Almost Heaven

{{About|The Kelly Family album|the John Denver song beginning with these lyrics|Take Me Home, Country Roads|the state mantra|West Virginia}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Almost Heaven

| type = studio

| artist = The Kelly Family

| cover = Almost Heaven.jpg

| alt =

| released = October 25, 1996

| recorded = 1996

| studio =

Sound Studio N
(Cologne, Germany)
Capri Digital Studio
(Capri, Italy)

| genre = {{hlist|Pop|pop rock|folk}}

| length = 48:35

| label = Kel-Life

| producer = {{hlist|Kathy Kelly|Paddy Kelly}}

| prev_title = Christmas for All

| prev_year = 1995

| next_title = Growin' Up

| next_year = 1997

}}

Almost Heaven is the tenth regular studio album by European-American pop group The Kelly Family. Based on a concept by Dan Kelly, it was co-produced by Kathy and Paddy Kelly and released in 1996 throughout most of Europe. Following the major success of previous albums Over the Hump and Christmas for All and the number-one single "I Can't Help Myself," the album debuted number-one in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. It also entered the top 5 in the Netherlands and Norway and made it to the top 20 in Belgium. Almost Heaven eventually sold more than three million copies worldwide, making it the band's second biggest-selling release to date.{{cite web|title=Die Kelly Family|date=23 November 1997|work=Berliner Kurier|url=https://www.berlinonline.de/berliner-kurier/archiv/.bin/dump.fcgi/1997/1123/szene/0015/index.html|accessdate=24 September 2008|language=German}}{{Dead link|date=September 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Track listing

