amy Grant – Straight Ahead". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
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