Heroes & Friends

Heroes & Friends
Heroes & Friends
Studio album by Randy Travis
Released	August 31, 1990
Genre	Country
Length	37:12
Label	Warner Records
Producer	Kyle Lehning
Randy Travis chronology
Singles from Heroes & Friends
	"A Few Ole Country Boys"; Released: August 27, 1990; "Heroes and Friends"; Released: January 21, 1991; "We're Strangers Again"; Released: August 5, 1991;

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Chicago Tribune	^[2]
Robert Christgau	^[6]
Entertainment Weekly	D+^[3]
Los Angeles Times	^[4]
Q	^[5]

Heroes & Friends is the sixth studio album by American country music artist Randy Travis. It was released on August 31, 1990 by Warner Records. Except for the title track (which is reprised at the end), every song on this album is a duet with another recording artist. "A Few Ole Country Boys" (a duet with George Jones) and the title track were both released as singles from this album, peaking at numbers 8 and 3, respectively, on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts in 1990.

"We're Strangers Again" was originally recorded by Merle Haggard and Leona Williams on their 1983 album Heart to Heart. The version here, a duet between Travis and Tammy Wynette, was later included on Wynette's Best Loved Hits album, from which it was released as a single in late 1991.

Track listing[edit]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Duet partner	Length
1.	"Heroes and Friends"	Randy Travis, Don Schlitz	n/a	2:09
2.	"Do I Ever Cross Your Mind"	Dolly Parton	Dolly Parton	2:46
3.	"The Birth of the Blues"	Lew Brown, Buddy DeSylva, Ray Henderson	Willie Nelson	2:38
4.	"All Night Long"	Johnny Gimble, Bob Wills	Merle Haggard	3:04
5.	"The Human Race"	Tim Mensy, Jimmy Phillips, Gene Dobbins	Vern Gosdin	2:27
6.	"Shopping for Dresses"	Merle Haggard, "Little" Jimmy Dickens	Loretta Lynn	3:00
7.	"Waiting on the Light to Change"	Gary Nicholson, Richard Leigh	B.B. King	2:44
8.	"A Few Ole Country Boys"	Troy Seals, Mentor Williams	George Jones	3:37
9.	"Walk Our Own Road"	Bernie Nelson, Lisa Palas	Kris Kristofferson	2:44
10.	"We're Strangers Again"	Haggard, Leona Williams	Tammy Wynette	2:45
11.	"Smokin' the Hive"	Byron Hill, J. Remington Wilde	Clint Eastwood	2:23
12.	"Come See About Me"	Conway Twitty	Conway Twitty	2:46
13.	"Happy Trails"	Dale Evans	Roy Rogers	2:13
14.	"Heroes and Friends (Reprise)"	Travis, Schlitz	n/a	1:56

Personnel[edit]

Randy Travis – vocals
Dennis Burnside – acoustic piano (1, 5-10, 12), electric piano (2), Wurlitzer electric piano (10)
Shane Keister – organ (1, 9), acoustic piano (8)
Barry Beckett – acoustic piano (3, 4)
Kyle Lehning – Wurlitzer electric piano (6)
Randy Goodrum – acoustic piano (11)
Mike Lawler – synthesizer (12), banjo (12)
Hargus "Pig" Robbins – acoustic piano (13)
Larry Byrom – acoustic guitar (1-4, 6-8, 10)
Mark Casstevens – acoustic guitar (1, 3-10, 12, 13)
Steve Gibson – electric guitar (1, 3, 4, 6-8, 10, 12, 13), 12-string guitar (1, 9), mandolin (2)
Chet Atkins – gut-string guitar (2)
Willie Nelson – guitar solo (3), vocals (3)
Chris Leuzinger – acoustic guitar (5, 12)
Brent Rowan – electric guitar (5)
B.B. King – lead guitar (7), vocals (7)
Brent Mason – electric guitar (9, 13)
Dean Parks – electric guitar (11)
Fred Tackett – acoustic guitar (11)
Jerry Douglas – dobro (2, 5, 8)
Doyle Grisham – steel guitar (1-10, 12, 13)
Gary Carter – steel guitar (5)
Jay Dee Maness – steel guitar (11)
David Hungate – bass (1, 6, 7, 9, 10)
Jack Williams – bass (2-5, 8, 12, 13)
Bob Glaub – bass (11)
Larrie Londin – drums (1, 5-7, 9, 12, 13)
Paul Leim – drums (2, 8, 10)
Eddie Bayers – drums (3, 4)
Carlos Vega – drums (11)
Kirk "Jelly Roll" Johnson – harmonica (1, 5, 7)
Mickey Raphael – harmonica (3)
Terry McMillan – harmonica (11), percussion (12)
Mark O'Connor – fiddle (1, 6, 8, 10, 11)
David Johnson – fiddle (4)
Tom Rutledge – fiddle (4)
Denis Solee – clarinet (3)
Dolly Parton – vocals (2)
Merle Haggard – vocals (4)
Dennis Wilson – backing vocals (4)
Vern Gosdin – vocals (5)
Loretta Lynn – vocals (6)
Sheri Huffman – backing vocals (6-8, 10, 11, 13)
Lisa Silver – backing vocals (6-8, 10, 11, 13)
Diane Vanette – backing vocals (6-8, 10, 11, 13)
George Jones – vocals (8)
Kris Kristofferson – vocals (9)
Tammy Wynette – vocals (10)
Clint Eastwood – vocals (11)
Conway Twitty – vocals (12)
Roy Rogers – vocals (13)

