The Collection (Amy Grant album)

The Collection
Compilation album by
ReleasedJuly 22, 1986
Recorded1978–86
Studio
GenreContemporary Christian music
Length69:12
LabelMyrrh, A&M
ProducerBrown Bannister
Johnny Potoker
Amy Grant chronology
Unguarded
(1985)
The Collection
(1986)
The Animals' Christmas
(1986)
Singles from The Collection
  1. "Stay for Awhile"
    Released: 1986
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

The Collection is a compilation album by Christian music singer Amy Grant, released in 1986 (see 1986 in music).

The Collection was the first compilation of Grant's music to be released, and it was issued after her crossover success in 1985 with the album Unguarded. The Collection spanned Grant's first decade in music, and featured the new songs "Stay for Awhile" and "Love Can Do", the former of which was a Top Twenty Adult Contemporary hit in the United States.

Release

The Collection was originally released in two different versions: a cassette version and an LP version. The LP version was directed to her newer fans, who knew her primarily for her Top 40 pop hit "Find a Way". The cassette version was directed to her older fans, who knew her for her Christian work as well as her secular work. The LP version contained ten tracks, and the cassette version contained fifteen tracks. In 1990, The Collection was re-released on CD with the 15 tracks featured on the cassette version, and two additional tracks, "Too Late" and "I'm Gonna Fly". Word Canada accidentally released the ten-track LP version to CD. The cover and tray art were that of the seventeen-track version causing confusion and recalls. They later issued the seventeen-track version as well. Of Grant's albums released prior to this compilation's release, Amy Grant (1977) and In Concert (1981) are the only albums that are not represented with songs included on this compilation. According to CCM Magazine, The Collection is the best-selling Christian music compilation album ever released, having sold in excess of 1 million copies.

An unauthorized reproduction of the album artwork (featuring Grant) was used for issue No. 15 of the Marvel Comics series Dr. Strange (1990).[2] Apparently, the issue's artist was a fan of the singer and decided to use her likeness for a character in the story.

In 2007, The Collection was reissued and digitally remastered by Grant's new record label, EMI/Sparrow Records. The remastered edition is labeled with a "Digitally Remastered" logo in the 'gutter' on the CD front.[3]

Track listing

LP version

Side A

No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Stay for Awhile"Amy Grant, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Michael W. Smithnew recording5:37
2."Find a Way"Grant, SmithUnguarded (1985)3:27
3."Everywhere I Go"Mary Lee KortesUnguarded4:10
4."Angels"Grant, Brown Bannister, Gary Chapman, SmithStraight Ahead (1984)4:10
5."El Shaddai"Michael Card, John ThompsonAge to Age (1982)4:06

Side B

No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Love Can Do"Grant, Kirkpatrick, Smithnew recording4:22
2."Sing Your Praise to the Lord"Rich MullinsAge to Age3:17
3."Father's Eyes"ChapmanMy Father's Eyes (1979)4:05
4."Thy Word"Grant, SmithStraight Ahead3:19
5."Emmanuel"SmithA Christmas Album (1983)3:07

Original cassette version

Side one

No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Stay for Awhile"Grant, Kirkpatrick, Smithnew recording5:37
2."Love Can Do"Grant, Kirkpatrick, Smithnew recording4:22
3."Find a Way"Grant, SmithUnguarded3:27
4."Everywhere I Go"KortesUnguarded4:10
5."Angels"Grant, Bannister, Chapman, SmithStraight Ahead4:10
6."Thy Word"Grant, SmithStraight Ahead3:19
7."Emmanuel"SmithA Christmas Album3:07
8."Where Do You Hide Your Heart"Grant, SmithStraight Ahead3:55

Side two

No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Sing Your Praise to the Lord"MullinsAge to Age3:17
2."In a Little While"Grant, Bannister, Chapman, Shane KeisterAge to Age4:22
3."El Shaddai"Card, ThompsonAge to Age4:06
4."I Have Decided"CardAge to Age3:16
5."All I Ever Have to Be"ChapmanNever Alone (1980)2:38
6."Father's Eyes"ChapmanMy Father's Eyes4:05
7."Ageless Medley"Grant, Bannister, Card, Chapman, Chris Christian, Mullins, Thompsonnon-album single (1983)6:10

CD version

No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Stay for Awhile"Grant, Kirkpatrick, Smithnew recording5:37
2."Love Can Do"Grant, Kirkpatrick, Smithnew recording4:22
3."Find a Way"Grant, SmithUnguarded3:27
4."Everywhere I Go"KortesUnguarded4:10
5."Angels"Grant, Bannister, Chapman, SmithStraight Ahead4:10
6."Thy Word"Grant, SmithStraight Ahead3:19
7."Emmanuel"SmithA Christmas Album3:07
8."Where Do You Hide Your Heart"Grant, SmithStraight Ahead3:55
9."Sing Your Praise to the Lord"MullinsAge to Age3:17
10."In a Little While"Grant, Bannister, Chapman, KeisterAge to Age4:22
11."El Shaddai"Card, ThompsonAge to Age4:06
12."I Have Decided"CardAge to Age3:16
13."Too Late" (live)Grant, Bannister, ChristianIn Concert Volume Two (1981)4:24
14."I'm Gonna Fly" (live)GrantIn Concert Volume Two4:23
15."All I Ever Have to Be"ChapmanNever Alone2:38
16."Father's Eyes"ChapmanMy Father's Eyes4:05
17."Ageless Medley"Grant, Bannister, Card, Chapman, Christian, Mullins, Thompsonnon-album single6:10

Personnel

Production

  • Executive producers – Michael Blanton, Dan Harrell and Gary Chapman
  • Producer – Brown Bannister
  • Co-Producer on "Stay for Awhile" and "Love Can Do" – John Potoker
  • Engineers – Sabrina Buchanek, Ed Goodreau and John Potoker
  • Additional Engineering – J.T. Cantwell, Spencer Chrislu and Steve McMillan
  • Mixed by Sabrina Buchanek and Ed Goodreau at Blue Jay Recording (Carlisle, Massachusetts) and Larrabee Sound Studios (North Hollywood, California)
  • Mastered by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California)
  • Art direction and design – Kent Hunter
  • Photography – Mark Tucker

Charts

Weekly charts

Year Chart Position
1986 The Billboard 200 66
1987 Top Contemporary Christian 1

End of year charts

Year Chart Position
1986 U.S. Billboard Inspirational Albums 21
1987 2
1988 1
1989 10
1990 8
1991 13

End-of-decade charts

Chart (1980–1989) Rank
US Billboard Top Contemporary Christian[5] 1

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[6] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Accolades

GMA Dove Awards

Year Winner Category
1988 "Stay for Awhile" Short Form Music Video of the Year

References

  1. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r728646/review
  2. ^ Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #144
  3. ^ Sparrow Records News[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "The Collection". Archived from the original on April 6, 2011. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  5. ^ "Top Christian Albums – 1980's". Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  6. ^ "American album certifications – Amy Grant – The Collection". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 29, 2019.