{{Track listing

| headline =

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| total_length =

| title1 = When the Boys Come into Town

| note1 = lead vocals: John, Kathy, Maite

| writer1 = The Kelly Family

| extra1 = {{hlist|Paddy Kelly|Kathy Kelly}}

| length1 = 3:15

| title2 = Every Baby

| note2 = lead vocals: Maite

| writer2 = The Kelly Family

| extra2 = {{hlist|Paddy Kelly|Kathy Kelly}}

| length2 = 2:56

| title3 = I Can't Help Myself

| note3 = lead vocals: Angelo, Paddy

| writer3 = The Kelly Family

| extra3 = {{hlist|Paddy Kelly|Kathy Kelly}}

| length3 = 3:03

| title4 = Nanana

| note4 = lead vocals: Jimmy,

| writer4 = The Kelly Family

| extra4 = {{hlist|Paddy Kelly|Kathy Kelly}}

| length4 = 4:03

| title5 = You Belong to Me

| note5 = lead vocals: Patricia, Paddy

| writer5 = The Kelly Family

| extra5 = {{hlist|Paddy Kelly|Kathy Kelly}}

| length5 = 3:15

| title6 = Staying Alive

| note6 = lead vocals: Joey Kelly

| writer6 = The Kelly Family

| extra6 = {{hlist|Paddy Kelly|Kathy Kelly}}

| length6 = 3:35

| title7 = Come Back to Me

| note7 = lead vocals: Kathy

| writer7 = The Kelly Family

| extra7 = {{hlist|Paddy Kelly|Kathy Kelly}}

| length7 = 3:49

| title8 = Fell in Love with an Alien

| note8 = lead vocals: Paddy, Kathy

| writer8 = The Kelly Family

| extra8 = {{hlist|Paddy Kelly|Kathy Kelly}}

| length8 = 3:11

| title9 = Hey Diddle Diddle

| note9 = lead vocals: Paddy, Maite, Angelo, Barby

| writer9 = The Kelly Family

| extra9 = {{hlist|Paddy Kelly|Kathy Kelly}}

| length9 = 2:43

| title10 = Like a Queen

| note10 = lead vocals: Barby

| writer10 = The Kelly Family

| extra10 = {{hlist|Paddy Kelly|Kathy Kelly}}

| length10 = 2:54

| title11 = Stars Fall From Heaven

| note11 = lead vocals: Patricia, Maite

| writer11 = The Kelly Family

| extra11 = {{hlist|Paddy Kelly|Kathy Kelly}}

| length11 = 3:23

| title12 = Thunder

| note12 = lead vocals: Jimmy

| writer12 = The Kelly Family

| extra12 = {{hlist|Paddy Kelly|Kathy Kelly}}

| length12 = 3:45

| title13 = Calling Heaven

| note13 = lead vocals: Paddy

| writer13 = The Kelly Family

| extra13 = {{hlist|Paddy Kelly|Kathy Kelly}}

| length13 = 3:25

| title14 = Nothing like Home

| note14 = lead vocals: Kathy,

| writer14 = The Kelly Family

| extra14 = {{hlist|Paddy Kelly|Kathy Kelly}}

| length14 = 3:42

}}

Personnel

Credits are taken from the album's liner notes.{{cite AV media notes |title=Almost Heaven |others=The Kelly Family|date=1996 |type=CD liner |publisher=KEL-Life Records}}

Instruments and performances

Johan Daansen – mouth harp
Angelo Kelly – drums, percussion, washboard, timbales, vocals
Barby Kelly – vocals, electric guitar,akustic guitar,perkussions,conga,piano,bongo
Jimmy Kelly – acoustic guitar, electric-zither, spoons, vocals
Joey Kelly – acoustic guitars, electric guitars, vocals

John Kelly – acoustic guitars, electric guitar, percussions, vocals
Kathy Kelly – accordion, keyboards, hammond, organ, piano, violin, vocals
Maite Kelly – percussions, bass, vocals
Patricia Kelly – harp, vocals
Paddy Kelly – banjo, bass, guitars, keyboards, mandolin, tabla, percussions

Technical and production

Album concept: Dan Kelly
Writing: The Kelly Family
Recording: Jan Shurman
Mastering: Georgi Nedelschev, Dieter Wegner
Mixing: Günther Kasper, G. Nedelschev, Kathy Kelly, Paddy Kelly, Max Volume

Engineers: Günther "Mr. Cool" Kasper, Max Carola, Max Volume, Jürgen Lusky
Engineering assistance: Alessandro Benedetti
Photography: Thomas Stachelhaus
Styling: Uschi Ries
Litho: RGI Dortmund Germany

Charts

=Weekly charts=

scope="col" style="width:20em;"\| Chart (1996) ! scope="col" \| Peak position
class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center;"
{{album chart\|Austria\|1\|artist=The Kelly Family\|album=Almost Heaven\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=April 4, 2017}}
{{album chart\|Netherlands\|3\|artist=The Kelly Family\|album=Almost Heaven\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=April 4, 2017}}
{{album chart\|Flanders\|19\|artist=The Kelly Family\|album=Almost Heaven\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=April 4, 2017}}
{{album chart\|Germany4\|1\|artist=The Kelly Family\|album=Almost Heaven\|rowheader=true\|id=2420\|accessdate=April 4, 2017}}
{{album chart\|Hungary\|3\|artist=The Kelly Family\|album=Almost Heaven\|year=1996\|week=45\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=April 4, 2017}}
{{album chart\|Norway\|2\|artist=The Kelly Family\|album=Almost Heaven\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=April 4, 2017}}
{{album chart\|Spain\|32\|artist=The Kelly Family\|album=Almost Heaven \|rowheader=true\|accessdate=November 23, 2017}}
{{album chart\|Switzerland\|1\|artist=The Kelly Family\|album=Almost Heaven\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=April 4, 2017}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"\|Chart (1996) !scope="col"\|Position
scope="row"\|Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria){{cite web\|url=https://austriancharts.at/year.asp?cat=a&id=1996\|title=Jahreshitparade Alben 1996\|website=austriancharts.at\|accessdate=August 30, 2020}} \|25
scope="row"\|Dutch Albums (Album Top 100){{cite web\|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1996&cat=a\|title=Jaaroverzichten – Album 1996\|website=dutchcharts.nl\|accessdate=August 30, 2020}} \|58
{{album chart\|Germany4\|24\|M\|title=Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts (1996)\|url= https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1994\|accessdate=April 4, 2017\|rowheader=true}}
scope="col"\|Chart (1997) !scope="col"\|Position
scope="row"\|Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria){{cite web\|url=https://austriancharts.at/year.asp?cat=a&id=1997\|title=Jahreshitparade Alben 1997\|website=austriancharts.at\|accessdate=August 30, 2020}} \|43
scope="row"\|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders){{cite web\|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1997&cat=a\|title=Jaaroverzichten 1997\|publisher=Ultratop\|accessdate=August 30, 2020}} \|67
scope="row"\|Dutch Albums (Album Top 100){{cite web\|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1997&cat=a\|title=Jaaroverzichten – Album 1997\|website=dutchcharts.nl\|accessdate=August 30, 2020}} \|16
{{album chart\|Germany4\|34\|M\|title=Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts (1997)\|url= https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1997\|accessdate=April 4, 2017\|rowheader=true}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

