Along the Road explained

Along the Road
Type:	studio
Artist:	Susan Ashton, Margaret Becker, Christine Denté
Cover:	Along the Road.jpeg
Alt:	A small, black-and-white photo of an outdoor staircase on a grassy hill in the top-right corner of an off-white field, with the album's and artists' names typed over it.
Released:	1994
Genre:	CCM, folk
Length:	51:11
Label:	Sparrow
Producer:	Wayne Kirkpatrick

Along the Road is an album by Susan Ashton, Margaret Becker, and Out of the Grey's Christine Denté, released in 1994.

Reception

Cashboxs Gary Keplinger said that on the album, the "distinct styles" of the trio were "perfectly blended to give us a sound that can be described best as heavenly.'"^[1] The album topped CCM Magazines readers poll for favorite inspirational album of the year in 1995, and the trio were nominated for the GMA Dove Award for Group of the Year.^[2]

Track listing

"Angels" – 5:37 (Jennifer Kimball, Tom Kimmel)
"Song of Reconciliation" – 4:27 (Wayne Kirkpatrick)
"No Other" – 4:28 (Becker, Donna Douglas)
"Walk On" – 4:00 (Gayla and Jeff Borders)
"Breathe on Me" – 4:50 (Lowell Alexander, Billy Simon)
"Blessing in Disguise" – 3:21 (Kirkpatrick, Gordon Kennedy, Billy Sprague)
"Taking My Time" – 3:41 (Christine Denté, Charlie Peacock)
"Near to You" – 4:37 (Susan Ashton, Gary Chapman)
"Oh Me of Little Faith" – 3:56 (Kim Patton, Michael Puryear)
"What Am I" – 3:16 (Kirkpatrick, Sprague)
"Waiting to Be Found" – 4:17 (Kirkpatrick, Sprague)
"Along the Road" – 4:41 (Dan Fogelberg)

Personnel

Main performers

Susan Ashton – lead vocal ("Song of Reconciliation", "Walk On", "Near to You", "Waiting to Be Found"), backing vocals
Margaret Becker – lead vocal ("No Other", "Blessing in Disguise", "Oh Me of Little Faith", "Along the Road"), backing vocals
Christine Denté – lead vocal ("Angels", "Breathe on Me", "Taking My Time", "What Am I"), backing vocals

Musicians

Carl Marsh – Fairlight strings (1, 4), keyboards (5, 7), Hammond B3 organ (8, 11)
John Mark Painter – accordion (3), string quartet arrangements (12)
Shane Keister – keyboards (5), Wurlitzer electric piano (7)
Wayne Kirkpatrick – acoustic guitar (1–5, 8, 10, 11, 12), acoustic piano (2), hi-string guitar (10), electric guitar (11)
Gordon Kennedy – acoustic guitar solo (1), electric guitar (2, 3, 4, 6–10), 12-string electric guitar (2), dobro (4), hi-string guitar (8, 10), talk box (9), finger snaps (9), floor stomps (9), acoustic guitar (11)
John D. Wills – mandolin (1), "cowboy" guitar (6), guitar bells (10)
Jerry McPherson – electric guitar (3–9, 11), finger snaps (9), floor stomps (9)
Jerry Douglas – Weissenborn guitar (5), lap steel guitar (9), finger snaps (9), floor stomps (9)
Jerry Kennedy – electric guitar (6)
Scott Denté – acoustic guitar (7)
Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass (1, 2, 9, 11), finger snaps (9), floor stomps (9)
Tommy Sims – bass (3–8, 10)
Steve Brewster – drums (1–4, 6, 9, 11), percussion (1, 10), tambourine (9), snare drum (9), finger snaps (9), floor stomps (9)
John Hammond – drums (5, 7, 8)
John Catchings – cello (12)
Kristin Wilkinson – viola (12)
David Davidson – violin (12)
Pamela Sixfin – violin (12)

Production

Wayne Kirkpatrick – producer
Peter York – executive producer
D'Ann McAlister – production assistant
JB – recording engineer, mixing
Shawn McLean – assistant tracking engineer
Todd Robbins – mix assistant
Wayne Mehl – technical assistant
The Bennett House, Franklin, Tennessee – track recording location
The Beanstalk, Brentwood, Tennessee – overdubs recording location
Mole End, Franklin, Tennessee – mix studio
Hank Williams – mastering at MasterMix, Nashville, Tennessee
Karen Philpott – art direction
Margo Chase – landscape photography
Mark Tucker – portrait photography
Johnny Villanueva – hair and makeup

Notes and References

News: Keplinger . Gary . September 3, 1994 . Ashton, Becker, and Denté: Along the Road (Sparrow) . January 15, 2024 . . 23.
Book: Escamilla, Brian . Contemporary Musicians . . 1997 . 17 . Detroit . 18 . January 15, 2024.