Songs of Inspiration is the twentieth studio album and the first gospel album by American country music group Alabama, released on October 24, 2006. The album debuted at No. 1 on both the Top Country Albums and Top Christian Albums charts, with 41,000 copies sold the first week.[ allmusic ((( Songs of Inspiration > Charts & Awards )))] The album has sold 170,000 copies as of September 2015. It ranked at No. 15 on Billboard 200 album charts and No. 1 on Billboard Country Albums chart.
Track listing "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" (Civilla D. Martin, Charles H. Gabriel) - 4:10 "In the Garden" (C. Austin Miles) - 3:28 "Amazing Grace" (John Newton) - 3:35 "How Great Thou Art" (Stuart K. Hine) - 4:26 "I Need Thee" (Annie S. Hawks, Robert Lowry) - 2:09 "Old Shep" (Red Foley) - 3:06 "Jesus Loves Me" (William Batchelder Bradbury, David Rutherford McGuire, Anna Bartlett Warner) - 3:19 "Silent Night" (Franz Gruber, Josef Mohr) - 3:31 "I Am the Man Thomas" (Larry Sparks, Ralph Stanley) - 2:02 "Rock of Ages" (Augustus Montague Toplady, Thomas Hastings) - 2:36 "In the Sweet By and By" (Sanford F. Bennett, Joseph Philbrick Webster) - 3:28 "The Old Rugged Cross" (George Bennard) - 3:09 "What Will I Leave Behind" (Sherrill Brown) - 2:40 "One Big Heaven" (Randy Owen) - 4:16 "Rain" (Owen) - 3:35
Personnel
Alabama Jeff Cook – electric guitar, vocals Randy Owen – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, vocals Teddy Gentry – bass guitar, vocals
Additional Musicians
Gary Prim – acoustic piano, synthesizers, Hammond B3 organ Joey Miskulin – accordion Mark Casstevens – acoustic guitar, banjo, dobro, harmonica Randy Kohrs – acoustic guitar, dobro James Alan Shelton – acoustic guitar Larry Paxton – electric guitar, nylon string guitar, acoustic bass, bass guitar, string arrangements Steve Sparkman – banjo Nathan Stanley – mandolin Eddie Bayers – drums, percussion Dewey Brown III – fiddle Aubrey Haynie – fiddle, mandolin Kristin Wilkinson – string arrangements Carl Gorodetzky – string contractor Kirsten Cassi – cello Anthony LaMarchina – cello Bruce Christensen – viola Christopher Farrell – viola Gary Vanosdale – viola David Davidson – violin Conni Ellisor – violin Carolyn Huebel – violin Pamela Sixfin – violin Alan Umstead – violin Mary Kathryn Vanosdale – violin Bailey Barnes – backing vocals Karstin Brewis – backing vocals Kensley Brewis – backing vocals David Burt – backing vocals Sawyer Burt – backing vocals Michael Curtis – backing vocals Melinda Doolittle – backing vocals Kim Fleming – backing vocals Ella Fowler – backing vocals Abby Fraebel – backing vocals Griffin Horton – backing vocals Kaden Horton – backing vocals Rebecca Isaacs Bowman –backing vocals (5) Ben Isaacs – backing vocals (5) Nathan Isaacs – backing vocals (5) Alexis Lutz – backing vocals Emma Lutz – backing vocals Jesse Lutz – backing vocals Belinda Wallace – backing vocals Nathan Young – backing vocals Ralph Stanley – vocals (9)
Chart performance Chart (2006) Peakposition U.S. Billboard 200 15 U.S. Billboard Top Christian Albums 1 U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums 1
Awards
In 2007, the album was nominated for a Dove Award for Country Album of the Year at the 38th GMA Dove Awards.38th Annual GMA Awards on About.com
References