The Closer You Get...

The Closer You Get...
The Closer You Get...
Studio album by Alabama
Released	March 1983
Recorded	1981–1982
Studios	The Music Mill (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre	Country;
Length	40:53
Label	RCA Nashville
Producers	Alabama; Harold Shedd
Alabama chronology
Singles from The Closer You Get...
	"Dixieland Delight"; Released: January 28, 1983; "The Closer You Get"; Released: April 29, 1983; "Lady Down on Love"; Released: August 5, 1983;

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]

The Closer You Get... is the seventh studio album by American country music band Alabama, released in March 1983. All three singles from this album — "The Closer You Get", "Lady Down on Love" and "Dixieland Delight" — reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1983. The album itself reached number ten on the Billboard 200, becoming the band's highest-charting album. Considered a stylistic move towards a more pop-friendly sound, the album was described as a mix of "easy listening" country pop and neotraditional country by AllMusic's Vik Iyengar.^[1]

The album was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.^[2]

Track listing

*The Closer You Get...* track listing
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"The Closer You Get"	J.P. Pennington, Mark Gray	4:33
2.	"Lady Down on Love"	Randy Owen	4:00
3.	"She Put the Sad in All His Songs"	Robert Byrne, Mac McAnally	4:03
4.	"Red River"	Bud McGuire, George Pearce	4:20
5.	"What in the Name of Love"	Bill Boling, Chris Deal, Rick Wayne	3:54
6.	"Dixieland Delight"	Ronnie Rogers	5:25
7.	"Very Special Love"	Teddy Gentry, Owen	4:50
8.	"Dixie Boy"	Jim McBride	4:20
9.	"Alabama Sky"	Larry Shell	3:21
10.	"Lovin' Man"	Jeff Cook	2:33

Personnel

Alabama

Randy Owen – lead vocals, electric guitar
Jeff Cook – electric guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals (5, 10)
Teddy Gentry – bass guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals (4, 9)
Mark Herndon – drums

Additional musicians

Shane Keister – keyboards
Willie Rainsford – keyboards
Jack Eubanks – acoustic guitar
George "Leo" Jackson – acoustic guitar
Dave Kirby – electric guitar
Fred Newell – electric guitar
William Adair – bass guitar
Larry Paxton – bass guitar
Steve Schaffer – bass guitar
Hayward Bishop – drums
Farrell Morris – percussion
Bruce Watkins – fiddle
Kristin Wilkinson – string arrangements
Nashville String Machine – strings

Production

Alabama – producers
Harold Shedd – producer
Paul Goldberg – engineer
Gene Rice – engineer
Randy Kling – mastering at Randy's Roost (Nashville, Tennessee)
Hogan Entertainment – art direction
Gabrielle Raumberger – art direction, design
Moshe Brakha – photography

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1983)	Peak position
Canadian Albums (RPM)	17
US Billboard 200^[3]	10
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[4]	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1983)	Position
US Billboard 200^[5]	29
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[6]	2
Chart (1984)	Position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[7]	10

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions
Year	Single	US Country	US	US AC	CAN Country	CAN AC
1983	"Dixieland Delight"	1	—	—	1	—
	"The Closer You Get"	1	38	9	1	1
	"Lady Down on Love"	1	76	18	1	10

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[8]	4× Platinum	4,000,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1 2 https://www.allmusic.com/album/r105289
↑ "Alabama – Gold & Platinum Certifications". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
↑ "Alabama Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
↑ "Alabama Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1983". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
↑ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1983". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
↑ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1984". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
↑ "American album certifications – Alabama – The Closer You Get". Recording Industry Association of America.

[amg-1] 1 2 https://www.allmusic.com/album/r105289

[alabamaRIAA-2] "Alabama – Gold & Platinum Certifications". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. Retrieved July 6, 2014.

[ac_Billboard200_Alabama-3] "Alabama Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2021.

[ac_BillboardCountry_Alabama-4] "Alabama Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2021.

[5] "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1983". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2021.

[6] "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1983". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2021.

[7] "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1984". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2021.