Choir on "Heroes and Friends"

Kathie Baillie, Michael Bonagura Jr., Lib Hatcher, Sheri Huffman, Don Schlitz, Troy Seals, Allen Shamblin, Martha Sharp, Lisa Silver, Keith Stegall and Diane Vanette

Production[edit]

Lib Hatcher – executive producer, concept and direction, art direction, additional photography
Martha Sharp – A&R direction
Kyle Lehning – producer, recording, overdub recording, mixing
Joseph Bogan – recording
Tom Knox – recording, overdub recording, recording assistant, additional overdub recording, mix assistant
Marshall Morgan – recording
Elliot Scheiner – recording
Steve Bishir – recording assistant, additional overdub recording
Dan Bosworth – recording assistant
Robert Charles – recording assistant, additional overdub recording
John Condon – recording assistant, production coordinator
Chrissy Follman – recording assistant
Scott Gunter – recording assistant
Brad Jones – recording assistant
Patrick Kelly – recording assistant
Keith Odle – recording assistant, additional overdub recording
Kirt Odle – recording assistant
Gary Paczosa – recording assistant
Carry Summers – recording assistant, additional overdub recording
Lou Carto – additional overdub recording
Doug Sax – mastering
Alan Yoshida – mastering
The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California) – mastering location
Laura LiPuma – art direction
Richard Logsdon – illustration
Jeff Katz – front cover photography
Tim Campbell – additional photography
Beth Gwinn – additional photography
Alan L. Mayor – additional photography
Kevin Winter – additional photography

Charts[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Chart (1990)	Peak position
Canadian Albums (RPM)	61
US Billboard 200^[7]	31
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[8]	1

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (1990)	Position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[9]	69
Chart (1991)	Position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[10]	11

References[edit]

^ Heroes & Friends at AllMusic
^ Hurst, Jack (October 4, 1990). "Randy Travis Heroes and Friends (Warner)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
^ Nash, Alanna (October 12, 1990). "Country". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
^ Lewis, Randy (September 16, 1990). "** 1/2 RANDY TRAVIS "Heroes and Friends" Warner Bros". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
^ "Randy Travis - Heroes and Friends CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
^ Christgau, Robert. "CG: Randy Travis". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
^ "Randy Travis Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
^ "Randy Travis Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2020.

[1] Heroes & Friends at AllMusic

[2] Hurst, Jack (October 4, 1990). "Randy Travis Heroes and Friends (Warner)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 24, 2013.

[3] Nash, Alanna (October 12, 1990). "Country". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 24, 2013.

[4] Lewis, Randy (September 16, 1990). "** 1/2 RANDY TRAVIS "Heroes and Friends" Warner Bros". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 24, 2013.

[5] "Randy Travis - Heroes and Friends CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved April 24, 2013.

[6] Christgau, Robert. "CG: Randy Travis". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved April 24, 2013.

[ac_Billboard200_Randy_Travis-7] "Randy Travis Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2020.

[ac_BillboardCountry_Randy_Travis-8] "Randy Travis Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2020.

[9] "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2020.

[10] "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2020.

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v t e Randy Travis
Albums Singles
Studio albums	Storms of Life Always & Forever Old 8×10 No Holdin' Back Heroes & Friends High Lonesome Wind in the Wire This Is Me Full Circle You and You Alone A Man Ain't Made of Stone Inspirational Journey Rise and Shine Worship & Faith Passing Through Glory Train: Songs of Faith, Worship, and Praise Around the Bend Anniversary Celebration Influence Vol. 1: The Man I Am Influence Vol. 2: The Man I Am
Compilation albums	Greatest Hits, Volume One Greatest Hits, Volume Two The Very Best of Randy Travis I Told You So: The Ultimate Hits of Randy Travis Three Wooden Crosses: The Inspirational Hits of Randy Travis
Holiday albums	An Old Time Christmas Songs of the Season
Notable singles	"On the Other Hand" "1982" "Diggin' Up Bones" "No Place Like Home" "Forever and Ever, Amen" "I Won't Need You Anymore (Always and Forever)" "Too Gone Too Long" "I Told You So" "Honky Tonk Moon" "Deeper Than the Holler" "Is It Still Over?" "Promises" "It's Just a Matter of Time" "Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart" "He Walked on Water" "A Few Ole Country Boys" "Heroes and Friends" "Point of Light" "Forever Together" "Better Class of Losers" "I'd Surrender All" "If I Didn't Have You" "Look Heart, No Hands" "An Old Pair of Shoes" "Cowboy Boogie" "Before You Kill Us All" "Whisper My Name" "This Is Me" "The Box" "Are We in Trouble Now" "Would I" "King of the Road" "Out of My Bones" "The Hole" "Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man" "Stranger in My Mirror" "A Man Ain't Made of Stone" "Baptism" "Three Wooden Crosses" "Where That Came From"
Other songs	"Voices That Care" "Singing the Blues" "Somewhere in My Broken Heart" "She's Got the Rhythm (And I Got the Blues)"
Related articles	Awards and nominations Filmography