The Key (Vince Gill album)

The Key is the eighth studio album from American country music artist Vince Gill. It was released in 1998 on MCA Nashville. It features the singles "If You Ever Have Forever in Mind," "Kindly Keep It Country," "Don't Come Cryin' to Me" (an uncredited duet with Dawn Sears) and "My Kind of Woman/My Kind of Man." This final track was also included on Patty Loveless's 1999 compilation album, Classics. This was Gill's first No. 1 Country Album.

The Key
Studio album by Vince Gill
Released	August 11, 1998
Genre	Country
Length	45:15
Label	MCA Nashville
Producer	Tony Brown
Vince Gill chronology
High Lonesome Sound (1996) The Key (1998) Breath of Heaven: A Christmas Collection (1998)
Singles from The Key
"If You Ever Have Forever in Mind" Released: May 25, 1998 "Kindly Keep It Country" Released: October 10, 1998 "Don't Come Cryin' to Me" Released: January 23, 1999 "My Kind of Woman/My Kind of Man" Released: May 24, 1999

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Chicago Tribune	(favorable) ^[2]
Entertainment Weekly	A ^[3]

Track listing

All songs written by Vince Gill except where noted.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Don't Come Cryin' to Me" (featuring Dawn Sears)	Gill, Reed Nielsen	3:06
2.	"If You Ever Have Forever in Mind"	Gill, Troy Seals	4:38
3.	"I Never Really Knew You"		2:14
4.	"Kindly Keep It Country"		3:09
5.	"All Those Years"		3:57
6.	"I'll Take Texas"		2:05
7.	"My Kind of Woman/My Kind of Man" (duet with Patty Loveless)		3:53
8.	"There's Not Much Love Here Anymore"		3:28
9.	"Let Her In"		3:03
10.	"The Hills of Caroline"		4:44
11.	"Live to Tell It All"	Gill, Sonya Isaacs	3:36
12.	"What They All Call Love"		3:20
13.	"The Key to Life"		4:02

Personnel

Compiled from liner notes.^[4]

The band

• Vince Gill – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin
• Hargus "Pig" Robbins – keyboards, pianos
• Steve Gibson – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
• Randy Scruggs – acoustic guitar
• John Hughey – steel guitar
• Glenn Worf – bass
• Eddie Bayers – drums
• Stuart Duncan – fiddle
• Larry Franklin – fiddle
• Bergen White – string arrangements and conductor
• Patty Loveless – lead vocals on "My Kind of Woman/My Kind of Man"

Background vocalists

• Bergen White – BGV arrangements
• Dawn Sears (Track 1)
• Lisa Cochran, Michael Eldred, Jon Mark Ivey, Marabeth Jordan, Lisa Silver and Dennis Wilson (Track 2)
• Sara Evans (Track 3)
• Lee Ann Womack (Track 4)
• Liana Manis and Curtis Young (Track 5)
• Shelby Lynne (Tracks 6 & 8)
• Sonya Isaacs, Billy Thomas and Jeff White (Track 9)
• Alison Krauss, Billy Thomas and Jeff White (10)
• Sonya Isaacs (Track 11)
• Faith Hill (Track 12)

Production

• Tony Brown – producer
• Chuck Ainlay – recording, mixing
• Steve Marcantonio – recording
• Tim Coyle – second engineer
• Steve Crowder – second engineer
• Chris Davie – second engineer
• Todd Gunnerson – second engineer
• Mark Ralston – second engineer
• Glenn Spinner – second engineer
• Aaron Swihart – second engineer
• Denny Purcell – mastering
• Benny Garcia – guitar technician
• Jessie Noble – project coordinator
• Virginia Team – art direction
• Chuck Ferrara – design
• Jim McGuire – photography

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1998) Peak position Canadian Albums (RPM) 25 Canadian Country Albums (RPM) 2 US Billboard 200^[5] 11 US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[6] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1998) Position US Billboard 200^[7] 173 US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[8] 24 Chart (1999) Position US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[9] 20

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[10]	Platinum	1,000,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Jurek, Thom. The Key at AllMusic. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
2. Dretzka, Gary (October 4, 1998). "Vince Gill The Key (MCA)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
3. Nash, Alanna (September 11, 1998). "The Key Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
4. The Key (CD booklet). Vince Gill. MCA Nashville. 1998. MCAD-70017.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
5. "Vince Gill, TLP". Billboard. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
6. "Vince Gill, CLP". Billboard. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
7. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
8. "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
9. "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1999". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
10. "American album certifications – Vince Gill – The Key". Recording Industry Association of America.