Almost Heaven Explained

Almost Heaven
Type:	studio
Artist:	The Kelly Family
Cover:	Almost Heaven.jpg
Released:	October 25, 1996
Recorded:	1996
Studio:	Sound Studio N (Cologne, Germany) Capri Digital Studio (Capri, Italy)
Length:	48:35
Label:	Kel-Life
Prev Title:	Christmas for All
Prev Year:	1995
Next Title:	Growin' Up
Next Year:	1997

Almost Heaven is the tenth regular studio album by European-American pop group The Kelly Family. Based on a concept by Dan Kelly, it was co-produced by Kathy and Paddy Kelly and released in 1996 throughout most of Europe. Following the major success of previous albums Over the Hump and Christmas for All and the number-one single "I Can't Help Myself," the album debuted number-one in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. It also entered the top 5 in the Netherlands and Norway and made it to the top 20 in Belgium. Almost Heaven eventually sold more than three million copies worldwide, making it the band's second biggest-selling release to date.^[1]

Personnel

Credits are taken from the album's liner notes.^[2]

Instruments and performances

• Johan Daansen – mouth harp
• Angelo Kelly – drums, percussion, washboard, timbales, vocals
• Barby Kelly – vocals, electric guitar,akustic guitar,perkussions,conga,piano,bongo
• Jimmy Kelly – acoustic guitar, electric-zither, spoons, vocals
• Joey Kelly – acoustic guitars, electric guitars, vocals

• John Kelly – acoustic guitars, electric guitar, percussions, vocals
• Kathy Kelly – accordion, keyboards, hammond, organ, piano, violin, vocals
• Maite Kelly – percussions, bass, vocals
• Patricia Kelly – harp, vocals
• Paddy Kelly – banjo, bass, guitars, keyboards, mandolin, tabla, percussions

Technical and production

• Album concept: Dan Kelly
• Writing: The Kelly Family
• Recording: Jan Shurman
• Mastering: Georgi Nedelschev, Dieter Wegner
• Mixing: Günther Kasper, G. Nedelschev, Kathy Kelly, Paddy Kelly, Max Volume

• Engineers: Günther "Mr. Cool" Kasper, Max Carola, Max Volume, Jürgen Lusky
• Engineering assistance: Alessandro Benedetti
• Photography: Thomas Stachelhaus
• Styling: Uschi Ries
• Litho: RGI Dortmund Germany

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (1996)	Position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)^[3]	25
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[4]	58
Chart (1997)	Position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)^[5]	43
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[6]	67
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[7]	16

External links

• KellyFamily.de — official site

Notes and References

1. Web site: Die Kelly Family. 23 November 1997. Berliner Kurier. 24 September 2008. German.
2. Almost Heaven . The Kelly Family. 1996 . CD liner . KEL-Life Records.
3. Web site: Jahreshitparade Alben 1996. austriancharts.at. August 30, 2020.
4. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 1996. dutchcharts.nl. August 30, 2020.
5. Web site: Jahreshitparade Alben 1997. austriancharts.at. August 30, 2020.
6. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 1997. Ultratop. August 30, 2020.
7. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 1997. dutchcharts.nl. August 30, 2020.