It Would Be You Explained

It Would Be You is the second studio album by American country music singer Gary Allan. It was released on May 19, 1998, as his last studio album for the Decca Records Nashville label. After that album's release, Decca Records Nashville closed, and Allan subsequently transferred to Decca’s parent label MCA Records Nashville. The album produced three singles with the title track, "No Man in His Wrong Heart", and "I'll Take Today". The title track was Allan's second Top 10 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart at number 7.

Content

"No Judgement Day", the final track on this album, is a hidden track.^[1] Written by Allen Shamblin, this song is based on the true story of a restaurant owner in Texas who was murdered by a former employee and two accomplices in search of money. It plays a minute after the last listed song, "Forgotten But Not Gone", finishes.^[2]

Just like Allan's previous album, several songs on this album were originally recorded by other artists. "Don't Leave Her Lonely Too Long" was written by Marty Stuart, whose original recording (from his 1990 album Hillbilly Rock) was a number 42 hit on the country charts in 1989. "She Loves Me (She Don't Love You)" was originally recorded by Conway Twitty, and later by George Strait on his 1990 album Livin' It Up. In addition, the single "I'll Take Today" was originally recorded by Tanya Tucker on her 1994 album Fire to Fire, and by Ty England on his 1996 album Two Ways to Fall. "Forgotten but Not Gone" was originally a single for Keith Palmer in 1991. "I've Got a Quarter in My Pocket" was later recorded by fellow artist Mark Chesnutt as the opening track to his 2016 album Tradition Lives.

Personnel

• Gary Allan – lead vocals
• Chad Cromwell – drums
• Dan Dugmore – steel guitar
• Glen Duncan – fiddle
• Paul Franklin – steel guitar
• Jake Holder – electric guitar solo
• John Barlow Jarvis – Hammond organ, piano
• Jake Kelly – acoustic guitar
• B. James Lowry – 9-string acoustic guitar, acoustic guitar
• Steve Nathan – Hammond organ, piano, synthesizer, Wurlitzer
• Michael Rhodes – bass guitar
• Tom Roady – percussion
• Brent Rowan – electric guitar, tic tac bass
• Rivers Rutherford – acoustic guitar
• John Wesley Ryles – background vocals
• Hank Singer – fiddle
• Harry Stinson – background vocals
• Dennis Wilson – background vocals
• Curtis Young – background vocals

Charts

Chart (1998)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums	21
U.S. Billboard 200	132
U.S. Billboard Top Heateekers	2

Notes and References

1. Web site: Gary Allan - It Would Be You . 2008-05-25 . Remz . Jeffrey B. . Country Standard Time.
2. Pond . Neil . November 1998 . Sound Advice: Dwight's Long Way Home . Country America . 10 . 1 . 30.