Get to the Heart


Get to the Heart is the sixteenth solo studio album by American country artist Barbara Mandrell. The album was released in August 1985 on MCA Records and was produced by Tom Collins. It was Mandrell's first solo studio release since 1984's Clean Cut, and spawned three singles between 1985 and 1986.

Background and content

Get to the Heart was recorded in June 1985 in Nashville, Tennessee. Like her previous releases, the album consisted of 10 tracks. The songs were written from the perspective of the working class American citizen with a Country pop arrangement. The singles "Angel in Your Arms" and "Fast Lanes and Country Roads" specifically followed this format. The album's title track "When You Get to the Heart" was a duet with American country music group, The Oak Ridge Boys. The song was also the album's closing track. Get to the Heart was released on an LP album with five songs available on each side of the record. It has not since been reissued on a compact disc.

Release

Get to the Heart spawned three singles between summer 1985 and winter 1986. The first single from the album was the track "Angel in Your Arms", which was released in July 1985. The single peaked at #8 on the Billboard Magazine Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and #22 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. "Fast Lanes and Country Roads" was the second single released in October 1985, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Country Singles chart and #2 on the Canadian Country Chart. The final single released was the title track that included The Oak Ridge Boys. The song reached #20 on Billboards Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and reached the Top 40 in Canada. Get to the Heart was released in August 1985 following the success of the lead single. The album peaked at #25 on the Billboard Magazine Top Country Albums chart shortly after its release.

Track listing

;Side one
  1. "I'm a Believer" – 3:06
  2. "Fast Lanes and Country Roads" – 3:38
  3. "I'd Fall in Love Tonight" – 3:02
  4. "Don't Look in My Eyes" – 2:52
  5. "Angel in Your Arms" – 3:19
;Side two
  1. "For Your Love" – 3:23
  2. "If They Grow Tired of My Music" – 3:50
  3. "You, Only You" – 3:36
  4. "Survivors" – 4:15
  5. "When You Get to the Heart" – 3:50
  6. *with The Oak Ridge Boys

Sales chart positions

;Album
Chart Peak
position
U.S. Top Country Albums25

;Singles