This was Michael’s “crossover” album. Man I hate that term but unfortunately it is appropriate for this album as it actually had very solid mainstream success. The single “Place in This World” peaked at #6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. What actually makes this even more impressive is that it did it on a Christian label. Often when a Christian artists had success on the mainstream charts it’s partially because a secular label co-released the album, but not this time, Michael earned the ranking fair and square. As for the album it’s probably some of his best work and while a little over produced it’s a solid album with several very good tracks. Personally I think the title track is the single but it would not have done as well on radio.
Tracklist
1 – Go West Young Man – 4:00
2 – Love Crusade – 4:23
3 – Place In This World – 4:01
4 – For You – 4:08
5 – How Long Will Be Too Long – 4:35
6 – Seed To Sow – 6:13
7 – Cross My Heart – 4:35
8 – Emily – 4:17
9 – Agnus Dei – 5:08
10 – 1990~ – 1:39
Credits
A&R – Don Donahue, Richard Headen
Arranged By [Choral Arrangement For The African Children’s Choir] – Michael W. Smith
Arranged By [Choral Arrangement For The American Boychoir] – Ronn Huff
Arranged By [Horn Arrangements] – Chris McDonald
Arranged By [Strings], Conductor [Strings Conducted By] – Ronn Huff
Art Direction – Buddy Jackson, Deb Rhodes
Artwork By [Styling] – Mary Jane Starke
Choir [The African Children’s Choir] – “Moses” Benjamin Walusimbi, Alex Ndahura, Alpha Bugembe, Angelina Tushemereirwe, Barbara Kayaga, Bernett Kwesigomo, Edward Kizito, Eliphaz Isiko, Faruk Luyinda, Harriett Nalugo, Hope Namatovu, Isack Kalule, Israel Musoke, Jackie Nayiga, James Ndyanabo, Jane Babirye, Joseph Serwada, Josephine Nakato, Margaret Ndagire, Monika Muyodi, Niima Asiimwe, Rebecca Namuju, Sarah Nakayiza, Timothy Kabogere
Choir [The American Boychoir] – Aaron Cassidy, Benjamin Eley, Cameron Kruger, Charles Evans, Christopher Korenjak, David Listenberger, Evan Burris, Evan Weber, Kenneth Votapka, Lance Wiliford, Mitch Beeler, Nathan Wadley, Richard Lee, Scott Couper
Co-producer – Bryan Lenox
Concertmaster, Contractor – Carl Gorodetzky
Conductor [The African Children’s Choir Director] – Gertrude Kafeero
Conductor [The American Boychoir] – James H. Litton
Design – B. Middleworth
Edited By – Nick Palladino
Engineer [Additional Engineering By] – Dave Murphy, Don Martin, Pasquale DelVillagio, Pat Hutchinson, Patrick Kelly
Engineer [Engineered By] – Bill Deaton, Billy Whittington, Brent King, Bret Teegarden, Bryan Lenox
Executive-Producer [Executive Producers] – Michael Blanton, Terry Hemmings
Featuring – The African Children’s Choir, The American Boychoir, The Nashville String Machine
Management [Exclusive Management And Direction] – Blanton \ Harrell, Inc.
Mastered By – Stephen Marcussen
Mixed By – Humberto Gatica
Mixed By [Assisted By] – Alejandro Rodriguez, David Parker
Other [MWS Personal Assistant] – Elizabeth Leighton Jones
Photography By – Mark Tucker
Producer [MWS Vocals Produced By] – Wayne Kirkpatrick
Producer [Produced By] – Michael W. Smith
Programmed By [Keyboard Programming] – Bryan Lenox, MWS, Mike Lawler, Tommy Sims, Trace Scarborough
Recorded By [Strings] – Brett King
Recorded By [The American Boychoir] – Rick Rowe
Soloist – Nathan Wadley
Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Reunion Records
Copyright © – Reunion Records
Distributed By – Word Records Limited
Distributed By – Word (Uk) Ltd.
Manufactured By – Word, Inc.
Distributed By – Word, Inc.
Edited At – Scene Three, Inc.
Mastered At – Precision Mastering
Recorded At – BMG Recording Studios
Recorded At – Treasure Isle Recorders
Recorded At – OmniSound Studios
Recorded At – The Benson Studio, Nashville, TN
Recorded At – Digital Recorders
Recorded At – Sixteenth Avenue Sound
Recorded At – Deer Valley Studio, Franklin, TN
Recorded At – Soundtrek Studios
Mixed At – Sixteenth Avenue Sound
Copyright © – O’Ryan Music, Inc.
Copyright © – Emily Boothe, Inc.
Copyright © – Age To Age Music, Inc.
Copyright © – Whitney Katherine Music, Inc.
The whole album is pretty catchy but Go West Young Man was a little too “Weird Christian Symbolism” to be played on mainstream radio. It was played quite a bit in my youth group though as it’s one of the more high energy songs, and the whole album was on constant rotation. I was pretty naive to secular music at the time so I had no idea it had any mainstream success. It wasn’t until Change your World in 92 that I saw him his mainstream radio so successfully.