"I Know How the River Feels" is a song written by Steven Dale Jones and Amy Powers. First recorded by Ty Herndon, it has been released as a single by both Diamond Rio and McAlyster.
| "I Know How the River Feels" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Diamond Rio | ||||
| from the album Unbelievable | ||||
| B-side | "What More Do You Want from Me"[1] | |||
| Released | March 29, 1999 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:40 | |||
| Label | Arista Nashville | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Steven Dale Jones Amy Powers | |||
| Producer(s) | Mike Clute Diamond Rio | |||
| Diamond Rio singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
History
editThe song was originally recorded by Ty Herndon on his 1996 album Living in a Moment. Herndon said that he chose to record the song after a friend had died from cancer. Doug Johnson, then the senior vice president of Epic Records, told Billboard, "I think there is magic in the way he delivers that song."[2]
Diamond Rio then covered the song for their album Unbelievable, and released it as the album's third single in March 1999. It was the first song in the band's career to feature outside musicians; specifically, a string section.[3]
A year later, McAlyster recorded a demo, which was submitted to MCA Nashville and released as the group's only single.[4]
Critical reception
editMikel Toombs of the San Diego Union-Tribune described Diamond Rio's version negatively in his review of the album, saying that "There's nothing too embarrassing here, save the anything-for-a-metaphor 'I Know How the River Feels'.[5]
Billboard gave the McAlyster version a mixed review, calling it "a pretty song and a promising performance, but where it fits in the country format remains to be seen."[6]
Chart performance
editDiamond Rio
edit"I Know How the River Feels" debuted at number 74 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of March 27, 1999.
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[7] | 28 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[8] | 33 |
McAlyster
edit| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Hot Country Songs (Billboard) | 69[9] |
References
edit- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 124. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
- ^ Price, Deborah Evans (July 13, 1996). "Herndon is 'living' with honesty". Billboard. pp. 34, 36.
- ^ Van Wyk, Anika (13 July 1999). "Diamond Rio keeps mind on music". canoe.ca. Archived from the original on August 1, 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "MCA to Release Demo as Single". CMT. 24 August 2000. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011.
- ^ Toombs, Mikel (30 July 1998). "Album reviews: Country". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 6 April 2012.[dead link]
- ^ "Single reviews: Country". Billboard. 18 November 2000. p. 29.
- ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 8400." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. July 12, 1999. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
- ^ "Diamond Rio Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ Whitburn, p. 261
