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Mountain High... Valley Low

{{Infobox album

| name = Mountain High... Valley Low

| type = Studio album

| artist = Yolanda Adams

| cover = Yolanda Adams - Mountain High...Valley Low.jpg

| alt =

| released = September 3, 1999

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre = Gospel, R&B

| length = 52:30

| label = Elektra

| producer =

| prev_title = Songs from the Heart

| prev_year = 1998

| next_title = Christmas With Yolanda Adams

| next_year = 2000

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Mountain High...Valley Low

| type = studio

| single1 = Yeah

| single1date = 1999

| single2 = Open My Heart

| single2date = 1999

| single3 = Fragile Heart

| single3date = 2000

| single4 = The Things We Do

| single4date = 2000

}}

}}

{{Music ratings

| rev1 =AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}} {{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000669165|first=Stacia|last=Proefrock}}

| rev2 = Cross Rhythms

| rev2Score = {{rating|8|10|full=U+25A0.svg|empty=U+25A1.svg|rating=square}}{{cite web |first=Tony |last=Cummings |title=Review: Yolanda Adams - Mountain High, Valley Low |url=https://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/products/Yolanda_Adams/Mountain_High_Valley_Low/3215/ |publisher=Cross Rhythms |accessdate=February 24, 2024 |date=May 1, 2001 }}

|rev3 = The Encyclopedia of Popular Music

|rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC&q=yolanda+adams&pg=PA1947|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|page=1992|author=Colin Larkin|publisher=Omnibus Press|date=27 May 2011|edition=5|isbn=978-0857125958|accessdate=January 18, 2024|via=Google Books}}

}}

Mountain High... Valley Low is the sixth studio album by American singer Yolanda Adams. It was released by Elektra Records on September 3, 1999, in the United States. The album stands as Adams's best-selling to date, having sold 1,374,000, as of 2009,{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/267333/ask-billboard-madonna-yoko-ono-gospel|title=Ask Billboard: Madonna, Yoko Ono, Gospel|publisher=Billboard|date=2009-09-18|access-date=2012-02-19}} and is certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).{{cite web | url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2006/02/02/a-new-day-to-celebrate/ | title=A new 'Day' to celebrate | date=2 February 2006 }} The album won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album and remains one of the best-selling gospel albums of all time.

Several singles were released from Mountain High... Valley Low. The set leads with the Warryn Campbell-produced "Yeah", which was co-written by gospel duo Mary Mary who springboarded from the song to gain their own fame. The most notable single was the second release, "Open My Heart," which became a massive crossover fixture on R&B radio. Both of the singles had accompanying music videos. Remixers like Maurice Joshua, Digital Black-N-Groove, Pound Boys, and Junior Vasquez were brought in to turn both of these songs into dance club-friendly material. "The Things We Do" and "Fragile Heart" were also serviced to radio and fared well on adult contemporary stations.

Track listing

Credits taken from the album's liner notes.{{Cite AV media notes |title=Mountain High… Valley Low |others=Yolanda Adams |type=liner notes |year=1999 |publisher=Elektra}}

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| total_length = 52:30

| title1 = Time to Change

| writer1 = {{hlist|Erica Atkins|Tina Atkins|Warryn Campbell}}

| extra1 = Campbell

| length1 = 4:00

| title2 = Yeah

| writer2 = {{hlist|E. Atkins|T. Atkins|Campbell}}

| extra2 = Campbell

| length2 = 3:17

| title3 = Fragile Heart

| writer3 = {{hlist|Yolanda Adams|Louis Brown|Scott Parker}}

| extra3 = Buster & Shavoni

| length3 = 4:38

| title4 = That Name

| writer4 = Richard Smallwood

| extra4 = Smallwood

| length4 = 4:46

| title5 = In the Midst of It All

| writer5 = Kevin Bond

| extra5 = Bond

| length5 = 6:57

| title6 = The Things We Do

| writer6 = {{hlist|Keith Thomas|Robin Scoffield}}

| extra6 = Thomas

| length6 = 5:33

| title7 = Open My Heart

| writer7 = {{hlist|Yolanda Adams|Terry Lewis|James Harris III|James Wright}}

| extra7 = {{hlist|Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis|Wright{{ref|A|[A]}}}}

| length7 = 5:40

| title8 = Wherever You Are

| writer8 = {{hlist|Adams|Lewis|Harris|Wright}}

| extra8 = {{hlist|Jam & Lewis|Wright{{ref|A|[A]}}}}

| length8 = 4:20

| title9 = He'll Arrive (Coming Back)

| writer9 = {{hlist|Magdalene Millsap|Walter "Little Walt" Millsap III|Candice Nelson}}

| extra9 = Little Walt

| length9 = 4:16

| title10 = Continual Praise

| writer10 = {{hlist|Adams|Tommie Walker|Fred Hammond}}

| extra10 = Hammond

| length10 = 4:28

| title11 = Already Alright

| writer11 = {{hlist|Adams|Lewis|Harris|Wright}}

| extra11 = {{hlist|Jam & Lewis|Wright{{ref|A|[A]}}}}

| length11 = 4:35

}}

Notes

  • {{note|A|[A]}} denotes co-producer

Personnel

"Time to Change"

