Performer Notes
- Personnel includes: Vince Gill, Patty Loveless (vocals); Dawn Sears, Dennis William Wilson, Lisa Silver, Marabeth Jordan, John Mark Ivey, Lisa Cochran, Michael Eldred, Sara Evans, Lee Ann Womack, Liana Manis, Curtis Young, Shelby Lynne, Jeff White, Billy Thomas, Sonya Isaacs, Alison Krauss, Faith Hill (background vocals).
- All tracks have been digitally mastered using HDCD technology.
- "If You Ever Have Forever In Mind" won the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance and was nominated for Best Country Song. "My Kind Of Woman/My Kind Of Man" was nominated for a 1999 Grammy for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals. "Don't Come Cryin' To Me" was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.
- Personnel: Vince Gill (vocals); Patty Loveless (vocals); Curtis Young, Dawn Sears, Faith Hill, Jon Mark Ivey, Mike Eldred, Dennis William, Jeff White, Lee Ann Womack, Lisa Cochran, Lisa Silver, Marabeth Jordan, Alison Krauss, Sara Evans, Shelby Lynne, Sonya Isaacs, Bergen White, Billy Thomas, Liana Manis, Dennis Wilson (background vocals).
- Audio Mixers: Chuck Ainlay; Tim Coyle; Glenn Spinner; Mark Ralston; Chris Davie; Todd Gunnerson.
- Recording information: Big Javelina Studios; Emerald Sound Studios; Ocean Way Studios; Sound Emporium, Nashville, TN; Sound Imporium; Sound Kitchen Studios.
- Photographer: McGuire.
- Unknown Contributor Roles: Trish Townsend; Glenn Worf; Larry Franklin; Randy Scruggs; Stuart Duncan; Vince Gill; Eddie Bayers; John Hughey; Hargus "Pig" Robbins; Steve Gibson .
- Vince Gill's THE KEY is essentially a crash course on the history of country music. Inspired by the death of his father to return to the classic country of his youth, Gill has created a primer of traditional country styles. Each song highlights a different style, from Western swing and the Bakersfield sound to waltzes and great male/female duets. But Gill's talents as a guitarist and vocalist keep THE KEY hanging together as a unified whole.
- Guest vocalists Faith Hill, Lee Ann Womack, Sara Evans and Alison Krauss are used to great effect--particularly Womack, on the jukebox weeper "Kindly Keep It Country." A standout is "My Kind of Woman/My Kind of Man," Vince's first full-fledged duet with Patty Loveless. But the album's centerpiece is Gill's autobiographical song about his dad, "The Key to Life." It underscores the fact that, as well as being a fine album, THE KEY is also a heartfelt tribute to the man who first inspired Gill to make music.
Professional Reviews
Entertainment Weekly (9/11/98, p.133) - "...This redemptive album returns him to a traditional sound and to the heart of his talent. Guests like Patty Loveless, Alison Krauss, Sara Evans, and Shelby Lynne add more than just window dressing, but the show is still Gill's." - Rating: A
