Cage the Songbird

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Cage the Songbird
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 17, 1983
StudioSound Stage, Nashville, Tennessee; Warner Bros. Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California
GenreCountry
Length31:16
LabelWarner Bros. Nashville
ProducerJimmy Bowen
Crystal Gayle chronology
True Love
(1982)
Cage the Songbird
(1983)
Crystal Gayle's Greatest Hits
(1983)
Singles from Cage the Songbird
  1. "The Sound of Goodbye"
    Released: October 1983
  2. "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love"
    Released: February 25, 1984
  3. "Turning Away"
    Released: June 1984
  4. "Me Against the Night"
    Released: October 27, 1984
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [1]

Cage the Songbird is the eleventh studio album by American country music singer Crystal Gayle. Released on October 17, 1983, it peaked at #5 on the Billboard Country Album chart.[citation needed] Four of the album's tracks became Top 5 hits on the Country Singles chart, with two of them reaching #1. Chronologically they were "The Sound of Goodbye" (#1), "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love" (#2), "Turning Away" (#1), and "Me Against the Night" (#4).

The title song, "Cage the Songbird", was co-written and first recorded by Elton John in 1976 album, Blue Moves. "Victim or a Fool" was originally recorded by the songwriter, Rodney Crowell on his 1981 eponymous album.

"Take Me Home" was originally sung by Gayle on a Tom Waits composed 1982 soundtrack album called One from the Heart for a movie of the same name. The version on this album is a re-recorded longer version.

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Sound of Goodbye"Hugh Prestwood3:12
2."I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love"Joey Carbone3:15
3."Me Against the Night"Pam Rose, Mary Ann Kennedy, Pat Bunch2:49
4."Cage the Songbird"Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Davey Johnstone4:09
5."Turning Away"Tim Krekel2:55
6."Come Back (When You Can Stay Forever)"Chris Waters, Bucky Jones, Tom Shapiro2:55
7."Victim or a Fool"Rodney Crowell2:35
8."You Made a Fool Of Me"Melissa Cordell, Eric Borenstein3:30
9."On Our Way to Love"Norman Sallitt3:21
10."Take Me Home"Tom Waits2:35

Personnel[edit]

  • Crystal Gayle – lead vocals, harmony vocals (7)
  • Charles Cochran – electric piano (1, 2, 4, 7, 9), grand piano (3, 6, 9)
  • John Barlow Jarvis – grand piano (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10), electric piano (3, 6, 7)
  • Alan Steinberger – synthesizers (1)
  • Bobby Wood – organ (3, 5)
  • Billy Joe Walker Jr. – electric guitars (1-5, 8, 9), electric lead guitar (6, 7)
  • Reggie Young – electric guitars (1-9)
  • Chris Leuzinger – acoustic guitars (2, 3, 6-9)
  • David Hungate – bass (1-9)
  • Matt Betton – drums (1-9)
  • Jim Hornpiccolo flute (1), saxophone (2, 5, 6, 7), flute (4, 8, 9),recorder (4)
  • Larry Muhoberac – string arrangements (1-4, 6-10), string conductor (1-4, 7, 9, 10)
  • Billy Strange – string conductor (6, 8)
  • The Sid Sharp Strings – strings (1-4, 7, 9, 10)
  • Nashville String Machine – strings (6, 8)
  • Ava Aldridge – harmony vocals (1, 5, 6, 9)
  • Cindy Richardson – harmony vocals (1, 3-7, 9)

Production[edit]

  • Crystal Gayle – album direction
  • Jimmy Bowen – producer, recording
  • Lee Herschberg – engineer
  • Steve Tillisch – engineer
  • Ron Treat – engineer
  • Paul Brown – second engineer
  • J.T. Cantwell – second engineer
  • Mark Coddington – second engineer
  • Vicki Hicks – second engineer
  • David Hassinger – remix engineer
  • Glenn Meadows – mastering at Masterfonics (Nashville, Tennessee)
  • Simon Levy – art direction
  • Laura LiPuma – design
  • Harry Langdon – photography

Chart performance[edit]

Chart (1983) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums 5
U.S. Billboard 200 171