Precious Memories cover

Precious Memories

Alan Jackson

Album · 2006

Precious Memories is Alan Jackson’s album of fifteen hymns, released by Arista Nashville on 28 February 2006. It started as a family project. Jackson’s mother had been asking him for a gospel record for ten years. When his father-in-law died, he recorded “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” for the funeral, and the rest of the family then joined her in asking. He and his wife, Denise, went through an old Baptist hymnal they had at home, picked the songs they remembered from growing up in Newnan, Georgia, and cut a list of thirty down to fifteen. Jackson recorded them as a Christmas gift for his mother and made up about a hundred CDs for family and friends. RCA Label Group chairman Joe Galante heard them and liked them, and with encouragement from family, friends and the label, the recordings were released commercially.

The arrangements stay plain. Jackson said he wanted the hymns to “feel like they did when we sang them in church.” Keith Stegall produced, with Brent Mason on acoustic guitar, Gary Prim on piano and organ, and John Wesley Ryles and Melodie Crittenden singing harmony. Denise Jackson and their daughters Ali and Mattie sing on “’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus,” and Jackson took the cover photograph of a country church. The songs run from “Blessed Assurance” and “In the Garden” through “I’ll Fly Away” and “The Old Rugged Cross” to “How Great Thou Art.” “Are You Washed in the Blood?” lasts just over a minute.

In its release week the album topped three Billboard charts: Top Country Albums, Top Christian Albums and Top Christian & Gospel Albums. Jackson re-released it in 2012 on his own ACR label with EMI Records Nashville. A second volume followed in 2013.

Tracklist

  1. 1 Blessed Assurance 1:56
  2. 2 Softly And Tenderly 3:18
  3. 3 I Love To Tell The Story 2:53
  4. 4 When We All Get To Heaven 1:44
  5. 5 'Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus 1:53
  6. 6 In The Garden 2:55
  7. 7 Are You Washed in the Blood alt version 1:16
  8. 8 I’ll Fly Away alt version 3:57
  9. 9 What a Friend We Have in Jesus alt version 3:33
  10. 10 Standing On The Promises 1:35
  11. 11 Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus 3:48
  12. 12 Leaning on the Everlasting Arms alt version 2:53
  13. 13 The Old Rugged Cross alt version 2:59
  14. 14 How Great Thou Art alt version 3:12
  15. 15 I Want To Stroll Over Heaven With You 3:07

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