Capitol 81427
Producers: Don Was and Bonnie Raitt
Track listing: Love Sneakin’ Up on You / Longing in Their Hearts / You / Cool, Clear Water / Circle Dance / I Sho Do / Dimming of the Day / Feeling of Falling / Steal Your Heart Away / Storm Warning / Hell to Pay / Shadow of Doubt
April 16, 1994
1 week
Ironically it was another comeback record by a veteran artist, Natalie Cole’s Unforgettable, that kept Bonnie Raitt from scoring two consecutive Number One albums. Luck of the Draw, Raitt’s follow-up to the Grammy-winning Nick of Time, stayed at number two for two weeks in August 1991, but wasn’t able to unseat Unforgettable. Cole’s tribute to her father Nat “King” Cole also took the album of the year Grammy over Luck of the Draw, but Raitt didn’t go home empty-handed. She won three Grammys that year, including the award for best rock vocal performance and best female pop vocal performance. Simply put, Raitt’s hot streak was far from over.
From August through October 1993, Raitt teamed with Don Was a third time for Longing in Their Hearts, the 12th studio album of her 23-year career. Once again, Raitt drew on a mix of originals and songs penned by her favorite songwriters. The title track was written by Raitt and her husband, actor Michael O’Keefe, who also contributed lyrics to “One Part Be My Lover” from Luck of the Draw. Several guests also made appearances on Longing in Their Hearts, including Richard Thompson, who played guitar on Raitt’s cover of his “Dimming of the Day.” Others lending their musical support on the album included keyboardist Benmont Tench from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, the Band’s Levon Helm, and David Crosby. Once again, however, the real star was Raitt.
“She was blowing everyone’s mind by singing better than she ever had in her life,” says Was. “Guys like [drummer] Ricky Fataar and [bassist James] ‘Hutch’ [Hutchinson], who have been in her band for 15 years, were amazed that she continued to improve.”
Part of Raitt’s enhanced vocal prowess could likely be attributed to confidence. “When we did Nick of Time we weren’t quite sure where we fit in the commercial spectrum,” says Was. “But after that success of that album and Luck of the Draw, we knew that there were five million people or so who were willing to buy an album when we did a good job. That gave us the confidence to stay true to what we wanted to do and take some risks in terms of under-production.”
On Longing in Their Hearts Raitt and Was took the sparse production of Nick of Time and Luck of the Draw a step further. “I was trying to get a lithe closer to what she does live,” Was says. “So 99 percent of Bonnie’s vocals were cut live with the band and there are very few fixes.”
With the success of Nick of Time and Luck of the Draw, Raitt had a healthy following awaiting the release of Longing in Their Hearts. On April 9, 1994, the album was one of three new albums to debut in the top five. However, Raitt’s following was not as rabid as Pantera’s. The Texas-based heavy metal act took the top spot with Far Beyond Driven, leaving Raitt at number two with the highest debut of her career. Yet the following week, Longing in Their Hearts was able to push its way to Number One, giving Raitt the second chart-topper of her career.
THE TOP FIVE
Week of April 16, 1994
1. Longing in Their Hearts, Bonnie Raitt
2. The Sign, Ace of Base
3. Above the Rim, Soundtrack
4. August & Everything After, Counting Crows
5. 12 Play, R. Kelly