Maps of Music

Seasons of the Heart (1982)

Where the lyrics of Seasons of the Heart take you, and where it was really made.

The cover is a self-portrait of John Denver entering the Purple Cloud Cave in Hangzhou, China, and the album was written as a love poem to his estranged wife.

Place unknown

Do you know where this album was recorded, or where its cover was shot? Tell us and we will add it to the map.

Album story

Overview

• Seasons of the Heart: sixteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter John Denver
• Released in 1982
• Eleven tracks across two sides
• Cover: self-portrait of Denver entering the Purple Cloud Cave in Hangzhou, China
• Dedicated to his estranged wife, Annie; created as a love poem to her

Background

• The album was dedicated to Denver's estranged wife, Annie
• It was created as a love poem addressed to her
• Denver and Annie divorced the following year
• This was Denver's sixteenth studio album at its release

Recording

• Denver is credited on vocals, guitar, flute and saxophone
• Credited musicians: James Burton, Jerry Scheff, Glen Hardin, Jerry Carrigan, Jim Horn, Russell Powell, Denice Brooks, Herb Pedersen, Renée Armand
• Side one: Seasons of the Heart, Opposite Tables, Relatively Speaking, Dreams, Nothing But a Breeze, What One Man Can Do
• Side two: Shanghai Breezes, Islands, Heart to Heart, Perhaps Love, Children of the Universe
• Most songs are by Denver; Relatively Speaking has lyrics by Arthur Hancock, Dreams is by Stephen Geyer, Nothing But a Breeze is by Jesse Winchester, Children of the Universe is co-written with Joe Henry

Cover

• Self-portrait of Denver entering the Purple Cloud Cave in Hangzhou, China

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. on December 31, 1943, in Roswell, New Mexico; took the name John Denver on the advice of Randy Sparks, founder of the New Christy Minstrels.
• Attended Texas Tech University and sang in the folk group "The Alpine Trio" before dropping out in 1963 and moving to Los Angeles.
• Joined The Chad Mitchell Trio in 1965, replacing Chad Mitchell; the trio later became "Denver, Boise, and Johnson".

Members

• Solo artist; worked closely with producer Milt Okun early on and later with manager Jerry Weintraub.
• Collaborated with friends Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, who later formed the Starland Vocal Band.

Career

• Left the trio in 1969 for a solo career; first album Rhymes & Reasons on RCA Records.
• "Leaving on a Jet Plane" became a number one hit for Peter, Paul and Mary.
• Breakthrough with Poems, Prayers & Promises (1971) and "Take Me Home, Country Roads", which reached number 2 on the Billboard charts.
• Reached number 1 with "Sunshine on My Shoulders", "Annie's Song", "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" and "I'm Sorry" in 1974–1975.
• Named Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year in 1975.
• Starred in the 1977 film Oh, God! with George Burns.
• Co-founded The Hunger Project and worked for environmental causes through the Windstar Foundation.
• Died in a plane crash off Pacific Grove, California, on October 12, 1997.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Released in 1982 as the sixteenth studio album by John Denver
• Singles: "Shanghai Breezes" / "What One Man Can Do" and "Seasons of the Heart"
• Side one: Seasons of the Heart (3:48), Opposite Tables (3:56), Relatively Speaking (3:33), Dreams (3:02), Nothing But a Breeze (4:45), What One Man Can Do (3:04)
• Side two: Shanghai Breezes (3:12), Islands (3:49), Heart to Heart (3:55), Perhaps Love (1:53), Children of the Universe (4:05)
• Denver handled vocals, guitar, flute and saxophone
• Musicians credited: James Burton, Jerry Scheff, Glen Hardin, Jerry Carrigan, Jim Horn, Russell Powell, Denice Brooks, Herb Pedersen, Renée Armand
• Credits list Denver as main composer, with outside writers on four tracks

Records

• Chart performance and certification entries are not given in the source text
• The singles listed above are the only release-era records mentioned

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The album was dedicated to Denver's estranged wife, Annie, and written as a love poem to her.
• Denver and Annie divorced the following year.
• The cover is a self-portrait of Denver entering the Purple Cloud Cave in Hangzhou, China.
• Seasons of the Heart was Denver's sixteenth studio album.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Maps of Ages ↗ (mapsofages.com)

Privacy · Contact