''Real Man'' is the sixth studio album by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

singer

Billy Dean William Harold Dean Jr. (born April 2, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. He first gained national attention after appearing on the television talent competition '' Star Search''. Active as a recording artist since 1990, ...

. It was released August 25, 1998, via

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...

Nashville. The album includes two singles: the title track and "Innocent Bystander", which respectively reached No. 33 and No. 68 on the U.S. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' country singles chart. Dean co-produced the album with

David Gates David Ashworth Gates (born December 11, 1940) is a retired American singer-songwriter, guitarist, musician and producer, frontman and co-lead singer (with Jimmy Griffin) of the group Bread (band), Bread, which reached the top of the musical ch ...

, formerly of

Bread Bread is a baked food product made from water, flour, and often yeast. It is a staple food across the world, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cu ...

, and co-wrote several of its songs with him. "Voices Singing" features the St. Nicholas School Children's Choir of Chattanooga, as well as Dean's son, Eli.

Track listing

Personnel

– vocals, backing vocals (1, 2, 4), acoustic guitar (1, 2, 4-10), electric guitar (4), percussion (8, 9),

mandolin A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...

(9), harmony vocals (9) *

Matt Rollings Matt Rollings is a Grammy Award-winning American composer, keyboard player and record producer. Known mainly for playing in Lyle Lovett's Large Band, Rollings has worked with many artists, not all country. Rollings won the 'Best Traditional Pop ...

– acoustic piano (1, 3, 5, 6) *

Steve Nathan Steven Jay Nathan (born April 20, 1951) is an American keyboardist. He is known for his session work in Muscle Shoals and Nashville studios. Biography Nathan was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. In 1977, Nathan moved to Muscle Shoals, A ...

– keyboards (2, 4) * Doc Hollister – acoustic piano (10) *

Steuart Smith Steuart Smith (born 24 June 1952) is a retired American guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, writer and producer from Baltimore, Maryland, United States. He was a touring member of the American rock band Eagles, where he performed as on ...

– electric guitar (2) *

Brent Mason Brent Mason (born July 13, 1959) is an American country music guitarist, songwriter and session musician. ''Guitar World'' magazine listed Mason as one of the "Top Ten Session Guitarists of All Time". Discovered and mentored by Chet Atkins, Maso ...

– electric guitar (4, 6) * Andy Most – electric guitar (10) * Paul Franklin –

steel guitar A steel guitar () is any guitar played while moving a steel bar or similar hard object against plucked strings. The bar itself is called a "steel" and is the source of the name "steel guitar". The instrument differs from a conventional guitar i ...

(1-3, 6) *

Ron Block Ronald Franklin Block (born July 30, 1964) is an American banjo player, guitarist, and singer-songwriter, best known as a member of the bluegrass band Alison Krauss & Union Station. He has won 14 Grammy Awards, 6 International Bluegrass Music ...

–

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and in modern forms is usually made of plastic, where early membranes were made of animal skin. ...

(7) *

Jerry Douglas Gerald Calvin Douglas (born May 28, 1956) is an American Dobro and lap steel guitar player and record producer. He is widely regarded as "perhaps the finest Dobro player in contemporary acoustic music, and certainly the most celebrated and prol ...

–

dobro Dobro () is an American brand of resonator guitars owned by Gibson and manufactured by its subsidiary Epiphone. The term "dobro" is also used as a generic term for any wood-bodied, single-cone resonator guitar. The Dobro was originally a gui ...

(7) *

Dan Tyminski Daniel John Tyminski (born June 20, 1967) is an American bluegrass singer-songwriter and musician. He is a former member of Alison Krauss's band Union Station, and has released four solo albums, ''Carry Me Across the Mountain'' (2000) on the ...

– mandolin (7) *

Glenn Worf Glenn Worf is an American bassist known mainly for his work as a session musician. He has recorded with many major country music acts and also tours with Mark Knopfler. Early life and education Worf was born in Dayton, Ohio, and grew up in Madis ...

– bass (1-6) *

Barry Bales Barry Turner Bales (born August 23, 1969) is an American musician best known as the long time bass player and harmony vocalist for Alison Krauss, Alison Krauss and Union Station. He has been in the band since 1990. The 2012 Grammy was awarded as ...

–

electric upright bass The electric upright bass (EUB) is an instrument that can perform the musical function of a double bass. It requires only a minimal or 'skeleton' body to produce sound because it uses a pickup and electronic amplifier and loudspeaker. Therefore, ...

(7) * Kenny Lewis – bass (10) *

Eddie Bayers Eddie Bayers (born January 28, 1949) is an American session drummer who has played on 300 gold and platinum albums. He received the Academy of Country Music 'Drummer of the Year Award' for fourteen years, has three times won the Nashville Music ...

– drums (1-6) * David Dunseath – drums (10) *

Terry McMillan Terry McMillan (born October 18, 1951) is an American novelist known for her vivid portrayals of African American women's lives, relationships, and journeys of self-discovery. Her best-selling works, including ''Waiting to Exhale'' and ''How S ...

– percussion (4, 5) *

Sam Bush Charles Samuel Bush (born April 13, 1952) is an American mandolinist who is considered an originator of progressive bluegrass music. In 2020, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame as a member of New Grass Revival. ...

–

fiddle A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...

(1) *

– backing vocals (1, 2), acoustic guitar (3), keyboards (5, 8, 9), harmony vocals (5), bass (8, 9), string arrangements *

John Wesley Ryles John Wesley Ryles (born December 2, 1950) is an American country music artist. Ryles recorded a string of hit country songs, beginning in 1968 when he was still a teenager, and continuing through the 1980s. He no longer records as a headline art ...

– backing vocals (1) * Curtis Young – backing vocals (1) *

Gina Jeffreys Gina Jeffreys (born 1 April 1968), also known as Gina Jeffries, Gina Hillenberg and Gina McCormack, is an Australian country singer-songwriter and radio presenter. Career In 1991, Jeffreys competed in the Toyota Star Maker Quest at the Tamworth ...

– vocals (6) *

Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer, fiddler and music producer. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of eight and recording for the first time at ...

– harmony vocals (7) * St. Nicholas School Children's Choir – choir (8) * Renée Martin – backing vocals (10) *

David Pack David Robert Pack (born July 15, 1952) is an American singer and musician best known as co-founder, lead vocalist, and guitarist of the rock band Ambrosia (band), Ambrosia in the 1970s and 80s. Pack wrote and sang most of Ambrosia’s biggest h ...

– backing vocals (10)

Production

* Billy Dean – producer * David Gates – producer * Dave Sinko – recording *

Bill Schnee William S. Schnee (born July 4, 1947) is an American musician, music producer, and audio engineer. Schnee has been nominated 11 times for the Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical Grammy Award and worked on a multitude of other Grammy nominated ...

– mixing at Schnee Studios (North Hollywood, California) *

Doug Sax Doug Sax (April 26, 1936 – April 2, 2015) was an American mastering engineer from Los Angeles, California. He mastered three The Doors' albums, including their 1967 debut; six Pink Floyd's albums, including '' The Wall''; Ray Charles' multiple ...

– mastering at The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California) * Denise Jarvis – production assistant * Carlton Davis – art direction * Tom Davis – design * Glen Hall – photography * Mark Tucker – photography * Colourworks – digital imaging * Ken Kragen – management

Chart performance

References

{{Authority control 1998 albums Billy Dean albums Capitol Records Nashville albums