Take Me as I Am (Faith Hill album) – 1993
Take Me as I Am is the debut studio album by country singer Faith Hill, released in 1993 by Warner Bros. Records. It has been certified 3× platinum in the United States for sales of three million copies, and has sold 4.3 million copies worldwide.
Four singles were released from the album. The first two — “Wild One” and “Piece of My Heart” — reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1994. “Wild One,” the tale of a rebellious teen-aged girl in conflict with her parents’ more conservative ways, was the lead-off single, spending four weeks at No. 1 that January.
“Piece of My Heart”, a cover of the 1967 song by Erma Franklin, was issued as the follow-up. The third single, “But I Will”, failed to break the Top 30, but Hill’s fourth release in late 1994 (the title track) reached No. 2.
Track listing
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. “Take Me as I Am” Bob DiPiero, Karen Staley 3:17
2. “Wild One” Pat Bunch, Jaime Kyle, Will Rambeaux 2:45
3. “Just About Now” Gary Burr, Jon Vezner 2:57
4. “Piece of My Heart” Bert Berns, Jerry Ragovoy 4:01
5. “I’ve Got This Friend” (with Larry Stewart) Bruce Burch, Vern Dant, Faith Hill 3:46
6. “Life’s Too Short to Love Like That” Sandy Ramos 2:37
7. “But I Will” Troy Seals, Eddie Setser, Larry Stewart 3:47
8. “Just Around the Eyes” Gary Burr 3:07
9. “Go the Distance” Trey Bruce, Faith Hill, Thom McHugh 3:02
10. “I Would Be Stronger Than That” Gary Burr 4:48
Total length:
34:07
Personnel
As listed in liner notes.
All tracks except “Just Around the Eyes”
Gary Burr – background vocals
John Catchings – cello
Bill Cuomo – synthesizer
Stuart Duncan – mandolin, fiddle
Paul Franklin – steel guitar, Dobro
Dann Huff – electric guitar
John Barlow Jarvis – piano
Mary Ann Kennedy – background vocals
Mark Luna – background vocals
Brent Mason – electric guitar
Terry McMillan – congas, cymbals, tambourine
Don Potter – acoustic guitar
Michael Rhodes – bass guitar
Pam Rose – background vocals
Victoria Shaw – background vocals
Karen Staley – background vocals
Larry Stewart – background vocals
Cindy Richardson Walker – background vocals
Ron Wallace – background vocals
Lari White – background vocals
Lonnie Wilson – drums
On “Just Around the Eyes”
Gary Burr – background vocals
Jerry Douglas – Dobro
Rob Hajacos – fiddle
Terry McMillan – percussion
Edgar Meyer – acoustic bass guitar
Harry Stinson – drums
Biff Watson – acoustic guitar
Glenn Worf – electric bass guitar
Production
Producers: Gary Burr (all tracks except “Just Around the Eyes”); Mike Clute and Scott Hendricks (“Just Around the Eyes” only)
Assistant producer: John Kunz
Engineers: Mike Clute, John Kelton
Assistant engineers: Jon “JD” Dickson, Amy Hughes, John Kunz, Shawn McLean, Wayne Morgan, Herb Tassin
Mixing: Scott Hendricks
Mastering: Denny Purcell
Overdubs: Scott Hendricks, John Kunz
Art direction: Laura LiPuma
Design: Garrett Rittenberry
Photography: Aaron Rapoport
Make-up: Eric Bernard, Beth Katz