Maps of Music

Pieces of the Sky (1975)

Where the lyrics of Pieces of the Sky take you, and where it was really made.

This was Emmylou Harris's second studio album, yet it is widely treated as her debut because it launched her career.

Key places

Enactron Truck, Los Angeles (1975)

Recording site Motown Recording Studios — The album's recording is linked to the Enactron Truck studio in Los Angeles. The point is placed at the city center, not at the exact location of the truck. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Track Recorders, Silver Spring (1975)

Recording site Track Recorders — Track Recorders in Silver Spring, Maryland is also listed as a recording site for the album. The point is placed at the city center. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Rented house in Beverly Hills (1975)

Recording site Beverly Hills (rented house) — The album was recorded at a large house rented in Beverly Hills, with producer Brian Ahern setting up the studio in the garden. The point follows the Beverly Hills coordinates on North Rexford Drive. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Pieces of the Sky is the second studio album by American country singer Emmylou Harris
• Released February 7, 1975 by Reprise Records
• It is her major-label debut
• Her earlier album Gliding Bird was obscure, but this album launched her career and is widely considered her debut
• Its single "If I Could Only Win Your Love" reached No. 4 on the Billboard country chart, her first high-charting country hit

Background

• Between her two albums she built a musical relationship with Gram Parsons that changed the direction of her career
• Parsons died the year before this album; her own "Boulder to Birmingham" was written for him
• After Parsons's death she was deeply grieved, and she worked with producer Brian Ahern
• It was her first album released under her own name
• The song selection was varied, showing early how eclectic her tastes were

Recording

• The album was recorded at a large rented house in Beverly Hills, with the studio set up in the garden
• Many musicians took part, including James Burton and Glen D. Hardin, guitarist and pianist-arranger of Elvis Presley
• Bernie Leadon, Bill Payne, Herb Pedersen, Rodney Crowell, Amos Garrett, Richard Greene and Byron Berline also played on it
• Brian Ahern produced the album
• Linda Ronstadt sings harmony on "Queen of the Silver Dollar"

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• Born April 2, 1947 in Birmingham, Alabama; American singer, songwriter, musician, bandleader and activist.
• Regarded as a leading artist of the country rock genre in the 1970s and of Americana in the 1990s.
• Began in the Greenwich Village folk scene in the late 1960s; first album Gliding Bird (1970) under the name "Emmy Lou Harris".
• Discovered by Gram Parsons in 1971; sang harmony on his GP (1973) and worked with him on Grievous Angel before his death in 1973.
• Breakthrough with Pieces of the Sky (1975); five US country number-one singles by 1980.
• Trio (1987) with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt became her best-selling album; At the Ryman (1992) renewed interest in the Ryman Auditorium.
• Wrecking Ball (1995), produced by Daniel Lanois, is seen as a turning point toward Americana.
• Estimated over 15 million records sold; 13 Grammy Awards; inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008.
• Founded the dog rescue Bonaparte's Retreat in Nashville; organizes the Concerts for a Landmine-Free World benefit tour since 1999.

Reception

At release

• Reached No. 7 on the Billboard country albums chart
• "If I Could Only Win Your Love" reached No. 4, Harris's first high-charting Billboard country hit
• "Too Far Gone" reached only No. 73, though it was originally a 1967 hit for Tammy Wynette

Reappraisal

• Included in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die

Records

• At the 18th Annual Grammy Awards, the duet with Herb Pedersen on "If I Could Only Win Your Love" was nominated for Best Female Country Vocal Performance
• That award went to Linda Ronstadt for "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)"
• Dolly Parton was also nominated that same year, for "Jolene" from the album In Concert
• Harris, Ronstadt and Parton later made the Trio and Trio II albums together, and the trio won Grammys for both

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Gram Parsons, with whom Harris worked before this album, died the year before its release, and "Boulder to Birmingham" was written for him
• Dolly Parton later covered "Boulder to Birmingham" on her 1976 album All I Can Do
• The song selection mixed a Merle Haggard classic, a Beatles song and a Dolly Parton song
• Linda Ronstadt, Harris's longtime friend and vocal collaborator, sings harmony on "Queen of the Silver Dollar"
• The album was included in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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