Good Night, Dear Lord
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Good Night, Dear Lord is the fourth studio album by vocalist Johnny Mathis. The UK Fontana LP release was re-titled Heavenly, not to be confused with Mathis' album of the same name released the following year.
Overview
The album is a deeply felt collection of religious songs sung with proper reverence by the 22-year-old singer. It is noteworthy for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is unlike any of Mathis' other studio albums in that it is made up solely of religious music. Although he would include some religious music on his subsequent Christmas albums, this is the only time in his career that he would release an album exclusively of this genre. Secondly, this is the first album to feature Mathis singing classical music, notably the two versions of Ave Maria by Charles Gounod and Franz Schubert. Further, he sings songs that represent a number of faiths and in a number of languages, showing his range and versatility as a singer. Finally, the album inspired Barbra Streisand, who is Mathis's long-time labelmate, in selecting songs for her 1997 album Higher Ground. Streisand, a longtime Mathis fan, included both "Deep River" and "One God" on her album, songs she first heard as sung by Mathis on this album. This album by Mathis was reissued by Columbia in CD format in 1996.
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Track listing
- "Good Night, Dear Lord" (Paul Tripp, Ray Carter) – 3:30
- "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" (Traditonal) – 3:48
- "May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You" (Meredith Willson) – 3:47
- "I Heard a Forest Praying" (Sam M. Lewis, Peter De Rose)– 3:10
- "The Rosary" (Ethelbert Nevin) – 2:21
- "One God" (Ervin Drake, Jimmy Shirl) – 3:48
- "Deep River" (Traditional)– 2:49
- "Where Can I Go?" (Sonny Miller, Leo Fuld, Sigmunt Berland)– 3:36
- "Eli Eli" (Hannah Shemesh, Traditional) – 4:29
- "Kol Nidre" (Traditional) – 2:56
- "Ave Maria" (Franz Schubert) – 4:34
- "Ave Maria" (Johann Sebastian Bach, Charles Gounod) – 2:59
Billboard album chart
The album's sales proved Mathis' continuing popularity peaking at #10 on the Billboard album chart in its original release.[1]