Don't Close Your Eyes (album)

Don't Close Your Eyes
Studio album by
Keith Whitley
ReleasedMay 31, 1988
Recorded1987
StudioMusic City Music Hall, Sound Emporium (Nashville, TN)
GenreCountry
Length39:31
LabelRCA Records
ProducerGarth Fundis, Keith Whitley
Blake Mevis (tracks 6, 7)
Keith Whitley chronology
L.A. to Miami
(1985) 		Don't Close Your Eyes
(1988) 		I Wonder Do You Think of Me
(1989)
Singles from Don't Close Your Eyes
  1. "Would These Arms Be in Your Way"
    Released: June 1987
  2. "Some Old Side Road"
    Released: November 2, 1987
  3. "Don't Close Your Eyes"
    Released: March 1988
  4. "When You Say Nothing at All"
    Released: August 1988
  5. "I'm No Stranger to the Rain"
    Released: January 1989
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

Don't Close Your Eyes is the second studio album by American country music artist Keith Whitley and the last to be released during his lifetime. The album was released on May 31, 1988, by RCA Records. After the success of his debut album, L.A. to Miami (1985), Whitley re-entered the studio and began recording a second album with producer Blake Mevis. After its completion, Whitley was unhappy with its production, and he convinced his label to shelve the recordings. Don't Close Your Eyes was subsequently recorded with producer Garth Fundis.[2][3] The album's liner notes credit Fundis and Whitley with production on all tracks except "Some Old Side Road" and "Would These Arms Be in Your Way", which are credited to Mevis.[4]

The album became a commercial success, and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. It contained three consecutive number one hits on the Hot Country Singles chart: "Don't Close Your Eyes", "When You Say Nothing at All", and "I'm No Stranger to the Rain".

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Flying Colors"Kim Morrison, Gary Talley3:35
2."It's All Coming Back to Me Now"Don Cook, Curly Putman, Keith Whitley2:45
3."Lucky Dog"Bill Caswell, Verlon Thompson2:00A
4."Don't Close Your Eyes"Bob McDill4:11
5."The Birmingham Turnaround"Warren Robb, Sanger D. Shafer2:49
6."Some Old Side Road"Roger D. Ferris3:25
7."Would These Arms Be in Your Way"Hank Cochran, Vern Gosdin, Red Lane3:10A
8."I'm No Stranger to the Rain"Sonny Curtis, Ron Hellard3:33
9."I Never Go Around Mirrors"Lefty Frizzell, Shafer4:24
10."When You Say Nothing at All"Paul Overstreet, Don Schlitz3:40
11."A Day in the Life of a Fool"Mike Dekle, Byron Hill3:37A
12."Honky Tonk Heart"Johnny Neel, Lonnie Wilson3:04
  • AOmitted from LP and cassette versions.

Personnel

Compiled from liner notes.[5]

All tracks except "Some Old Side Road" and "Would These Arms Be in Your Way"
"Some Old Side Road" and "Would These Arms Be in Your Way"

Chart performance

Singles

Year Single Peak positions
US Country CAN Country
1987 "Would These Arms Be in Your Way" 36 —
"Some Old Side Road" 16 32
1988 "Don't Close Your Eyes" 1 2
"When You Say Nothing at All" 1 1
1989 "I'm No Stranger to the Rain" 1 1
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[11] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Production

  • Produced by Garth Fundis and Keith Whitley except for tracks 6 and 7, produced by Blake Mevis for Southwind Music, Inc.
  • Engineered By Bill Harris, Gary Laney & Todd Sholar
  • Mixed By Garth Fundis & Gary Laney
  • Digital Editing By Carlos Grier
  • Mastered By Denny Purcell

References

  1. ^ Owens, Thom. "Don't Close Your Eyes review". Allmusic. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
  2. ^ Jack Hurst (May 15, 1988). "Back In Focus". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  3. ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Keith Whitley: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  4. ^ Don't Close Your Eyes (CD booklet). Keith Whitley. RCA Records. 1988. 6494-2-R.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ^ Don't Close Your Eyes (CD booklet). Keith Whitley. RCA Records. 1988. 6494.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ^ "Keith Whitley Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  7. ^ "Keith Whitley Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  8. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1988". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  9. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1989". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  10. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  11. ^ "American album certifications – Keith Whitley – Don't Close Your Eyes". Recording Industry Association of America.