American Child

American Child
American Child
Studio album by Phil Vassar
Released	August 6, 2002; January 6, 2003 (re-issue)
Studio	Ocean Way Recording and Emerald Entertainment (Nashville, Tennessee) Essential Sound Studios (Franklin, Tennessee); Extasy Recording Studio South (Los Angeles, California); Record One (Sherman Oaks, California);
Genre	Country
Length	44:11, 50:57 (re-issue)
Label	Arista Nashville
Producer	Byron Gallimore; Phil Vassar; Dann Huff;
Phil Vassar chronology
Singles from American Child
	"American Child"; Released: April 29, 2002; "This Is God"; Released: January 6, 2003; "Ultimate Love"; Released: June 9, 2003;

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
About.com	(favorable)^[1]
AllMusic	^[2]

American Child is the second studio album by American country music artist Phil Vassar. Released in 2002, the album initially contained twelve tracks, with the title track serving as the lead-off single, reaching top 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts.

After the lead-off single fell from the charts, Arista tested another song entitled "This Is God". This song received such positive feedback from its test audience that the album was recalled and re-released in 2003 with "This Is God" (and a cover of Huey Lewis and the News' "Workin' for a Livin'") added to the track listing. The former was also released as a single, reaching Top 20 on the country charts, while the third single ("Ultimate Love") peaked at number 41, becoming the first single of Vassar's career to miss Top 40 entirely.

Vassar produced the album with Byron Gallimore except for "This Is God", which Vassar produced with Dann Huff instead.

Although it was not issued as a single, "Athens Grease" was made into a music video.^[3]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"American Child"	Phil Vassar, Craig Wiseman	3:14
2.	"Forgettin's So Long"	Robert Byrne, Vassar	3:43
3.	"Time's Wastin'"	Freddy Myles, Vassar	3:54
4.	"I'm Already Gone"	Annie Roboff, Vassar	3:33
5.	"Athens Grease"	Steve Mandile, Jerry Vandiver, Vassar	3:59
6.	"Baby, You're Right"	Brett James, Vassar	3:34
7.	"Ultimate Love"	Rodney Clawson, Vassar, Julie Wood	3:06
8.	"Stand Still"	Connie Harrington, Vassar, Julie Wood	4:12
9.	"Someone You Love"	Thomas, Vassar	3:35
10.	"Houston"	Vassar, Julie Wood	3:29
11.	"I Thought I Never Would Forget"	Tim Nichols, Vassar	4:14
12.	"I'll Be The One"	Vassar, Julie Wood, Jeff Wood	3:38
Total length:			44:11

2003 Reissue
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"Workin' for a Livin'" (Featuring Huey Lewis)	Huey Lewis, Chris Hayes	3:15
13.	"I'll Be The One"	Vassar, Julie Wood, Jeff Wood	3:38
14.	"This Is God"	Vassar	3:31
Total length:			50:57

Personnel

Phil Vassar – lead vocals, acoustic piano
Steve Nathan – keyboards
Clayton Ryder – accordion
Biff Watson – acoustic guitars
Pat Buchanan – electric guitars
Michael Landau – electric guitars
B. James Lowry - electric guitars
Brent Mason – electric guitars
Paul Franklin – steel guitar
Mike Brignardello – bass
Lonnie Wilson – drums
Aubrey Haynie – fiddle
Michael Omartian – string arrangements
Carl Gorodetzky – string contractor
Nashville String Machine – strings
Perry Coleman – backing vocals
Gene Miller – backing vocals
Jeff Smith – backing vocals
Russell Terrell – backing vocals
Huey Lewis – vocals (13)

Production

Bryan Gallimore – producer (1-13)
Phil Vassar – producer
Dann Huff – producer (14)
Julian King – recording
John Paterno – recording
Clint Brown – additional recording
Ricky Cobble – additional recording
Dennis Davis – additional recording
Jason Gantt – additional recording
Jason Lefan – additional recording
Erik Lutkins – additional recording, recording assistant
Justin Smith – additional recording
David Bryant – recording assistant
Leslie Richter – recording assistant
Jeff Balding – mixing
Mike Shipley – mixing
Greg Burns – mix assistant
Jed Hackett – mix assistant
Cory Churko – Pro Tools engineer
Robert Hadley – mastering
Doug Sax – mastering
The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California) – mastering location
S. Wade Hunt – art direction, design
Glen Rose – photography
Melissa Schleicher – grooming
Jennifer Kemp – stylist

Chart performance

Chart (2002)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums	4
U.S. Billboard 200	44

References

^ "About.com review". Archived from the original on 2003-12-15. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
^ AllMusic review
^ "CMT : Videos : Phil Vassar : Athens Grease". Country Music Television. Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved November 18, 2011.

[1] "About.com review". Archived from the original on 2003-12-15. Retrieved 2013-11-15.

[2] AllMusic review

[3] "CMT : Videos : Phil Vassar : Athens Grease". Country Music Television. Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved November 18, 2011.

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v t e Phil Vassar
Albums	Phil Vassar American Child Shaken Not Stirred Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 Prayer of a Common Man Traveling Circus Noel
Notable singles	"Carlene" "Just Another Day in Paradise" "Rose Bouquet" "Six-Pack Summer" "That's When I Love You" "American Child" "This Is God" "In a Real Love" "I'll Take That as a Yes (The Hot Tub Song)" "Good Ole Days" "Last Day of My Life" "The Woman in My Life" "Love Is a Beautiful Thing" "I Would" "Everywhere I Go" "Don't Miss Your Life"
Related articles	Discography Songs written "Postmarked Birmingham" "Little Red Rodeo" "Bye, Bye" "I'm Alright" "For a Little While" "Right on the Money" "My Next Thirty Years" "The Sound of a Million Dreams"