The Hottest Night of the Year is the nineteenth studio album by Canadian country pop artist Anne Murray. It was released by Capitol Records in 1982. The album reached #29 on Billboard's Country albums chart and peaked at #90 on the Billboard Pop albums chart. Its US sales were estimated at 200,000 copies.
The album's first single, a cover of the 1961 Bruce Channel hit "Hey! Baby" was a U.S. country top-ten single, reaching number 7; the following up single, "Somebody's Always Saying Goodbye", also peaked at number 7 on the country singles chart. Both singles topped the Canadian Country singles charts.
Track listing
Personnel Anne Murray – lead vocals, backing vocals Brian Whitcomb – electric piano (1), acoustic piano (2, 8, 9) Lance Ong – synthesizers (1, 2) Doug Riley – synthesizers (1), organ (3), keyboards (4–7, 10) Bobby Ogdin – acoustic piano (3) Dennis Burnside – electric piano (3) Mike "Pepe" Francis – electric guitar (1, 2, 8), guitars (4, 6, 7, 10) John Hug – electric guitar (1, 2, 8, 9), acoustic guitar (8) Fred Tackett – acoustic guitar (1, 2, 8, 9) Rafe Van Hoy – acoustic guitar (3) Paul Worley – acoustic guitar (3), electric guitar (3) Bob Mann – guitars (4–7, 10) Brian Russell – guitars (5) Sonny Garrish – steel guitar (3) Ben Mink – mandolin (10), fiddle (10) Leland Sklar – bass (1, 2, 8, 9) Joe Osborn – bass (3) Tom Szczesniak – bass (4–7, 10) Mike Botts – drums (1, 2, 8, 9) Eddie Bayers – drums (3) Barry Keane – drums (4–7, 10) Steve Forman – percussion (1, 2, 8) Dick Smith – percussion (1, 2, 4, 6–8) Earl Seymour – baritone saxophone (6) Vern Dorge – tenor saxophone (6) Butch Wantanabe – trombone (6) Guido Basso – trumpet (6) Charlie Gray – trumpet (6) Peter Cardinali – horn arrangements and conductor (6) Rick Wilkins – string arrangements and conductor (3, 4, 10) Alan Broadbent – string arrangements and conductor (8, 9) Glenn Grab – string contractor (3, 4, 8–10) Bill Richards – string contractor (3, 4, 8–10) Bruce Murray – backing vocals Deborah Schaal Greimann – backing vocals
Production Balmur Ltd. – executive producers Jim Ed Norman – producer Ken Friesen – recording, mixing Marshall Morgan – recording Eric Prestidge – recording Tom Henderson – recording assistant Ben Rodgers – recording assistant John Rosenthal – recording assistant Ken Perry – mastering at Capitol Mastering (Hollywood, California) Paul Cade – art direction, design, illustration Bob Karman – illustration Bill King – photography Ted Larson – lettering George Abbott – make-up artist Shelly Yakimov – hair stylist
Chart performance Chart (1982) Peakposition Canadian RPM Top Albums 70 U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums 29 U.S. Billboard 200 90
References