The Heart of the Matter (Kenny Rogers album)

The Heart of the Matter
Studio album by Kenny Rogers
Released	1985
Recorded	1985
Genre	Country
Length	37:50
Label	RCA Nashville
Producer	George Martin
Kenny Rogers chronology
The Kenny Rogers Story (1985) The Heart of the Matter (1985) Love Is What We Make It (1985)

The Heart of the Matter is the seventeenth studio album by Kenny Rogers, released by RCA Nashville. It was Kenny's eleventh disc to hit #1 on Billboard's Country albums chart.

Overview

This album is to date Rogers' final to reach #1 on the country charts, and peaked at #51 on the Billboard 200. It was produced by George Martin.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link

Singles

Two singles came from this album. "Morning Desire" reached the top of the country charts, as well as #8 on the adult contemporary chart and #79 on the pop charts. His next single, "Goodbye Marie", came from the Short Stories album (also released after Rogers signed to RCA) and charted. The final single from this album followed; "Tomb of the Unknown Love" was a #1 hit in the country charts.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"I Don't Wanna Have to Worry"	Steve Crossley, Michael Smotherman	3:40
2.	"The Heart of the Matter"	Smotherman	4:36
3.	"You Made Me Feel Love"	John Goin, Dave Loggins	3:41
4.	"Morning Desire"	Loggins	4:09
5.	"Don't Look in My Eyes"	Brian Potter, Frank Wildhorn	3:34
6.	"The Best of Me"	David Foster, Jeremy Lubbock, Richard Marx	4:01
7.	"Tomb of the Unknown Love"	Smotherman	4:03
8.	"People in Love"	Mike Dekle, Byron Hill	3:03
9.	"I Can't Believe Your Eyes"	Graham Lyle, Troy Seals	3:02
10.	"Our Perfect Song"	David Briggs, Linda Thompson-Jenner	4:01

Personnel

• Ian Bairnson – guitar
• Isreal Baker – strings
• Arnold Belnick – strings
• Denyse Buffum – strings
• Stuart Canin – strings
• Leon Chancler – drums, percussion
• Joe Chemay – bass guitar, background vocals
• Jimmy Cox – keyboards
• Isabelle Daskoff – strings
• Assa Drori – strings
• Anne Dudley – keyboards
• Bruce Dukov – strings
• Nathan East – bass guitar, background vocals
• Stuart Elliott – drums
• Ronald Folsom – strings
• David Foster – drums, Linn drums, Moog bass, Moog synthesizer, piano, synthesizer
• Mo Foster – bass guitar
• James Galway – flute, soloist
• Gary Grant – trumpet
• Gary Herbig – saxophone
• Jerry Hey – horn arrangements, trumpet
• Reginald Hill – strings
• John Hobbs – keyboards
• Bill Hybel – strings
• William Hymanson – strings
• Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar
• Stanley Jordan – guitar
• Dennis Karmazyn – strings
• Michael Landau – guitar
• Steve Leach – percussion
• Kathleen Lenski – strings
• Gayle Levant – harp
• Jeremy Lubbock – keyboards, strings arrangements
• Steve Lukather – guitar
• Gordan Marron – strings
• George Martin – string arrangements
• Richard Marx – percussion, background vocals
• David Morgan – keyboards
• Buell Niedlinger – strings
• Bill Nuttycombe – strings
• Garry Nuttycombe – strings
• Don Palmer – strings
• Herb Pedersen – background vocals
• Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone
• John "J.R." Robinson – drums, percussion
• Kenny Rogers – lead vocals, background vocals
• Jay Rosen – strings
• Donnie Sanders – saxello, saxophone
• Sheldon Sanov – strings
• David Schwartz – strings
• Fred Seykoura – strings
• Marshall Sosson – strings
• Neil Stubenhaus – bass guitar
• Robert Sushel – strings
• Fred Tackett – guitar
• James Thatcher – French horn
• Richard Todd – French horn
• Mari Tsumari-Botnick – strings
• Kin Vassy – percussion, background vocals
• Randy Waldman – keyboards
• Billy Joe Walker Jr. – guitar
• Lawrence Williams – strings
• Terry Williams – percussion, background vocals
• Shari Zippert – strings

Charts

Chart (1985)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums	1
U.S. Billboard 200	51
Canadian RPM Top Albums	57

External links

• The Heart of the Matter album page at Allmusic