Mary Chapin Carpenter
In 1994, Mary Chapin Carpenter was at the pinnacle of country music. The singer-songwriter's fourth album for Columbia, Come On Come On, was the biggest seller of her career. Singles were still being released from that album in early 1994 and later in the year she released her next endeavor: Stones in the Road. While it ultimately would not sell as many copies as Come On Come On, it would have higher chart success and garner prestigious awards. Carpenter was backed by an A-list band on the self-penned album: keyboardist Benmont Tench, guitarists Lee Roy Parnell and Steuart Smith, and backing vocalists Trisha Yearwood, Shawn Colvin, and Linda Williams. The lead single off the album, "Shut Up and Kiss Me" became Carpenter's first No. 1 Country song (it hit No. 90 on the Pop chart). Other Country-charting singles were "Tender When I Want to Be" (No. 6), "House of Cards" (No. 21), and "Why Walk When You Can Fly?" (No. 45). Another notable song was the title track which Joan Baez first covered in 1992. The album would give Carpenter two other firsts: her first album to top the Country survey and the first to reach the top 10 of the Billboard 200 when it hit No. 10. Stones in the Road would then earn a Grammy for Best Country Album, and "Shut Up and Kiss Me" earned Carpenter her fourth consecutive Best Female Country Vocal Performance Grammy. This reissue is the first time Stones has been released on vinyl. For its 30th anniversary, Real Gone is expanding the album by adding the four tracks from the 1995 UK EP Live at Her Majesty's Theatre. This EP was recorded on December 4, 1994 in London (at the home of Phantom of the Opera, no less) and first aired on BBC Radio 2. The four tracks include 3 songs from Stones and "This Shirt" from State of the Heart. The songs are featured on Side 4 of Real Gone's reissue. Released with the full consent of support of Carpenter, Real Gone's 2-LP vinyl edition comes on yellow highlighter vinyl. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.