Softly & Tenderly

Softly and Tenderly is a studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released on June 1, 2005 on Madacy Entertainment and TWI Records. The album was Anderson's 39th studio recording and was his third album collection of gospel music.

Softly and Tenderly
Studio album by
Bill Anderson
ReleasedJune 1, 2004 (2004-06-01)
Genre
Length37:37
Label
Producer
  • Bill Anderson
  • Mike Toppins
Bill Anderson chronology
No Place Like Home on Christmas
(2002)		 Softly and Tenderly
(2004)		 The Way I Feel
(2005)

Background, content and release

Softly & Tenderly was Anderson's third collection of gospel recordings. His first album was released in 1968 titled I Can Do Nothing Alone. Anderson recorded the title track of the latter album for his 2005 collection. He spoke of his decision to record a new gospel project in 2005. "I was going into the studio last winter to do a new country record, and Jack Johnson came to me and said, 'We've gotten quite a few calls out in the marketplace for some country gospel'," he recalled.[2] The album consisted of 11 tracks. Many of the songs included on the project were covers of popular gospel and Christian songs. This included "Love Lifted Me", "I Saw the Light" and "Life's Railway to Heaven".[2]

Softly & Tenderly was released on June 1, 2004 via TWI Records. The latter label was Anderson's own recording company, which issued the album on a compact disc.[3] The album was later licensed through Madacy Entertainment. The album was sold at major retailers including Wal-Mart and Target.[2] The album did not chart on any publication at the time of its release, including Billboard.[4] In his review, Allmusic's Steve Leggett gave the album three out of five possible stars. "He's done a little of everything, including gospel, as this brief set shows, featuring Anderson's gentle vocal style on several country gospel classics like 'The Old Rugged Cross,' 'I Saw the Light,' 'Life's Railway to Heaven,' and 'Farther Along.'[1]

Track listing
Softly & Tenderly (2004)[1]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Will the Circle Be Unbroken?"
3:20
2."Softly and Tenderly"Will L. Thompson3:32
3."The Old Rugged Cross"George Bennard3:20
4."I Saw the Light"Hank Williams2:41
5."I Can Do Nothing Alone"Bill Anderson3:37
6."Life's Railway to Heaven"Charles Davis Tillman3:46
7."Sweet Hour of Prayer"William Batchelder Bradbury3:34
8."Where Could I Go But to the Lord?"James B. Coats3:00
9."Farther Along"Traditional4:14
10."Somebody Touched Me/This Little Light of Mine/Do Lord"Various3:18
11."Love Lifted Me"Traditional3:15

Personnel

All credits are adapted from Allmusic.[5]

Musical and technical personnel

  • Bill Anderson – lead vocals, producer
  • Eva Liranzo – cover design
  • Mike Toppins – producer

Release history
Region Date Format Label Ref.
United States June 1, 2004 Compact disc
[3]

References
  1. "Softly & Tenderly: Bill Anderson: Songs, Reviews, Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  2. Evans Price, Deborah (July 31, 2004). "Country Vets Get That 'Ol Time Religion". Billboard. 116 (31): 35.
  3. "Anderson, Bill – Gospel Gold: Softly & Tenderly". Amazon. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  4. "Bill Anderson chart history: Country Albums". Billboard. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  5. "Softly & Tenderly: Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
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