Straight Ahead is the fifth studio album, and eighth album by Christian music artist Amy Grant, released in 1984. This was Grant’s final album on Myrrh Records; she would later strike a record deal with A&M Records.
Straight Ahead was the follow-up to Grant’s ground-breaking 1982 album Age to Age. Containing songs that were more aggressive than the ones found on Age to Age, Straight Ahead was not as commercially successful as its predecessor. Nonetheless, it still topped Billboard’s Christian album chart for sixty-one weeks, knocking Age to Age from the number-one position. The song “Angels” was also a No. 1 Christian radio hit for thirteen weeks, and won a Grammy Award for “Best Gospel Performance, Female.” Straight Ahead would be certified gold in 1985. The song “Thy Word” is based on Psalm 119:105.
In 2007, Straight Ahead 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.
Straight Ahead was the first Christian album to chart on the Billboard pop album chart. A&M reissued it in 1985, just as Grant was appearing on the Grammy Awards performing “Angels”.
Tracks
1 Where Do You Hide Your Heart (Amy Grant, Michael W Smith) 3:58
2 Jehovah (Geoff Thurman) 5:59
3 Angels (Amy Grant, Michael W Smith, Brown Bannister, Gary Chapman) 4:12
4 Straight Ahead (Amy Grant, Michael W Smith, Gary Chapman) 3:50
5 Thy Word (Amy Grant, Michael W Smith) 3:20
6 It’s Not A Song (Robbie Buchanan, Gary Chapman) 3:28
7 Open Arms (Amy Grant, Gary Chapman, Bruce Hibbard) 3:25
8 Doubly Good To You (Rich Mullins) 3:15
9 Tomorrow (Amy Grant, Gary Chapman, Bruce Hibbard) 3:26
10 The Now And The Not Yet (Pam Mark Hall) 3:36
Musicians
1 Where Do You Hide Your Heart
| Bass | Mike Brignardello |
| Drums | Paul Leim |
| Guitar | Jon Goin |
| Guitar (solo) | Dann Huff |
| Keyboards | Robbie Buchanan |
| Keyboards | Michael W Smith |
| Synthesizer | Alan Steinberger |
| Percussion | Lenny Castro |
| Background Vocals | Donna McElroy |
| Background Vocals | Gary Chapman |
| Background Vocals | Kim Fleming |
| Vocals | Amy Grant |
2 Jehovah
| Bass | Mike Brignardello |
| Drums | Paul Leim |
| Guitar | Jon Goin |
| Keyboards | Robbie Buchanan |
| Keyboards | Michael W Smith |
| Synthesizer | Shane Keister |
| Piano | Robbie Buchanan |
| Background Vocals | Gary Pigg |
| Background Vocals | Donna McElroy |
| Vocals | Amy Grant |
3 Angels
| Bass | Mike Brignardello |
| Drums | Paul Leim |
| Guitar | Jon Goin |
| Keyboards | Michael W Smith |
| Piano | Robbie Buchanan |
| Synthesizer | Shane Keister |
| Chapman Stick | Andy Widders Ellis |
| Background Vocals | Bill Champlin |
| Background Vocals | Carmen Twillie |
| Background Vocals | Deborah Black |
| Background Vocals | Gary Pigg |
| Background Vocals | Marty McCall |
| Background Vocals | Tamara Champlin |
| Vocals | Amy Grant |
4 Straight Ahead
| Bass | Mike Brignardello |
| Bass | Duncan Mullins |
| Drums | Paul Leim |
| Guitar (solo) | Gary Chapman |
| Guitar | Jon Goin |
| Keyboards | Shane Keister |
| Piano | Michael W Smith |
| Synthesizer | Robbie Buchanan |
| Background Vocals | Donna McElroy |
| Background Vocals | Gary Chapman |
| Background Vocals | Kim Fleming |
| Vocals | Amy Grant |
5 Thy Word
| Keyboards | Robbie Buchanan |
| Piano | Michael W Smith |
| Piano | Shane Keister |
| Synthesizer | Alan Steinberger |
| Background Vocals | Curt Lyles |
| Background Vocals | Leann Jones |
| Background Vocals | Mark Mason |
| Background Vocals | Donna McElroy |
| Background Vocals | Gary Chapman |
| Background Vocals | Kim Fleming |
| Vocals | Amy Grant |
6 It’s Not A Song
| Bass | Mike Brignardello |
| Drums | Paul Leim |
| Guitar | Jon Goin |
| Keyboards | Robbie Buchanan |
| Synthesizer | Alan Steinberger |
| Background Vocals | Richard Page |
| Background Vocals | Steve George |
| Background Vocals | Thomas Kain |
7 Open Arms
| Bass | Mike Brignardello |
| Drums | Paul Leim |
| Guitar | Jon Goin |
| Guitar | Dean Parks |
| Fender Rhodes | Robbie Buchanan |
| Keyboards | Robbie Buchanan |
| Percussion | Lenny Castro |
| Background Vocals | Billy Sprague |
| Background Vocals | Chris Harris |
| Background Vocals | Dave Thornton |
| Background Vocals | Ron Downey |
| Vocals | Amy Grant |
8 Doubly Good To You
| Bass | Mike Brignardello |
| Drums | Paul Leim |
| Guitar | Jon Goin |
| Keyboards | Michael W Smith |
| Piano | Robbie Buchanan |
| Synthesizer | Shane Keister |
| Percussion | Farrell Morris |
| Vocals | Amy Grant |
9 Tomorrow
| Bass | Mike Brignardello |
| Drums | Paul Leim |
| Guitar | Jon Goin |
| Guitar | Dann Huff |
| Fender Rhodes | Robbie Buchanan |
| Piano | Michael W Smith |
| Synthesizer | Alan Steinberger |
| Percussion | Lenny Castro |
| Background Vocals | Donna McElroy |
| Background Vocals | Gary Chapman |
| Background Vocals | Kim Fleming |
| Vocals | Amy Grant |
10 The Now And The Not Yet
| Bass | Mike Brignardello |
| Drums | Kenny Malone |
| Guitar | Jon Goin |
| Synthesizer | Alan Steinberger |
| Piano | Michael W Smith |
| Percussion | Farrell Morris |
| Background Vocals | Ron Downey |
| Vocals | Amy Grant |
Liner Notes
Producer – Brown Bannister
Producer (Executive) – Dan Harrell, Gary Chapman, Michael Blanton
Engineer – Jack Joseph Puig
Engineer (Additional) – Jim Baird, Kevin Burns, Gene Eichelberger, Steven Ford, Jerry Mahler, Daniel Garcia
Design – Dennis Hill
Photography – Mike Borum, Aaron Rapoport
Mastered At The Mastering Lab
Mastered At Sheffield Lab Matrix
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Straight Ahead is the fifth studio album, and eighth album by Christian music artist Amy Grant, released in 1984. This was Grant’s final album on Myrrh Records; she would later strike a record deal with A&M Records.