Live the Life is an album by American musician Michael W. Smith.Billboard – 13 Dec 1997 – Page 45 " "Live The Life" has already won the hearts of Smith's faithful fans in Christian music circles." One notable song on this album was "In My Arms Again," which Michael W. Smith wrote for the film Titanic. "Missing Person" also received airplay on Christian radio.
There were 26 songs written and completed for the album, whose release date was pushed back twice as Smith wasn't fully satisfied with the track list. Along with the 12 songs which eventually made it on the album, the tracks "Greater Than We Understand" and "Evening Show" were released on the B-sides of the CD singles for "Live the Life" and "Love Me Good" respectively. The remaining 12 songs appeared in some form on Smith's 1999 album This Is Your Time.
"Song for Rich" is an instrumental tribute to Rich Mullins who died in a car crash on September 19, 1997.
Track listing
Personnel
Musicians Michael W. Smith – vocals, keyboards (1, 4–8, 10–12), acoustic piano (2, 3, 5), programming (2, 5, 6, 10), guitars (3, 7, 9), Hammond B3 organ (6) Mark Heimmerman – keyboards (1, 3–5, 8, 9, 11, 12), Hammond B3 organ (1) Bryan Lenox – programming (2, 6, 10), keyboards (10) Phil Madeira – Hammond B3 organ (2) Dennis Patton – programming (5, 9) Marc Harris – Hammond B3 organ (5) Stephen Lipson – programming (7), guitars (7) George Cocchini – guitars (1, 3) Jerry McPherson – guitars (1–4, 6, 8, 12) Will Owsley – guitars (1) Micah Wilshire – guitars (3) Tom Hemby – guitars (4) Nik Kershaw – guitars (7) Robbie McIntosh – guitars (7) Chris Rodriguez – guitars (8, 9, 12) Dann Huff – guitars (9) Brent Barcus – guitars (10) Brent Milligan – bass (1) Jackie Street – bass (1–3, 8, 9, 12) Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass (4) Dan Needham – drums (1, 3, 4) Neil Conti – drums (7) Scott Williamson – drums (8, 9, 12) Terry McMillan – percussion (1–5, 9) Luis Jardim – percussion (7) Steve Brewster – percussion (8, 12) Ronn Huff – string arrangements and conductor (3) Tom Howard – string arrangements and conductor (9), orchestrations and arrangements (10) Nashville String Machine – strings (3, 9) John Mock – woodwinds (11), woodwind arrangements (11), tin whistle (12) Peter Cairney – woodwinds (11) Hunter Lee – woodwinds (11) William Verdier – woodwinds (11)
Background vocals Mark Heimmerman – backing vocals (1, 3, 5, 8, 9) Judson Spence – backing vocals (1, 3, 5) Micah Wilshire – backing vocals (1, 5, 6) Wayne Kirkpatrick – backing vocals (4, 9, 12) Michael Black – backing vocals (5) Chris Rodriguez – backing vocals (6) Lori Wilshire – backing vocals (6) Brent Bourgeois – backing vocals (8)
Choir on "Love Me Good" Da'dra Crawford, Vicki Hampton, Mark Heimmerman, Nicole C. Mullen, George Pendergrass, Scat Springs, Lori Wilshire and Micah Wilshire
Production and Technical Michael Blanton – executive producer Mark Heimmerman – producer (1–5, 8, 9, 11, 12) Michael W. Smith – producer (1–6, 8–12) Stephen Lipson – producer (7) Keith Compton – engineer Tom Laune – engineer Bryan Lenox – engineer, mixing Heff Moraes – engineer, mixing Todd Robbins – engineer Joe Baldridge – mixing Rob Burrell – assistant engineer Robert "Void" Caprio – assistant engineer Dave Dillbeck – assistant engineer Patrick Kelly – assistant engineer Alan Litten – assistant engineer Shawn McLean – assistant engineer Tim Putnam – assistant engineer Joe Costa – mix assistant Adam Hatley – mix assistant Dan Rudin – computer editing Hank Williams – mastering at MasterMix (Nashville, Tennessee) Jimmy Abegg – photography Diana Lussenden – art direction, design
Chart performance Chart (1998) Peakposition
References