Heroes and Friends
"Heroes and Friends" | ||||
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Single by Randy Travis | ||||
from the album Heroes & Friends | ||||
B-side | "Shopping for Dresses" (w/ Loretta Lynn) | |||
Released | January 1991 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 2:10 1:58 (reprise) | |||
Label | Warner Bros. Nashville 19469 | |||
Songwriter(s) | Don Schlitz Randy Travis | |||
Producer(s) | Kyle Lehning | |||
Randy Travis singles chronology | ||||
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"Heroes and Friends" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Randy Travis. It was written with Don Schlitz. It was released in January 1991 as the second and final single from his album of duets, Heroes & Friends and his only song on the album that was not a duet. The song opens and closes the album. "Heroes and Friends" peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and reached number 1 (his fourteenth number 1) on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.
Background and writing
Travis recalled the beginnings of the song on his website: "Lib (Travis' Wife and manager Elizabeth "Lib" Hatcher) came up with that title for the duets album, and I thought it would make a wonderful song title. I was sitting backstage in Scotland one night and for some reason or other I thought of a way to write the song. I started the first verse and wrote a few lines before I had to quit to do the show. I stuck it in my pocket and actually forgot about it until I got back to Nashville and Don Schlitz and I sat down and finished it.[1]"
Content
This song sets the theme for the rest of the album. The narrator says that the two things that one can depend on forever are heroes and friends. A reprise of the song closes the album with the chorus being sung by everyone who sang on the album with Travis.
Two different versions were released for radio airplay. One version has just one refrain (after the second verse), with the background vocalists -- some of the legends that joined him throughout the album -- subdued in the background. The longer radio edit repeats the refrain twice following the second voice, with the legends chorus more prominent; a longer fiddle coda is played as well, whereas on the shorter radio edit the song fades almost immediately after the final refrain ends.
Music video
The music video was directed by Mark Coppos and premiered in late 1990.
The music video features Travis singing the song in a recording studio, as well as old footage of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans from their television series and movies. Roy Rogers himself makes an appearance near the end of the video.
Chart performance
This song spent two consecutive weeks at number 1 on the RPM country Tracks chart beginning April 20, 1991.
Chart (1991) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[2] | 1 |
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[3] | 3 |
Year-end charts
Chart (1991) | Position |
---|---|
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[4] | 10 |
US Country Songs (Billboard)[5] | 30 |
References
- ^ Archived page of Randy-Travis.com
- ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 1496." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. April 20, 1991. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
- ^ "Randy Travis Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1991". RPM. December 21, 1991. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
- ^ "Best of 1991: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1991. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
- v
- t
- e
- Storms of Life
- Always & Forever
- Old 8×10
- No Holdin' Back
- Heroes & Friends
- High Lonesome
- Wind in the Wire
- This Is Me
- Full Circle
- You and You Alone
- A Man Ain't Made of Stone
- Inspirational Journey
- Rise and Shine
- Worship & Faith
- Passing Through
- Glory Train: Songs of Faith, Worship, and Praise
- Around the Bend
- Anniversary Celebration
- Influence Vol. 1: The Man I Am
- Influence Vol. 2: The Man I Am
- Greatest Hits, Volume One
- Greatest Hits, Volume Two
- The Very Best of Randy Travis
- I Told You So: The Ultimate Hits of Randy Travis
- Three Wooden Crosses: The Inspirational Hits of Randy Travis
- "On the Other Hand"
- "1982"
- "Diggin' Up Bones"
- "No Place Like Home"
- "Forever and Ever, Amen"
- "I Won't Need You Anymore (Always and Forever)"
- "Too Gone Too Long"
- "I Told You So"
- "Honky Tonk Moon"
- "Deeper Than the Holler"
- "Is It Still Over?"
- "Promises"
- "It's Just a Matter of Time"
- "Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart"
- "He Walked on Water"
- "A Few Ole Country Boys"
- "Heroes and Friends"
- "Point of Light"
- "Forever Together"
- "Better Class of Losers"
- "I'd Surrender All"
- "If I Didn't Have You"
- "Look Heart, No Hands"
- "An Old Pair of Shoes"
- "Cowboy Boogie"
- "Before You Kill Us All"
- "Whisper My Name"
- "This Is Me"
- "The Box"
- "Are We in Trouble Now"
- "Would I"
- "King of the Road"
- "Out of My Bones"
- "The Hole"
- "Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man"
- "Stranger in My Mirror"
- "A Man Ain't Made of Stone"
- "Baptism"
- "Three Wooden Crosses"
- "Where That Came From"
- "Voices That Care"
- "Singing the Blues"
- "Somewhere in My Broken Heart"
- "She's Got the Rhythm (And I Got the Blues)"