[United_StatesAlabamaThe_Closer_You_GetalbumCertRef-8] "American album certifications – Alabama – The Closer You Get". Recording Industry Association of America.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

Alabama
Randy Owen Jeff Cook
Studio albums	Wild Country (1976) Deuces Wild (1977) Alabama Band No. 3 (1979) My Home's in Alabama (1980) Feels So Right (1981) Mountain Music (1982) The Closer You Get... (1983) Roll On (1984) 40-Hour Week (1985) The Touch (1986) Just Us (1987) Southern Star (1989) Pass It On Down (1990) American Pride (1992) Cheap Seats (1993) In Pictures (1995) Dancin' on the Boulevard (1997) Twentieth Century (1999) When It All Goes South (2001) Alabama & Friends (2013) Southern Drawl (2015)
Holiday albums	Christmas (1985) Christmas with The Judds and Alabama (1994) Christmas Vol. II (1996) Christmas Collection (2006)
Gospel albums	Songs of Inspiration (2006) Songs of Inspiration II (2007) Angels Among Us: Hymns & Gospel Favorites (2014)
Compilation albums	Greatest Hits (1986) Alabama Live (1988) Greatest Hits Vol. II (1991) Gonna Have a Party...Live (1993) For Our Fans (1993) Greatest Hits Vol. III (1994) Super Hits (1996) Born Country (1997) Super Hits II (1998) The Essential Alabama (1998) For the Record (1998) Legendary (2002) In the Mood: The Love Songs (2003) The American Farewell Tour (2003) The Ultimate Alabama (2004) The Essential (2005) Livin' Lovin' Rockin' Rollin': The 25th Anniversary Collection (2006) 16 Biggest Hits (2007) Playlist: The Very Best of Alabama (2008) Mountain Music: The Best of Alabama (2009) Setlist: The Very Best of Alabama Live (2010) Country: Alabama (2013) The Classic Christmas Album (2013) Alabama & Friends: At the Ryman (2014)
Related articles	Discography List of songs Awards and nominations One on One

CMA Album of the Year
1967−1970	There Goes My Everything – Jack Greene (1967) Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison – Johnny Cash (1968) Johnny Cash At San Quentin – Johnny Cash (1969) Okie from Muskogee – Merle Haggard and the Strangers (1970)
1971−1980	I Won't Mention It Again – Ray Price (1971) Let Me Tell You About a Song – Merle Haggard and the Strangers (1972) Behind Closed Doors – Charlie Rich (1973) A Very Special Love Song – Charlie Rich (1974) A Legend in My Time – Ronnie Milsap (1975) Wanted! The Outlaws – Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser (1976) Ronnie Milsap Live – Ronnie Milsap (1977) It Was Almost Like a Song – Ronnie Milsap (1978) The Gambler – Kenny Rogers (1979) Coal Miner's Daughter – Various artists (1980)
1981−1990	I Believe in You – Don Williams (1981) Always on My Mind – Willie Nelson (1982) The Closer You Get – Alabama (1983) A Little Good News – Anne Murray (1984) Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind – George Strait (1985) Lost in the Fifties Tonight – Ronnie Milsap (1986) Always And Forever – Randy Travis (1987) Born to Boogie – Hank Williams Jr. (1988) Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (1989) Pickin' on Nashville – The Kentucky Headhunters (1990)
1991−2000	No Fences – Garth Brooks (1991) Ropin' the Wind – Garth Brooks (1992) I Still Believe in You – Vince Gill (1993) Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles – Various artists (1994) When Fallen Angels Fly – Patty Loveless (1995) Blue Clear Sky – George Strait (1996) Carrying Your Love with Me – George Strait (1997) Everywhere – Tim McGraw (1998) A Place in the Sun – Tim McGraw (1999) Fly – The Dixie Chicks (2000)
2001−2010	O Brother, Where Art Thou? – Various artists (2001) Drive – Alan Jackson (2002) American IV: The Man Comes Around – Johnny Cash (2003) When the Sun Goes Down – Kenny Chesney (2004) There's More Where That Came From – Lee Ann Womack (2005) Time Well Wasted – Brad Paisley (2006) It Just Comes Natural – George Strait (2007) Troubadour – George Strait (2008) Fearless – Taylor Swift (2009) Revolution – Miranda Lambert (2010)
2011−2020	My Kinda Party – Jason Aldean (2011) Chief – Eric Church (2012) Based on a True Story... – Blake Shelton (2013) Platinum – Miranda Lambert (2014) Traveller – Chris Stapleton (2015) Mr. Misunderstood – Eric Church (2016) From A Room: Volume 1 – Chris Stapleton (2017) Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves (2018) Girl – Maren Morris (2019) What You See Is What You Get – Luke Combs (2020)
2021−2030	Starting Over – Chris Stapleton (2021) Growin' Up – Luke Combs (2022) Bell Bottom Country – Lainey Wilson (2023) Leather – Cody Johnson (2024) Whirlwind – Lainey Wilson (2025)