Winds of Change is the seventh studio album by singer-songwriter Russ Taff, released in 1995 on Reprise/Warner Bros. Nashville. It is Taff's first, and only, full-length mainstream country album. The title song and "I Cry" are the only two songs from his 1989 album The Way Home that he re-recorded for this album. The first country single "Love Is Not a Thing" debuted on Billboards Hot Country Songs chart on January 14, 1995, at number 64, peaking at number 53 on February 25, 1995, spending a total of 9 weeks. "One and Only Love" and "Bein' Happy" were also released as singles and music videos performing moderately well on country radio and CMT. Well-known country songwriter/producer/musician Randy Scruggs produced the album's first six tracks, while Taff and his long-time guitarist James Hollihan Jr. produced the remaining four tracks.
Track listing
- Tracks 1 - 6 produced by Randy Scruggs
- Tracks 7 - 10 produced by Russ Taff and James Hollihan Jr.
Personnel
- Russ Taff â lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar
- Larry Hall â acoustic piano
- James Hollihan Jr. â acoustic piano, keyboards, organ, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide guitar, bass, percussion, string arrangements
- John Barlow Jarvis â acoustic piano
- Steve Nathan â keyboards, organ
- Matt Rollings â acoustic piano
- Billy Joe Walker Jr. â acoustic guitar
- Chris Leuzinger â electric guitar
- Randy Scruggs â electric guitar
- Jerry Douglas â dobro
- Terry Crisp â steel guitar
- Paul Franklin â steel guitar
- Al Perkins â steel guitar
- Mike Brignardello â bass
- Jackie Street â bass
- Willie Weeks â bass
- John Hammond â drums
- Paul Leim â drums
- Tom Roady â percussion
- Rob Hajacos â fiddle
- John Darnall â string conductor
- Carl Gorodetzky â string contractor
- Nashville String Machine â strings
- Michael Black â backing vocals
- Cynthia Clawson â backing vocals
- Michael English â backing vocals
- Bonnie Keen â backing vocals
- Mac McAnally â backing vocals
- Jonell Mosser â backing vocals
- John Wesley Ryles â backing vocals
- Dennis Wilson â backing vocals
- Curtis Young â backing vocals
Production
- Doug Grau â executive producer, A&R
- Lynn Fuston â recording
- James Hollihan Jr. â recording
- Russ Long â recording
- Ron "Snake" Reynolds â recording
- Paul "Salvo" Salveson â recording
- Steve Tillisch â recording, mixing
- Brian Hardin â second engineer
- Benny Quinn â digital editing and mastering at Masterfonics (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Laura LiPuma-Nash â art direction, design
- Peter Nash â photography
- Zack Glickman â management
- Walt Quinn â management
Critical reception
Tim Griggs of AllMusic said "With the aid of Nashville's elite studio musicians, Russ Taff makes a joyful noise on 'Bein' Happy,' the album opener on Winds of Change. Taff and gang then tackle topics such a marriage, love, and heartache with mixed results."
Singles
References