Unguarded (Amy Grant album)

Unguarded is the sixth studio album, and ninth album by Christian music singer Amy Grant, released in 1985 on A&M Records. It is Grant's first album released by A&M.

Unguarded
Studio album by
Amy Grant
ReleasedMay 15, 1985
Recorded1984–1985
Studio
GenreContemporary Christian music
Length43:33
LabelMyrrh, A&M
ProducerBrown Bannister
Amy Grant chronology
Straight Ahead
(1984)		 Unguarded
(1985)		 The Collection
(1986)
Singles from Unguarded
  1. "Find a Way"
    Released: 1985
  2. "Everywhere I Go"
    Released: 1985
  3. "Wise Up"
    Released: 1985
  4. "Sharayah"
    Released: 1985
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Cross Rhythms[2]

When Unguarded was released in 1985, Amy Grant was probably the most popular star in contemporary Christian music, recording songs with religious lyrics in the pop/rock style of the day. With this album, however, the religious content of the lyrics was scaled back as compared with her two previous regular studio albums, Age to Age and Straight Ahead. The album track "I Love You" was Grant's first secular love song from her own pen. Despite this, the album's lead-off single, "Find a Way", was a number one hit on the Christian radio charts. Four other singles from the album were also Top Ten Christian radio hits.

The aggressive mainstream style of the songs on Unguarded, combined with a heavy promotional campaign on the part of the album's distributor in secular outlets, A&M Records, helped three of its singles reach the mainstream charts. "Find a Way" was a Top Ten hit on the Adult Contemporary chart and peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100, while "Everywhere I Go" was a Top Thirty AC single and "Wise Up" was a minor charting single on the Hot 100. Unguarded would be certified gold in September 1985, and platinum in June 1986.

In 2007, Unguarded was reissued and digitally remastered by Grant's new record label, EMI/Sparrow Records. The remastered edition is labeled with a "Digitally Remastered" logo in the 'gutter' on the CD front.[3]

This was the final album to be recorded at Caribou Ranch, which was owned by former Chicago producer/manager James William Guercio before the infamous March 1985 fire that destroyed the studio's control room.

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Love of Another Kind"Amy Grant, Gary Chapman, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Rich Mullins3:22
2."Find a Way"Grant, Michael W. Smith3:28
3."Everywhere I Go"Mary Lee Kortes4:12
4."I Love You"Grant, Dann Huff, Smith4:25
5."Stepping In Your Shoes"Grant, Chris Eaton4:37
6."Fight"Grant, Chapman, Huff4:42
7."Wise Up"Kirkpatrick, Billy Simon3:51
8."Who to Listen to"Chapman, Tim Marsh, Mark Wright4:22
9."Sharayah"Grant, Eaton4:53
10."The Prodigal (I'll Be Waiting)"Grant, Chapman, Robbie Buchanan5:10

Personnel
  • Amy Grant – lead vocals, background vocals (2, 3)
  • Robbie Buchanan – Roland Jupiter 8 (1), synthesizers (1, 4-7, 10), synthesizer bass (1), sound effects (4), drum programming (4), synthesizer programming (5), Yamaha DX7 (8), acoustic piano (10), track arrangement (10)
  • Shane Keister – synthesizers (1, 7, 9), acoustic piano (1), explosion (2), synthesizer programming (3), Yamaha GS-1 (3, 8), Fender Rhodes (5), Memorymoog (6), Fairlight (8)
  • Michael W. Smith – Yamaha GS-2 (2, 3, 8), Memorymoog (3)
  • Larry Williams – synthesizer (7), saxophone (7)
  • Dann Huff – electric guitars (1-10), guitar solo (4, 5)
  • Jon Goin – electric guitars (2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9), acoustic guitar (10)
  • Michael Landau – electric guitars (2, 4, 7, 9), guitar solo (10)
  • Paul Jackson Jr. – electric guitars (7)
  • Mike Brignardello – bass guitar (2-9)
  • Paul Leim – drums (1, 2, 3, 5-10), drum programming and drum overdubs (4), LinnDrum programming (7)
  • Lenny Castro – percussion (2, 6, 8, 10)
  • Diana Hanna – background vocals (1, 3, 8)
  • Bill Champlin – background vocals (1, 7)
  • Tommy Funderburk – background vocals (1, 2, 6, 7)
  • Gary Chapman – background vocals (1, 3, 6, 8)
  • Chris Harris – screams (1), background vocals (8)
  • Gary Pigg – screams (1), background vocals (8)
  • Kathy Burdick – screams (1)
  • Tom Kelly – background vocals (2 ,4, 6, 9)
  • Richard Page – background vocals (4, 9)
  • Steve George – background vocals (4, 9)
  • Chris Eaton – background vocals (5)
  • Donna McElroy – background vocals (8)
  • Kim Fleming – background vocals (8)

Production

  • Brown Bannister – producer
  • Michael Blanton – executive producer
  • Dan Harrell – executive producer
  • Gary Chapman – executive producer
  • Jack Joseph Puig – engineering, mixing
  • Kevin Burns – assistant engineer
  • Steven Ford – assistant engineer
  • Dan Garcia – assistant engineer
  • Alan Henry – assistant engineer
  • J.T. – assistant engineer
  • Richard Markowitz – assistant engineer
  • Mike Ross – assistant engineer
  • Clark Schleicher – assistant engineer
  • Doug Sax – mastering
  • The Mastering Lab, Los Angeles, California – mastering location
  • Kent Hunter – art direction, design
  • Mark Tucker – photography
  • Julie Miller – stylist

Cover

To further heighten Grant's visual appeal, A&M released Unguarded with four different covers, respectively labeled W, O, R, and D. When the album was issued on compact disc, the 'D' variation became the standard version for the cover.

  • W
  • O
  • R
  • D

Charts and certifications
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