scope="col"|Chart (1996)

!scope="col"|Position

scope="row"|Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria){{cite web|url=https://austriancharts.at/year.asp?cat=a&id=1996|title=Jahreshitparade Alben 1996|website=austriancharts.at|accessdate=August 30, 2020}}

|25

scope="row"|Dutch Albums (Album Top 100){{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1996&cat=a|title=Jaaroverzichten – Album 1996|website=dutchcharts.nl|accessdate=August 30, 2020}}

|58

{{album chart|Germany4|24|M|title=Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts (1996)|url= https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1994|accessdate=April 4, 2017|rowheader=true}}

scope="col"|Chart (1997)

!scope="col"|Position

scope="row"|Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria){{cite web|url=https://austriancharts.at/year.asp?cat=a&id=1997|title=Jahreshitparade Alben 1997|website=austriancharts.at|accessdate=August 30, 2020}}

|43

scope="row"|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders){{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1997&cat=a|title=Jaaroverzichten 1997|publisher=Ultratop|accessdate=August 30, 2020}}

|67

scope="row"|Dutch Albums (Album Top 100){{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1997&cat=a|title=Jaaroverzichten – Album 1997|website=dutchcharts.nl|accessdate=August 30, 2020}}

|16

{{album chart|Germany4|34|M|title=Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts (1997)|url= https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1997|accessdate=April 4, 2017|rowheader=true}}

Certifications

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Austria|relyear=1996|certyear=1996|title=Almost Heaven|artist=The Kelly Family|type=album|award=Platinum|number=2}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1996|certyear=1996|artist=Vangelis|title=PORTRAITS}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|relyear=1996|certyear=1995|title=Almost Heaven|artist=The Kelly Family|type=album|award=Platinum|number=2}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Netherlands|relyear=1996|certyear=1997|title=Almost Heaven|artist=The Kelly Family|type=album|award=Platinum|accessdate=16 March 2019}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Norway|relyear=1996|certyear=1997|title=Almost Heaven|artist=The Kelly Family|type=album|award=Platinum|accessdate=16 March 2019}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Poland|relyear=1996|certyear=1997|certmonth=2|title=Almost Heaven|artist=The Kelly Family|type=album|award=Platinum|number=2}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|artist=The Kelly Family|title=Almost Heaven|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=1997|certyear=1996|certref={{cite book |last=Salaverrie |first=Fernando |date=September 2005 |url=http://www.mediafire.com/file/pd758fesp2w7i7f/Spanish+Certifications+for+1996-1999.pdf |title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 |language=Spanish |edition=1st |location=Madrid |publisher=Fundación Autor/SGAE |page=941 |isbn=84-8048-639-2 |accessdate=7 October 2019}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Switzerland|relyear=1996|certyear=1996|title=Almost Heaven|artist=The Kelly Family|type=album|award=Platinum|number=2}}

References

External links

[http://www.kellyfamily.de/ KellyFamily.de] — official site

Category:1996 albums

Category:The Kelly Family albums