In Pieces (Garth Brooks album) explained

In Pieces is the fifth studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on August 31, 1993, by Liberty Records. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and the Top Country Albums chart.

The album was likewise a hit outside the United States. In the United Kingdom, it was Brooks' highest-placed album on the charts. It reached the top ten of the UK country album charts before it was issued officially (due to imports from both the United States and Ireland). Critics felt that this would ruin the album's sales once it was issued. However, when it was eventually issued in Britain in early 1994 it went to #1 on the country charts and reached #2 in the pop charts, and also produced two top-forty hit singles on the British pop charts.

The track "Callin' Baton Rouge" was previously a #37 peaking single in 1987 for the New Grass Revival, whose members back Brooks on his rendition. It was the first time the group had recorded together since they disbanded in 1989.

In an interview with BBC Radio DJ Richard Wooton, Brooks stated that the track "The Cowboy Song" (which was written in 1987 by Roy Robinson) was found in a trash can by someone on his team who liked the song and played the track to him.

Background

Brooks commented on the album saying:

Track listing

The track ordering has varied on different releases of this album.

Limited series

1. "Standing Outside the Fire"
2. "The Night I Called the Old Man Out"
3. "American Honky-Tonk Bar Association"
4. "One Night a Day"
5. "Kickin' and Screamin"
6. "Anonymous" (Tony Arata, Jon Schwabe) – 2:55
7. "Ain't Going Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)"
8. "The Red Strokes"
9. "Callin' Baton Rouge"
10. "The Night Will Only Know"
11. "The Cowboy Song"

The Remastered series

1. "Standing Outside the Fire"
2. "The Night I Called the Old Man Out"
3. "American Honky-Tonk Bar Association"
4. "One Night a Day"
5. "Ain't Going Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)"
6. "Anonymous"
7. "Kickin' and Screamin"
8. "The Red Strokes"
9. "Callin' Baton Rouge"
10. "The Night Will Only Know"
11. "The Cowboy Song"

Personnel

• Sam Bacco – percussion on "Standing Outside The Fire"
• Bruce Bouton – pedal steel guitar on "The Night I Called The Old Man Out" and "American Honky-Tonk Bar Association"; resonator guitar on "The Cowboy Song"
• Garth Brooks – vocals, acoustic guitar
• Sam Bush – mandolin on "Standing Outside The Fire", "Callin' Baton Rouge" and "The Cowboy Song"; fiddle and backing vocals on "Callin' Baton Rouge"
• Mark Casstevens – acoustic guitar
• Mike Chapman – bass guitar
• Kathy Chiavola – backing vocals
• John Cowan – backing vocals on "Callin' Baton Rouge"
• Helen Darling – harmony and backing vocals
• Jerry Douglas – resonator guitar on "The Red Strokes", "Callin' Baton Rouge" and "The Cowboy Song"
• Bobby Emmons – Hammond organ on "One Night a Day"
• Ty England – acoustic guitar, harmony and backing vocals on "Anonymous"
• Béla Fleck – banjo on "Callin' Baton Rouge"
• Pat Flynn – acoustic guitar on "Callin' Baton Rouge"
• Rob Hajacos – fiddle on "Standing Outside The Fire", "The Night I Called The Old Man Out", "American Honky-Tonk Bar Association", "Ain't Going Down (Til The Sun Comes Up)" and "The Cowboy Song"
• Jim Horn – saxophone on "One Night a Day"
• Roy Huskey Jr. – double bass on "The Cowboy Song"
• Chris Leuzinger – acoustic and electric guitars
• Steve McClure – electric and pedal steel guitars on "Anonymous"
• Terry McMillan – harmonica on "Ain't Goin' Down Til the Sun Comes Up"
• Farrell Morris – percussion on "Standing Outside The Fire"
• Mike Palmer – drums and percussion on "Anonymous"
• Milton Sledge – drums; percussion on "Standing Outside The Fire" and "The Night I Called The Old Man Out"
• Bobby Wood – keyboards
• Trisha Yearwood – harmony and backing vocals

Charts

In Pieces debuted at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, becoming his third, and #1 on the Top Country Albums, becoming his fourth #1 Country album. In August 2020, In Pieces was certified Diamond by the RIAA.

Weekly charts

Chart (1993–1994)	Peak position
Canadian Albums (RPM)	3
Canadian Country Albums (RPM)	1
European Albums Chart[1]	11
Irish Albums (IRMA)[2]	1

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions
		US Country	CAN Country	UK
1993	"Ain't Going Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)"	1	1	13
	"American Honky-Tonk Bar Association"	1	2	—
	"Standing Outside the Fire"	3	3	28
1994	"One Night a Day"	7	14	—
	"Callin' Baton Rouge"	2	1	—
	"The Red Strokes"	49	38	13

Year-end charts

Chart (1993)	Position
US Billboard 200[3]	17
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[4]	4
Chart (1994)	Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[5]	15
US Billboard 200[6]	29
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[7]	3
Chart (1995)	Position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[8]	48

Decade-end charts

Notes and References

1. Web site: Hits of the World – Eurochart. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. February 26, 1994. 43.
2. Web site: Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. January 29, 1994. July 21, 2012. 100.
3. Web site: Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1993. Billboard. February 22, 2021.
4. Web site: Top Country Albums – Year-End 1993. Billboard. February 22, 2021.
5. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Albums for 1994. Australian Recording Industry Association. February 22, 2021.
6. Web site: Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1994. Billboard. February 22, 2021.
7. Web site: Top Country Albums – Year-End 1994. Billboard. February 22, 2021.
8. Web site: Top Country Albums – Year-End 1995. Billboard. February 22, 2021.
9. Book: Geoff Mayfield . 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade – The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s . . December 25, 1999 . October 15, 2010.