"Yeah"

  • Produced by Warryn Campbell
  • Vocals: Yolanda Adams
  • Backing vocals: Mary Mary
  • Guitar: Dave Foreman
  • Instrumental music performed by Warryn Campbell

"Fragile Heart"

  • Produced by Buster & Shavoni: Louis Brown & Scott "Shavoni" Parker
  • Lead Vocals: Yolanda Adams
  • Background Vocals: Vanessa Williams, Raymond Reeder & Victoria Purcell
  • Piano Solo & All Pianos: Tim Carmon
  • Additional String Overdubs: Rickey Grundy
  • Instrumental music performed by Buster & Shavoni

"That Name"

  • Produced by Richard Smallwood
  • Lead Vocals: Yolanda Adams
  • Background Vocals: Richard Smallwood & Vision
  • Instrumental music performed by Richard Smallwood, Bryant Pugh, Darin Atwater, Mark A. Walker & Roger Ryan

"In The Midst of It All"

  • Produced by Kevin Bond
  • Live Drums: Jeremy Haynes
  • Instrumental music performed by Kevin Bond
  • Originally performed by Walter Hawkins & The Hawkins FamilyYolanda Adams Cover of Walter Hawkins & The Hawkins Family's "In the Midst of It All". WhoSampled.com. http://www.whosampled.com/cover/95360/Yolanda-Adams-In-the-Midst-of-It-All-Walter-Hawkins-The-Hawkins-Family-In-the-Midst-of-It-All/

"The Things We Do"

  • Produced by Keith Thomas
  • Music & Strings arranged by Keith Thomas
  • Strings arranged & conducted by Ronn Huff
  • Strings performed by Nashville String Machine
  • Acoustic Guitar: Bruce Gaitsch
  • Keyboards, Bass & Drum Machine played by Keith Thomas
  • Additional Drum Machine: Mark Hammond
  • Additional Background Vocals: Debbie Winans
  • Vocal Samples: "Inaugural Address" by John F. Kennedy"The Things We Do" Sample of "Inaugural Address". WhoSampled.com. http://www.whosampled.com/sample/112103/Yolanda-Adams-The-Things-We-Do-John-F.-Kennedy-Inaugural-Address/ & "I Have a Dream (Detroit)" by Martin Luther King Jr."The Things We Do" Sample of "I Have a Dream (Detroit)". WhoSampled.com. http://www.whosampled.com/sample/95354/Yolanda-Adams-The-Things-We-Do-Martin-Luther-King,-Jr.-I-Have-a-Dream-(Detroit)/

"Open My Heart"

  • Produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis & James "Big Jim" Wright
  • Percussion & Live Drums: Stokley Williams
  • Guitar: Mike Scott
  • Strings arranged by Lee Blaske & Big Jim Wright
  • Violins: Brenda Mickens, Carolyn Daws, Elizabeth Sobieski, Michael Sobieski, Elsa Nilsson, Leslie Shank & Thomas Kornacker
  • Violas: Alice Preves & Tamas Strasser
  • All Other Instruments played by Big Jim Wright
  • Background Vocals: Marva King & Yolanda Adams

"Wherever You Are"Adams, Yolanda. "Wherever You Are". AllMusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/song/wherever-you-are-mt0000435626

  • Produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis & James "Big Jim" Wright
  • Background Vocals: Big Jim Wright & Yolanda Adams
  • Keyboards: Big Jim Wright & Jimmy Jam
  • Bass played by Jimmy Jam
  • Percussion: Terry Lewis
  • Guitar: Mike Scott
  • All Other Instruments played by Big Jim Wright
  • Re-Sung Lyrics from "I Wanna Be Where You Are" by Michael Jackson"Wherever You Are" Sample of "I Wanna Be Where You Are". WhoSampled.com. http://www.whosampled.com/sample/131289/Yolanda-Adams-Wherever-You-Are-Michael-Jackson-I-Wanna-Be-Where-You-Are/

"He'll Arrive (Coming Back)"

  • Produced by Walter "Little Walt" Millsap III
  • Lead & Background Vocals: Kelly Price & Yolanda Adams
  • Background Vocals: Candice Nelson
  • All Music performed by Walter "Lil Walt" Millsap III

"Continual Praise"

  • Produced by Fred Hammond
  • Keyboards & Drum Machine: Tommie Walker
  • Lead Guitar & Live Bass played by Fred Hammond
  • Vocals arranged by Fred Hammond
  • Background Vocals performed by JoAnn Rosario, Bryan Pratt, David Ivey, Frederick J. Purifoy II, Kevin L. Wilson, Marsha Johns, Miatura Dias, Pam Kenyon M. Donald, Tamika Lucas & Yoshawndala Parker.

"Already Alright"

  • Produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis & James "Big Jim" Wright
  • Background Vocals: Big Jim Wright, Marva King & Yolanda Adams
  • Drum Machine: Alex Richbourg
  • Keyboards: Big Jim Wright
  • All Other Instruments played by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

! scope="col"|Chart (1999)

! scope="col"|Peak
position

scope="row" {{album chart|Billboard200|24|artist=Yolanda Adams|refname=BB200|accessdate=July 11, 2020}}
scope="row" {{album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|5|artist=Yolanda Adams||refname=BBR&B|accessdate=July 11, 2020}}
scope="row" {{album chart|BillboardGospel|1|artist=Yolanda Adams||refname=BBGospel|accessdate=July 11, 2020}}
scope="row" {{album chart|BillboardChristian|1|artist=Yolanda Adams||refname=BBChristian|accessdate=July 11, 2020}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"|Chart (1999)

! scope="col"|Peak
position

scope="row"|US Top Gospel Albums (Billboard){{Cite magazine |title=The Year in Music 1999: Top Gospel Albums|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1999/BB-1999-12-25.pdf#page=152|magazine=Billboard|date=December 25, 1999|accessdate=January 18, 2024|via=World Radio History}}

|align="center"|17

scope="col"| Chart (2000)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| US Billboard 200{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2000/top-billboard-200-albums|title=Billboard 200 Albums: Year-End 2000|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=July 11, 2020}}

| 120

scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ehEEAAAAMBAJ|title=2000 The Year in Music|magazine=Billboard|volume=112|issue=53|page=YE-52|date=December 30, 2000|accessdate=August 8, 2021}}

| 20

scope="row"|US Top Gospel Albums (Billboard){{Cite magazine |title=The Year in Music 2000: Top Gospel Albums|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2000/BB-2000-12-30.pdf#page=153|magazine=Billboard|date=December 30, 2000|accessdate=January 18, 2024|via=World Radio History}}

|align="center"|1

scope="row"|US Christian Albums (Billboard){{Cite magazine |title=The Year in Music 2000: Top Contemporary Christian Albums|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2000/BB-2000-12-30.pdf#page=155|magazine=Billboard|date=December 30, 2000|accessdate=January 18, 2024|via=World Radio History}}

|align="center"|1

scope="col"| Chart (2001)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"|US Top Gospel Albums (Billboard){{Cite magazine |title=The Year in Music 2001: Top Gospel Albums|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2001/BB-2001-12-29.pdf#page=139|magazine=Billboard|date=December 29, 2001|accessdate=January 18, 2024|via=World Radio History}}

|align="center"|2

scope="row"|US Christian Albums (Billboard){{Cite magazine |title=The Year in Music 2001: Top Contemporary Christian Albums|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2001/BB-2001-12-29.pdf#page=140|magazine=Billboard|date=December 29, 2001|accessdate=January 18, 2024|via=World Radio History}}

|align="center"|5

=Decade-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"|Chart (2000-2009)

! scope="col"|Peak
position

scope="row"|US Top Gospel Albums (Billboard){{Cite magazine |title=Best of the 2000s: Gospel Albums|archivedate=January 6, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106051824/http://www.billboard.com/charts-decade-end/gospel-albums?year=2009#/charts-decade-end/gospel-albums?year=2009|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts-decade-end/gospel-albums?year=2009#/charts-decade-end/gospel-albums?year=2009|url-status=dead|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=February 11, 2024|via=Wayback Machine}}

|align="center"|1

scope="row"|US Christian Albums (Billboard){{Cite magazine |title=Best of the 2000s: Christian Albums|archivedate=July 30, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100730133221/http://www.billboard.com/charts-decade-end/christian-albums?year=2009#/charts-decade-end/christian-albums?year=2009|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts-decade-end/christian-albums?year=2009#/charts-decade-end/christian-albums?year=2009|url-status=dead|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=February 11, 2024|via=Wayback Machine}}

|align="center"|8

{{col-end}}

Certifications

{{certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=album |region=United States |artist=Yolanda Adams |title=Mountain High...Valley Low |award=Platinum |certyear=2000 |relyear=1999 |access-date=July 11, 2020|salesamount=1,374,000|salesref=}}

{{end}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{AllMusic|class=album|id=r430108|label=Mountain High... Valley Low}}

{{Yolanda Adams}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1999 albums

Category:Albums produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

Category:Albums produced by Warryn Campbell

Category:Yolanda Adams albums

Category:Elektra Records albums